Mar 19, 2024  
2013-2014 General Catalog (Summer, Fall 2013) 
    
2013-2014 General Catalog (Summer, Fall 2013) ARCHIVED CATALOG: To search archives, MUST use search box to left. Current catalog: catalog.usu.edu.

Graduate Degrees, Concurrent


Students may pursue concurrent master’s degrees or concurrent master’s and doctoral degrees with the approval of the cooperating departments and the graduate dean.


An application should be submitted for the first degree program. If admission is granted, the student may then apply for a second degree program after submitting a letter from the head of the department to which the student has been admitted. The letter should indicate that the department has no objection to the student applying for the second degree program. To be considered as concurrent degrees, admission to the second degree program must be finalized before the end of the first semester in the first degree.


Guidelines for Concurrent Master’s Degree Programs


In special cases, a student may complete concurrently the requirements for two master’s degrees in different departments but with fewer than the total credits required by both programs, provided that the following conditions are met:


1. The student must formally apply and be accepted into both programs by the end of the first semester of the student’s graduate program.
2. The chairperson of the student’s supervisory committee in each department must also be a member of the other committee.
3. The supervisory committee, the two department heads, and the graduate dean must approve the Program of Study for each degree.
4. There can be a maximum of 9 credits of overlap in courses between the two degree programs, and the overlap must be in the elective or broadening courses. With the allowance of overlapping, a student could thus complete the requirements for both degrees with up to 9 fewer semester credits than the usual minimum total for two degrees.


Guidelines for Concurrent Doctoral-Master’s Degree Programs


In special cases, a student may complete concurrently all requirements for a doctorate and a master’s degree in different departments with fewer than the total credits required by both programs, provided that the following conditions are met:


1. The student must formally apply and be accepted into both programs by the end of the first semester of the student’s graduate program.
2. The student’s doctoral supervisory committee must consist of four members from the doctoral department and two members from the master’s department if the student is on a thesis plan. The master’s committee must consist of two master’s departmental members and the chair of the doctoral committee.
3. The student’s supervisory committee, the two department heads, and the graduate dean must approve each Program of Study.
4. There can be a maximum of 15 semester credits of overlap in courses between the two degree programs, and the overlap must be in the elective or broadening courses. With the allowance of overlapping, a student could thus complete the requirements for both degrees with a minimum of 75 semester credits, rather than the usual 90-credit minimum.