Oakland University
Graduate Council
Proposed Program Requirements
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COMBINED BACHELOR/MASTER DEGREE PROGRAMS
A combined bachelor/master degree program provides high-achieving students an
opportunity to complete a bachelor's and a master's degree in less time than would
be required if the two degrees were done independently.
At Oakland University a combined bachelor/master program would be characterized
as an articulated curriculum that combines an existing undergraduate degree with an
existing master's degree, offered by the same or different departments. Approved
external partnership proposals may be considered for inclusion. The combined
degree program should be designed for students who are high academic achievers
and must create an integrated learning experience, rather than merely the
completion of a certain number of graduate and undergraduate credits. A proposal
for a combined bachelor/master program must be approved by the college or
school(s) housing the academic program; be recommended to the Provost by both
the Graduate Council and the University Committee on Undergraduate Instruction
(UCUI) for implementation; and be presented as an informational item to the
Senate.
Required features of a structured bachelor/master program must include the
following:
a. There must be specific requirements for admission to the combined program that
defines the expected academic performance of the students to be admitted.
Students accepted for the combined program must have a minimum overall
undergraduate GPA of 3.2 and meet the admission requirements to the graduate
degree portion of the program. Individual graduate programs may have a higher
standard.
b. The combined program should be designed not to delay the students' receipt of
their bachelor's degrees. Enrollment in graduate credits should not unduly limit
the breadth of the student's undergraduate experience by way of a premature
focus or specialization.
c. Students may apply to a combined bachelor/master degree program and be
offered deferred admission to the graduate program at the end of the junior year
(minimum credits) and may begin enrollment in graduate courses during the first
semester of the senior year. Students who apply must also have completed half
of the departmental credits required for the major. Formal admission to the
graduate program requires completion of all requirements for the bachelor's
degree.
Proposal for combined bachelor/master degree programs
d. Students offered deferred admission will remain classified as undergraduates until
they have completed all undergraduate degree requirements (124 credits). At
that time, students who have maintained an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.2
and have earned a 3.0 or above GPA in each of the 12 credits of graduate courses
will be reclassified as graduate students through Graduate Study. Students, who
have not maintained eligibility to continue, will be denied formal admission to the
graduate program and forfeit the 12-credit double-counted course advantage
extended to students eligible to continue in the graduate portion of the combined
degree program.
e. No more than 12 credits of graduate courses applied to the bachelor's degree
may be counted also for graduate credit in a combined program. Courses eligible
to be double-counted must be at the 500 level and must be passed with at least a
3.0 GPA. Independent study courses, internships, or courses given credit by
examination are not eligible.
f. The 12 credits to be double-counted will be designated as applicable to the
graduate degree after the student receives the bachelor's degree and
matriculates in the graduate program. This designation will be canceled if the
student is denied formal admission to the graduate program or withdraws from
the graduate program before satisfying the requirements for the master's degree.
g. All university and departmental requirements for the bachelor's degree and the
master's degree must be satisfied to receive the two degrees. The full number of
credit hours required for the master's degree must be completed; this includes
the 12 credits of graduate courses completed as an undergraduate and approved
to count toward the undergraduate degree requirements.
h. Students in the combined program are eligible to hold a graduate assistantship or
graduate fellowship upon being classified as graduate students.
i. Maximum time to earn the combined bachelor/master degree is six years.
Proposal for combined bachelor/master degree programs