Overview
The following information provides details of the MSE Department’s Concurrent BS/MS program and requirements. This information is also available in the Undergraduate Handbook (pdf).
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering can admit seniors with exceptional academic qualifications into the program for “Concurrent Enrollment for Graduate/Undergraduate Degrees.” A student in this program pursues a graduate MS degree while simultaneously completing his/her undergraduate BS degree. After successfully completing the requirements for the BS and graduate degree, the student will receive both degrees at graduation – typically, but not always, on the same graduation date.
Students seeking admission to this program will apply near the end of their junior undergraduate year or within one year before the expected semester of BS graduation. Students are encouraged to discuss the matter with their academic advisor, potential major professor, Director of Graduate Education (DOGE), or MSE Department Chair.
Qualifications
- Minimum overall GPA of 3.0
- Minimum 90 credits accrued to begin BS/Graduate Study Program
- Major Professor must be identified
The following steps should be taken to apply for the BS/MS program:
1. Identify an MSE faculty member willing to serve as your major professor. (see item 2)
2. Complete an MSE Concurrent Enrollment Application required for the student and major professor and/or academic advisor in preparation for the student’s graduate program of study.(requires advisor and major professor signatures)
3. Complete an Application for an ISU Undergraduate Student Wishing to Pursue a Concurrent Graduate Degree form that also must include the following items – Full Resume/Curriculum Vitae, three letters of recommendation, and personal statement of purpose and research interests. Concurrent Enrollment Request form must be submitted in order for application to be complete.
All forms listed above (2-3) should be completed with the necessary signatures and then submitted to the MSE Graduate Coordinator in the main MSE office, 2240 Hoover Hall.
Admission/Assistantship
No decision will be made on admission until all application material is complete and submitted. Concurrent students are under the same guidelines for review as all other students who apply through the graduate application process.
Students in the Concurrent BS/MS program are eligible for research assistantships offered directly through MSE faculty members with research contracts (this would be the major professor that you have identified in your application). Assistantships are contingent upon the availability of funding and are not guaranteed for all concurrent BS/MS students. Students are eligible for a ¼-time assistantship upon entrance into the BS/MS program. Students who have accrued the minimum number of credits required for B.S. graduation are eligible for a ½-time assistantship. However, this change is not automatic – written documentation via the signed MSE Concurrent Enrollment Assistantship Increase Form is required. Once received and approved, appropriate action will be taken to apply the increase. In addition, all students on assistantship are eligible for resident graduate tuition.
Please Note: Prior to application/enrollment in the concurrent program, you should consider how this appointment may affect you financially. Each student’s situation is different, so it is worthwhile to visit with a financial aid advisor prior to making any final decisions about the concurrent program. Your eligibility for scholarships, grants, and other forms of gift aid could be affected by your change in student status from undergraduate to graduate once you are accepted into the concurrent program.
Coursework
Students may double-count up to six credits between their B.S. and M.S. degree requirements. However, courses may be used in this manner only when they are taken after the date the student becomes a concurrent BS/MS student. Visit the Grad College website for more details.