BS/MS Program
A BS/MS degree option is available for select undergraduates who are able to accelerate their programs of study. All requirements for both degrees must be completed within 5 years. The typical prospective BS/MS student will enter the University with advanced standing—two to three quarters of applicable math and science credit—through programs such as Advanced Placement, Running Start, Summer School, Early Fall Start, or some combination of these options.
A student considering the BS/MS must be ready to begin in a laboratory by autumn quarter of the junior year. Junior year will be spent working in the lab in which he or she wishes to complete the senior capstone project. This early start in the lab is necessary to progress enough to complete a master’s thesis within one additional year. Please note that it is important to define a project that will fulfill the engineering design requirement for the BS but which can also be taken a step further for the master’s thesis. Summer following senior year and the fifth year are spent completing thesis research and coursework and writing and defending the thesis.
In addition to graduate program admission criteria, BS/MS applicants will be evaluated on the following factors:
- Target undergraduate GPA: 3.60+
- Strong letter of recommendation from faculty adviser
- Commitment of supervision from faculty adviser
A BS/MS candidate must be nominated by the faculty supervisor in a letter to the Graduate Admissions Committee. The student makes a normal application to the graduate program during autumn of the senior year, with the letter of nomination serving as one of the faculty letters of reference. The letter of nomination should describe the student’s aptitude for graduate study, state the advisor’s willingness to have the student continue in his or her laboratory, and attest that the thesis can be completed within one further year of study. The letter should also specify whether the advisor could provide funding for the student. Funding is not guaranteed for BS/MS students. Additional details about graduate program application are available at http://depts.washington.edu/bioe/programs/phd/phd-apply.html. Offers of admission to the graduate program are made during the winter. If accepted, the student will graduate with the BS in summer of the senior year, and then begin the master’s program in fall of the 5th year.
The Graduate School stipulates the following:
- The MS will consist of not fewer than 27 course credits and 9 research credits (BIOEN 700).
- No credits will be counted toward both degrees.
- Students will fully satisfy the requirements of each degree separately. The program provides for efficient completion of these two degrees; it does not alter the academic requirements for either.
- Only 10 credits of graded courses (instead of 18) will be required while registered as a graduate student. However, at least 18 credits of graded credit will be required for the MS degree.
- No more than 30 credits toward the MS can be earned before actually entering the graduate program.
- Although credit towards the MS can be earned prior to the completion of the BS, these credits will not count toward the BS degree.
- Students will be awarded the BS prior to actually entering the graduate program.
- A breakdown of courses showing which should apply toward the MS degree must be submitted with the Master’s application to graduate.
The 5-year sample curriculum here fulfills the requirements set forth by the Graduate School. Courses that will count for the master’s degree are highlighted in blue. This is only a sample schedule. Individual schedules will vary depending on the amount of advanced credit earned and the student’s ability to carry a heavy course load with high grades while simultaneously conducting research. Most students will need to use summers to complete the BS/MS successfully.