A Yale College undergraduate of extraordinary ability may, with the permission of the department, Yale College, and the Graduate School, undertake graduate work that will qualify the student at the end of senior year for the simultaneous award of the bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Each department decides whether or not it wishes to permit this arrangement. If a department currently does not offer this option but wishes to participate in the program, the department may send a proposal to the Committee on the Simultaneous Award of the Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees. For more information, contact Associate Dean Joel Silverman.

The general regulations and requirements for the program are published under Special Academic Arrangements in the Academic Regulations in the YCPS. Students apply to the program using this form, located on the University Registrar's Forms & Petitions website. A student is expected to consult carefully with both the DUS and the DGS of the department before applying. The deadline for students to submit this application to the DUS is the last day of classes in their fifth term of enrollment, ordinarily the end of the fall term of the junior year. To ensure equity and consistency across all participating departments, this deadline is strictly enforced.

Students should delineate their plans to complete all the general requirements of the program, as well as any requirements specific to the department. Two regulations should be kept particularly in mind:

1. Normally a student is expected to complete the requirements of the undergraduate major in addition to eight or more course credits in the Graduate School (or, if approved by the DGS, in one of the professional schools). While some participating departments may allow up to two overlapping term courses to apply to the requirements of the bachelor’s and master’s degree, and while candidates for the simultaneous degree are not prohibited from completing a second major (or a certificate), students may not apply two overlapping term courses toward the completion of both the simultaneous degree and toward completion of the two majors (or certificate); only one such overlap is permitted.  
2. For all students in the program, graduate work must not be entirely concentrated in the final two terms.

The Committee on the Simultaneous Award of the Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees ordinarily reviews applications once all final grades for the term have been submitted. Students are officially recognized as candidates for two degrees only after approval by both the department and the committee. Simultaneous award candidates must petition the Graduate School for the award of the master’s degree by the deadline published in the Graduate School bulletin.