Double degree
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A double degree program, sometimes called a conjoint degree, dual degree, or simultaneous degree program, involves a student working for two different university degrees in parallel, either at the same institution or at different institutions (sometimes in different countries), completing them in less time than it would take to earn them separately. The two degrees might be in the same subject area (especially when the course is split between countries), or in two different subjects. Undergraduate double-degree programs are more common in some countries than others, and are generally found in countries whose higher-education systems follow the British model. Master's double-degree programs are more wide-spread. Interest in double-degree programs between member nations has spread in the European Union, as the gaining of qualifications from more than one country is seen as an advantage in the European labour market.
Typically in a double-degree program both of the participating institutions reduce the amount of time required to be spent at each. For example, a joint J.D./M.B.A. degree typically takes four years rather than the five years it would take to complete each program individually. Common postgraduate double degrees are M.B.A./J.D. degrees, as well as M.B.A. and J.D. degrees combined with M.A. fields such as politics, economics, urban planning, and international relations. Many medical schools also offer joint M.D. degrees with J.D. and M.B.A. programs, as well as with a range of M.A. programs.
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This article does not cite any references or sources. (June 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
Double degrees should not be confused with double-honours, double-major, or joint degrees, nor with the occasional practice of awarding a further qualification with a worked-for (especially research) degree, nor with the awarding of a single degree by multiple institutions. Double majors or dual majors consist of two majors attached to a single degree, as opposed to two separate degrees each with its own field of study.
In Canada, Australia and increasingly Hong Kong, many teacher candidates study simultaneously for a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education. These are known as "concurrent-education" programs.
[edit] 3-2 programs
In the United States, a 3-2 program is a formal double degree undergraduate program run by two separate colleges or universities. In such a program, a student studies for three years at one school followed by two years at the other school. The student is awarded two bachelor's degrees at the end of the five-year period, one from each school, and generally of different types (e.g., a B.A. and a B.S.). Typically the first school is a liberal arts college and the second is a university offering an engineering program.
The term is occasionally applied to a situation wherein a person earns two degrees from separate colleges of the same university. A fifth year of study is usually required in such a case, but the student spends all five years at one institution.
