Joint Degree Programs

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This is an archived copy of the 2013-2014 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.uchicago.edu.

Contacts | Five-Year Joint Bachelor's/Master's Programs | Four-Year Joint Bachelor's/Master's Programs

Contacts

Administrative Contact

College BA/MA Adviser
Ron Gorny
College Advising Office, Harper 2nd floor
773.702.8615
Email

The University offers a number of joint degrees to students in the College. Joint BA-MA/MS programs permit qualified students to enter upon a course of graduate study while also completing their work in the College. Applicants must have completed a significant portion of their undergraduate program before they can apply to master's level programs. Generally this means that students are admitted to candidacy for the master's degree during their fourth year in the College. During this year of graduate work, students will be billed for tuition at the graduate rate. Students should consult their College advisers, as well as the appropriate program chairman or program coordinator, for detailed information about these options.

Any department may initiate a joint program by submitting a program proposal to the College Curriculum Committee.

Five-Year Joint Bachelor's/Master's Programs

Five-year joint bachelor's/master's programs permit undergraduate students to begin a master’s degree program during their fourth year in the College. Successful students earn a bachelor's degree at the end of their fourth year and a master’s degree at the end of their fifth year. Interested students should discuss their plans with their College adviser and aim to complete all of their general education requirements by the end of their second year.

Students begin the application process in the autumn of their third year by meeting with the College BA/MA adviser, Ron Gorny. By the end of the third year, all joint degree candidates will need to complete 33 to 39 of the required 42 credits for the undergraduate degree (students should consult the individual five-year programs to determine the exact number of credits that need to be completed).*

Students pursuing joint degrees should be aware that they will be charged at the graduate tuition rate in their fourth year of study (the joint BA/MAT degree in urban teaching is an exception to this). College aid can be applied toward tuition charges in the fourth year of study but will not extend into the fifth year. Students should check with individual graduate programs to pursue the possibility of supplemental aid.

Further information about the five-year joint programs may be found in the accompanying table .

Four-Year Joint Bachelor's/Master's Programs

Four-year joint bachelor's/master's programs permit successful undergraduate students to complete a master’s degree program over their fourth year in the College. Though their admissions criteria vary, they are all highly selective programs. Interested students should discuss their plans with their College adviser and aim to complete all of their general education requirements by the end of their second year. Students planning to pursue a joint degree in the physical sciences should consult closely with their individual departments regarding course selection in their major.

Students apply to four-year joint bachelor's/master's programs during their third year in the College. They begin the process before the end of the Autumn Quarter by meeting with both the College BA/MA adviser and the joint degree program coordinator in their department of interest. They are also required to meet with the dean of students in their prospective graduate division. By the end of the third year, all joint degree candidates will need to complete at least 39 of the required 42 credits for the undergraduate degree.

Students pursuing joint degrees typically register for nine courses in their fourth and final year of study.^† In the humanities and social sciences programs, all course work will be graduate level. In the physical sciences, students will work with program advisers to develop an individualized program of course work. All students will be allowed to use up to three credits from their graduate course work to fulfill the remaining credits for the undergraduate degree.* (Candidates may petition the director of undergraduate studies to apply the three graduate courses toward their major, otherwise the courses will be applied toward general electives).

Students should be aware that they will be charged at the graduate tuition rate in their fourth year of study. College aid can be applied toward tuition charges in the fourth year of study but will not cover the additional expenses associated with graduate tuition rates and fees. Students should check with individual graduate programs to pursue the possibility of supplemental aid.

Further information about four-year joint programs can be found in the accompanying table .

Courses in a minor cannot be double-counted anywhere in a student's program, including in the graduate portion of the degree.

†

Students pursuing a BA project are typically expected to register for one or two BA workshops in their fourth year. These workshops count as courses in the undergraduate program and are in addition to the nine graduate courses associated with most joint degree fourth-year curricula. Joint degree candidates should be aware that registration for a fourth course in any term will result in higher tuition. Students are encouraged to complete their BA project before beginning their graduate course work.

2013-2014 College Catalog