Dual Degrees
Dual Bachelor's/Master's Degree Programs
The four-year bachelor's/master's program is designed to enable exceptional or gifted undergraduates to earn two degrees simultaneously during their period of study at Brandeis. If a student has not completed the requirements for the master's portion of the program at the end of the fourth year, then only the bachelor's degree is awarded.
Any program offering graduate study is eligible to offer a four-year dual-degree program. At present, participating programs are anthropology, biochemistry, biology, chemistry, history, mathematics, neuroscience and physics.
Requirements for the bachelor's degree, defined by the College of Arts and Sciences, remain unaffected by participation in the program. Students will be eligible for the simultaneous award of the bachelor's and master's degrees if, while completing undergraduate requirements, they can:
A. Fulfill a minimum of three years' residence on campus.
B. Submit a master's thesis in departments requiring one. (Whether such a thesis may also be considered for undergraduate departmental honors may differ among programs, and will be addressed specifically in the program requirements.)
C. Complete a total of 38 courses (152 semester-hour course credits), of which at least four must be at the graduate level and not counted toward undergraduate major requirements.
D. Complete all other departmental and university requirements that apply to earning a master's degree in the chosen department. Specifically, undergraduates should be aware that "B-" is the minimal grade that yields progress toward a graduate degree.
A student must make formal written application for admission to this program on forms available at the Office of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. This must be done by May 1 of the student's junior year (usually the sixth semester at Brandeis). Transfer students should apply by the fourth semester in residence. (Interested transfer students are advised to consult with their advisers and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences when they first enter Brandeis in order to plan their course of study.)
All applications must include a proposed course of study, specifying how all degree requirements will be met. Seniors participating in the four-year BA/MA program are not eligible for senior reduced-rate status.
Computer science, the International Business School and Near Eastern and Judaic studies offer programs in which the bachelor's degree is conferred at the end of the fourth year, and the requirements for a master's degree are satisfied with one additional year of study at the graduate level. Consult the departments for details.