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Wesleyan has long been praised for the quality
of the original research that goes on within the walls of the Exley Science
Tower. Both the faculty and the students are engaged in projects that reflect
the essence of innovative scientific research. Wesleyan is able to provide an
outstanding training in science for two reasons. The first is an overall
commitment by the University to maintain top facilities and laboratories. The
second is the commitment by the faculty not only to engage in cutting-edge
research, but to include students in this high level of research at an early
stage in their scientific careers. This overall commitment to the sciences and
learning has led to the creation of the B.A./M.A. Program.
WHAT IS THE B.A./M.A. PROGRAM?
The B.A./M.A. Program illustrates Wesleyan’s strong
commitment to science; we believe that the best way to learn science is to do
scientific research. Wesleyan’s faculty, facilities, and research support allow
students majoring in science to receive a Bachelor’s degree in four years and a
Master’s degree at the end of the fifth year. The Master’s degree is tuition
free. This program is particularly appropriate for students who wish to:
·
Strengthen understanding of a
field of interest before continuing to a Ph.D. program. A year of close
personal mentoring and laboratory group experience is valuable as preparation
for a rigorous Ph.D. program.
·
Pursue industrial science. A
Master’s degree allows students to establish a strong position upon entrance
into industrial science. In terms of salary, employees with the Master’s degree
earn approximately $10,000 or more per year over those possessing the Bachelor’s
degree.
·
Enter the field of teaching.
Teaching qualifications are enhanced tremendously by completing the program.
The M.A., plus a year of experience engaged in collaborative research with a
faculty member, opens up a range of possibilities from teaching science, to
holding administrative positions in science education.
·
Strengthen preparation for
medical school through an additional year of research and coursework, while
taking advantage of Wesleyan’s strong premedical advising program.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
A student may earn a Bachelor’s degree in four
years and a Master’s degree at the end of the fifth year while building a more
solid professional background through courses, seminars and high level research.
·
The opportunity to work closely
with a faculty member on a significant research project.
·
Tuition for the fifth year of the
Master’s degree is waived.
·
Summer research grants are
available in most disciplines.
WHEN AND HOW DO STUDENTS
ENTER THE PROGRAM?
Students are encouraged to declare their
interest in the program as early as sophomore year. They are normally accepted
into the program at the end of the junior year. Admission to the program is
based on faculty sponsorship and a comprehensive evaluation of academic
performance.
Please contact the Department you wish to apply
to for further details.
The B.A./M.A. Program in
the Sciences - A Five Year Plan
The Science
programs at Wesleyan offer a variety of excellent research opportunities. In
fact, the opportunity to carry on significant research is one of the strongest
features of science at Wesleyan. Many undergraduates carry on research in their
major department in close collaboration with a faculty member in the department,
and those who do often report that undergraduate research has been the most
valuable part of their Wesleyan education. However, in recent years, as the
opportunities to do high-quality research have multiplied at Wesleyan, some
students have felt the need for a more intensive involvement in research than is
possible in the traditional four year undergraduate setting. In consultation
with their major department, a number of such students have constructed programs
of study through which they have been able to obtain the M.A. degree after a
fifth year of study following their B.A. This additional year has provided them
with the opportunity to devote a great deal of time to completing the research
project they had begun as undergraduates.
Wesleyan’s
five-year B.A./M.A. is a formal curricular option for those students who feel
the need for the intensive research experience which a fifth year of study can
afford. The program will have a strong research orientation. However, it will
also include course work, seminars, and, in some cases, teaching. Although it
is anticipated that most individuals who enroll in this program will go on for
further graduate study, the program will provide a strong professional
background for either further advanced study or employment in industry. It
should be clear that completion of both B.A. and M.A. requirements in five years
will require careful planning of one's schedule of courses and research for the
last two years of the program. A student hoping to enter this program will be
expected to declare the intention to do so early enough in his/her academic
career to permit the design of an acceptable program for the last two years with
both the major department and a research advisor within that department.
The program will include
the following features:
The M.A. will require
six to eight credits in addition to the 32 necessary for the Wesleyan B.A. Of
these credits, two to four (at the department's discretion) will be in advanced
coursework; the remaining credits may be earned through research, seminars,
research practica, etc. M.A. credit will only be awarded for academic exercises
in which grades of B minus or higher have been earned. However, a student
in the program who earns more than 32 credits in four years may apply any excess
credits toward the M.A., providing that they are in the major area or a
related area and they have not been used to fulfill the undergraduate major
requirement.
Students enrolled in this program will receive the B.A. degree after four years
and the M.A. degree at the end of the fifth year. However, this is a
combined degree program; in order to be able to complete the two degrees in five
years, it will be necessary for the student to submit a carefully thought out and integrated
study plan for the final two years at the time of application to the program.
Students will
be encouraged to declare their interest in the program as early as sophomore
year, but application to (deadline for application is March 1st)
and acceptance into the program will normally be by April 7th of the
junior year. For seniors, the application deadline to submit to the department is
December 1st. with acceptance to the program by January 31st. of
their Senior year).
Admission to the program will be based on both departmental recommendation and
academic record. Departments will set their own requirements for admission into
the program, which will be administered by a committee of the Graduate Council
(see #6).
Wesleyan
will not charge tuition for the fifth year. Tuition will however be charged for
credits being used to make up an "upon completion" requirement. Students
needing more than five years to complete the program will pay tuition for the
additional time required and an extension fee of $250 per semester.
Students in
this program will be expected to submit a M.A. thesis describing the research
which they have carried out in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements.
Many students in the program will choose not to write Senior Honors theses
because they will be writing a more substantial M.A. thesis based on the same
project the following year. However, there will be no prohibition against
writing a B.A. thesis should the student wish to do so. This would not relieve
the student of the obligation to submit a M.A. thesis in the fifth year.
The program will be
under the administrative supervision of a three-person committee of the Graduate
Council, which will monitor the progress of students in the program toward
completion of the degree requirements. The OGSS will maintain records
of those enrolled in the program.
Financial
support other than tuition remission in the fifth year is not a formal component
of this program. However, some students in the fifth year of the program may be
able to find support either from research grant funds or as teaching assistants.
B.A./M.A. Deadline Schedule
The following is an outline
of the deadline dates for B.A./M.A. Applications
Deadline
for JUNIORS
Application Due to Dept. March
1st.
Dept. submits to OGSS March
21st
Notification of Approval from
Director of Grad Studies
April 7th
Deadline
for SENIORS
Application Due to Dept. December
1st.
Dept. submits to OGSS
January 12th
Notification of Approval
from Director of Grad Studies January 31st
BA/MA Application (PDF)
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