Combined Bachelor's/Master's Pathways

The Way It Works

Qualified students interested in pursuing a Combined Bachelor's/Master's Pathway should contact the respective department/unit associated with the pathway for more information regarding specific admissions criteria and program requirements. FSU students normally apply to participate in a Combined Bachelor's/Master's Pathway in their junior or senior year as an undergraduate, but may apply as early as the second semester of their sophomore year.

Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Pathways- Combined bachelor’s/master’s pathways provide academically talented undergraduate students an opportunity to complete both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. Upon approval, a combined bachelor’s/master’s pathway allows for up to 12 graduate hours to be shared with, or double-counted toward, an undergraduate degree program. A student enrolled in a combined pathway will earn the baccalaureate degree upon completion of the undergraduate program and master’s degree upon completion of the graduate program. 

Shared Credits- “Shared credits” refers to the use of a limited number of credit hours toward the requirements of two separate degree programs.  The principle of shared credits allows the student to earn two degrees for fewer total credit hours than would normally be required if both academic degree programs were taken independently.  Academic programs must provide strong academic justification for the use of shared hours between the two degrees involved in the pathway that explains how program integrity is maintained or enhanced.  

The Department must indicate what grades earned in graduate course work taken at the undergraduate level can be double counted towards the student’s graduate program. For instance, the Department can indicate a specific average (of not less than 3.0) or specify letter grades (A, A-, B+, B) in graduate course work taken at the undergraduate level. Courses to be double-counted should be at the 5000 level or above. Directed Individual Study, internships, or courses given credit-by-examination are not eligible. 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 degree.