The MKTYP is one of several ways by which students may be admitted to the Brandeis undergraduate program. Program participants have shown determination and focus under such circumstances as having to work long hours while attending school, providing leadership in their households, overcoming hardship and/or surviving disaster in their native countries. Many of our students are from under-resourced high schools and have not had access to academically rigorous courses like English or sociology seminars, computer science, physics and statistics.
In their first year at Brandeis, students in the transitional year program take noncredit bearing courses of writing, statistics, social science, science and computer science designed at the college level. Students will also take a few Brandeis undergraduate classes of their choosing. These courses are intended to expose students to a type of rigorous academic experience they have not previously had.
No. Brandeis admits students through the transitional year program for fall semester start only.
It depends on the student. Because students take at least two undergraduate courses during their first year at Brandeis in the transitional year program, a student could graduate in four years by taking heavier course loads and/or summer courses to fit in the other six courses to meet university requirements. Most students who enter the university through the program graduate in four and a half or five years.
MKTYP offers exclusive, yearlong courses in writing, quantitative reasoning and social science. In fall, we offer computer science; in spring, we offer a life science. Course descriptions are available on Courses page of this website. In addition to these courses, students also take one Brandeis elective undergraduate course per semester. The undergraduate courses are chosen in consultation with the MKTYP director according to students’ academic strengths and areas of interest.
Yes. Each student who matriculates in the program must take all of the courses listed on the Courses page of this website.
The courses in the MKTYP are designed to introduce students to a competitive liberal arts curriculum. With the exception of undergraduate courses, classes taken during the MKTYP year are not credit-bearing. However, because these classes are exclusive, students are guaranteed the benefit of individual attention in a small classroom environment, which they may not have had in their previous schooling experiences.
No. Unlike high school, college courses are offered on a block schedule, which means that rather than having a school day that runs from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., for example, you would have five classes that each meet for three hours per week. Courses often meet for three one-hour meetings on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, or for two 1 1/2-hour meetings on Monday and Wednesday, or Tuesday and Friday. With the expectation that students will study for five hours outside of class for every hour in class in order to be successful, the commitment to the program is full time.
Students in the program are eligible to play intramural sports. However, students may not join NCAA varsity athletic teams, as the year is intended to focus on academics.
Yes, absolutely! However, students in the program may not hold leadership positions in clubs or organizations, as the year is intended to focus on academics.
The cost of attending Brandeis, along with likely sources of financial aid from Brandeis can be found on the Office of Student Financial Services website. Students applying to Brandeis via the transitional year program are required to fill out the FAFSA and CSS Profile. Students will typically receive a financial aid package that includes a need-based scholarship, loans, grants and/or a work-study award. The university is committed to meeting 100% of the need demonstrated by the aid application materials.
Students who are interested in attending Brandeis can do so directly through the MKTYP. Students who attend a community college must transfer elsewhere after two years.
We are looking for indications of a strong commitment to the pursuit of postsecondary education. Characteristics of academic strength and motivation, such as an upward trend in high school grades or excellent performance in under-resourced high schools (e.g., schools at risk or few AP classes), are also given careful consideration. Students who are willing to work hard and seek academic support often perform well in the MKTYP.
Students in the MKTYP receive academic advising from the director of the program in weekly individual meetings. Each MKTYP course also provides a student tutor to assist students, and students can also take advantage of additional campus resources, such as peer tutoring and the University Writing Center. In addition, as part of the academic services office at Brandeis, students are encouraged to take part in study abroad, student accessibility support, academic fellowships, pre-health advising, etc.
Students admitted to Brandeis through the MKTYP are expected to uphold the core values of the Brandeis community through compliance with university policies, perform well academically and make productive use of their time at Brandeis.
There is no distinction made between students in the MKTYP and other first-year undergraduates at Brandeis.
Application information is available on the undergraduate admissions website.
All students are welcome to apply, though we are only permitted to admit those with a permanent residence in the United States. Undocumented students, with or without Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Temporary Protected Status students, and those with asylum status are welcome and encouraged to apply and will be given full consideration for admission. Email us at mktyp@brandeis.edu with questions.
International applicants are not eligible for the MKTYP.
If you have additional questions, feel free to email us at mktyp@brandeis.edu.