Combined Bachelor's-Master's Programs

In a combined bachelor's/master's program, some graduate level courses initially taken for undergraduate credit may also be applied towards the graduate credit requirements for a master's degree program at the University of Maryland. A bachelor's/master's program may be developed for an individual student, or it may be a structured program. Only graduate programs on the semester term are eligible for the combined degree. Each student can pursue one combined bachelor's/master's program. Students admitted to a combined Bachelor’s-Master’s Program may not defer the start of their Master’s program, but may request a Leave of Absence in their first year in the Master's program. Students who do not begin their Master’s program the term after completing their Bachelor’s degree will have the double-counted credits converted to being counted only for the Bachelor’s degree.

Individual Student Bachelor's/Master's Program 

An individual bachelor's/master's program may be developed by a current UMD undergraduate student in consultation with his/her academic advisor. Such a program is available only to students whose academic performance is exceptional. It is to be developed according to the individual career interests and goals of the student and should be an integrated learning experience rather than merely the completion of a certain number of graduate and undergraduate credits. The proposed program requires the approval of the Directors of both the undergraduate and the graduate programs involved and of the Dean for Undergraduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate School. Normally no more than nine credits of graduate courses applied to the bachelor's degree may be counted also for graduate credit in an individual student's program. Courses to be double-counted must be at the 600 level or above and must be passed with at least a "B-" grade. Individual study courses, internships, or courses given as credit by examination are not eligible. The credits to be double-counted will be designated as applicable to the graduate program of study after the student receives the bachelor's degree and matriculates in the Graduate School.

Structured Bachelor's/Master's Program 

A structured bachelor's/master's program is a clearly defined curriculum combining an existing University of Maryland (UMD) College Park undergraduate program and an existing master's program at UMD College Park, offered by the same or by different departments. It is designed for students whose academic performance is exceptional and should be an integrated learning experience rather than merely the completion of a certain number of graduate and undergraduate credits. A proposal for such a program should be submitted by the colleges housing the academic programs concerned and requires the approval of the Graduate Council, the Dean of the Graduate School, the Senate PCC Committee, and the President.

Necessary features of a structured bachelor's/master's program include the following:

• Specific requirements that speak to the exceptional performance of the students. At a minimum, students accepted for the program must be clearly admissible to the graduate program portion.
• The program should be designed so as not to unduly delay the completion of the bachelor's degree. Taking graduate credits should not unduly limit the breadth of the student's experience through premature specialization. Where appropriate, graduate courses taken while an undergraduate may substitute for courses required in the undergraduate major program.
• Formal admission to the Graduate School will require completion of all requirements for the bachelor's degree.
• The credits to be double-counted will be designated as applicable to the graduate program after the student receives the bachelor's degree and matriculates in the Graduate School.

A structured bachelor's/master's program may normally include up to nine credits of graduate level courses that are counted both for the bachelor's program and the master's program. More than nine double-counted credits may be allowed if both of the following conditions are satisfied:

• The additional graduate credits applied to the undergraduate program do not unduly limit the breadth of the student's experience through premature specialization.
• The master's program requires more than thirty credits.