The university has set up numerous programs permitting students to earn two graduate and/or professional degrees at the same time. Six of these programs include a degree from Arts & Sciences:

    •    Joint Master of Social Work / Master of Arts in Jewish Studies
    •    Joint Master of Business Administration / Master of Arts in East Asian Studies
    •    Joint Juris Doctor / Master of Arts in East Asian Studies
    •    Master’s Program for Medical Students (M.D./A.M. in Biology & Biomedical Sciences)
    •    Medical Scientist Training Program (M.D./Ph.D. in various disciplines)
    •    Doctor of Physical Therapy / Doctor of Philosophy in Movement Science

The Graduate School uses the term “joint degree” to refer to programs in which one or more semester hours are counted toward both degrees and the term “dual degree” to refer to programs in which no semester hours are counted toward both degrees. Interested students must apply to and be admitted by each degree program separately, but ideally all applications should be made before beginning graduate or professional study. Joint and dual degrees are ordinarily conferred simultaneously, after all the requirements for both degrees have been met. For details of the six programs listed above, students should consult the websites of the two disciplines.
Students wishing to pursue joint or dual degrees other than these six may be permitted to do so, but such requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. Admission to an individualized joint degree program between two Arts & Sciences disciplines on the Danforth Campus must be recommended by the Directors of Graduate Studies for both disciplines and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. Admission to an individualized joint degree program involving another school of the university must be recommended by the Directors of Graduate Studies for both disciplines and approved by the deans of both schools. Recommendations should address a variety of academic and administrative concerns, including the timeline for completion of both degrees and responsibility for funding the student and remitting the tuition. Students should not undertake study toward an individualized joint degree program until it has been fully approved.