Combined Graduate and Professional Programs

Undergraduates who wish to pursue study in two disciplines may combine degree programs. Possible combinations include:

1. Two different Bachelor of Science degrees. Examples of combinations are: computer engineering/electrical engineering, physics/music education, management/accounting

2. A Bachelor of Science degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree. Examples of combinations of majors are: computer science/English, chemical engineering/music, management/psychology

3. Either the BA or a BS and a Bachelor of Music (BM) degree offered in conjunction with the Cleveland Institute of Music.

To qualify for two degrees, students must meet the requirements of each degree, and complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of study beyond the requirement for one of the degrees. Such programs usually require a minimum of five years, but may be completed in four years by an unusually industrious and capable student.

Students completing both a BA and a BS are exempted from six hours of the 90-hour arts and sciences requirement for the BA.

Students who seek a dual degree program that involves the BM must meet admission requirements of the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Admission to the Integrated Graduate Studies Program is currently suspended and under review by the faculty. Information on the future of the program and the Early Entry Master's Program will be provided once available. Any student currently participating in the Integrated Studies Program will be able to continue under the rules that were set at the time of their admission.

Integrated BS/MS in Nutrition

Admission to the Integrated BS/MS in Nutrition program is subject to the same process and requirements as admission to the Integrated Graduate Studies Program described above in the Integrated Graduate Studies section. Upon successful completion of the program, students earn the BS in Nutrition and the MS in Nutrition.

BS/MS Program for Candidates for the BS in Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Statistics

The Integrated BS/MS Program is intended for highly motivated candidates for the BS in engineering, computer science, mathematics, natural sciences, or statistics who wish to pursue an advanced degree. Application to the BS/MS program must be made after completion of 75 credit-hours of course work and prior to attaining senior status (completion of 90 credit-hours). Generally, this means that a student will submit the application during their sixth semester of undergraduate course enrollment and will have no fewer than two semesters of remaining BS requirements to complete.

A student admitted to the program may, in the senior year, take up to nine credit-hours of graduate courses (400-level and above) that will count towards both BS and MS requirements. The courses to be double-counted must be specified at the time of application. Courses taken prior to admission to the program cannot count towards the MS unless they are in excess of BS degree requirements and permission to use them towards the MS has been granted by the dean of graduate studies and the dean of undergraduate studies.

Each department has different procedures and deadlines. Please check with the department for specific details. Once you have identified a department and research advisor, you can begin the application process. To be considered for the BS/MS Program, a student must:

1. Submit to the School of Graduate Studies an application for admission to the program, and

2. Submit to the Office of Undergraduate Studies a Planned Program of Study Form, showing the courses to be double-counted.

Students for whom the master’s project or thesis is a continuation and development of the senior project should register for EECS 651 Thesis (or the appropriate project course) during the senior year and are expected to complete all other courses for the BS before enrolling in further MS course work and thesis (continuing the senior project). Students for whom the master’s thesis or project is distinct from the senior project will be expected to complete the BS degree before taking further graduate courses for the master’s degree.

Applicants in engineering or computer science should consult their departmental BS/MS advisor in the Case School of Engineering. Applicants in mathematics, natural sciences, and statistics should consult with the Office of Undergraduate Studies, or with Dean Wes Schaub at wws@case.edu. 

Conditionally Guaranteed Admission to the University's Professional Schools

The Pre-Professional Scholars Programs in Medicine and Dentistry grant to a few outstanding entering first-year undergraduates conditional commitments of admission to the corresponding professional school at Case Western Reserve University. These commitments are honored upon successful completion of the requirements established by each professional school.  Students admitted to these programs are relieved of much of the anxiety and uncertainty associated with pre-professional studies. Consequently, they feel free to undertake challenging courses of study and pursue a variety of interests as they prepare for professional studies.  Pre-Professional Scholars in Medicine are free to choose any of the bachelor’s degrees available in the University. Pre-Professional Scholars in Dentistry are not required to complete a bachelor's degree, but may elect to do so in any of the bachelor's degrees available.  Participants who wish to change their career goals or apply for admission to other professional schools are free to do so.

Pre-Professional Scholars Program in Dentistry‌

Each year, approximately 10 exceptionally well-qualified high school seniors who plan to pursue careers in dentistry are offered places in the Pre-Professional Scholars Program in Dentistry. This program requires seven years: three years of successful undergraduate study and four years at the School of Dental Medicine.

Pre-Professional Scholars in Dentistry are not required to complete a major, but if they elect to earn a bachelor's degree they are free to choose a major in an area of interest. Students who elect to complete a bachelor's degree must either complete all degree requirements by the end of their third year or switch to the Senior Year in Professional Studies program, which permits them to substitute the work of the first year in dental school for that required during the last year as an undergraduate pursuing a Bachelor of Arts.  Students who switch to the Senior Year in Professional Studies program in order to complete their bachelor's degree will not lose their conditional admission to the School of Dental Medicine, but they are expected to complete all requirements for the Pre-Professional Scholars Program.

To qualify for the place reserved in the School of Dental Medicine, a Pre-Professional Scholar in Dentistry must achieve the following:

1) A cumulative grade point average of 3.500 or higher for all coursework, as well as for all science coursework taken, including, but not exclusively, biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics.

2) A Perceptual Ability score of 18 or higher and an Academic Average score of 19 or higher on the Dental Admission Test (DAT) of the American Dental Association. The test must be taken no later than October of the third year.

3) Successful completion of the following courses, with a minimum of 30 credit-hours in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics taken at Case Western Reserve University:

Biology

Chemistry

Mathematics

Physics

4) Successful completion of a SAGES First Seminar, two University Seminars, a SAGES writing portfolio, at least one course in the arts and humanities, at least one course in the social sciences, and two semesters of physical education. 

5) A successful transition interview with faculty representing the School of Dental Medicine's admissions committee, usually scheduled after the receipt of grades from the fall semester of the third year.

Pre-Professional Scholars Program in Medicine

Each year, 15 to 20 exceptionally well-qualified high school seniors who plan to pursue careers in medicine are offered places in the Pre-Professional Scholars Program in Medicine. Pre-Professional Scholars receive a conditional commitment of admission to the University Program of the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine to be honored upon successful progress toward and completion of the bachelor’s degree. The Pre-Professional Scholars Program in Medicine requires eight years: four years of successful undergraduate study leading to the bachelor’s degree followed by four years in the University Program of the School of Medicine. Pre-Professional Scholars in Medicine who complete their undergraduate degree requirements in fewer than four years are required to pursue other experiences intended to enhance their professional and personal development during the period following the receipt of their bachelor’s degree and until study at the School of Medicine begins.

Pre-Professional Scholars in Medicine are free to choose from among all of the degree and major programs offered in the university, but must complete the courses in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics/statistics, and behavioral sciences listed in the Conditions of Admission letter they received when accepted to the program. Pre-Professional Scholars are expected to demonstrate successful academic progress by meeting the following level of performance: A CWRU cumulative GPA of 3.63 and a cumulative American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) GPA and AMCAS Biology, Chemistry, Physics and MATH (BCPM) GPA of 3.63 at the time of application and maintained on final graduation transcripts. They are also expected to continue to fulfill expectations for outstanding professional and personal development as outlined in the Condition of Admission letter. These expectations include, but are not limited to, maintaining academic integrity and adhering to the university’s standards of conduct (all academic integrity and judicial offenses will be reported to the School of Medicine), clinical shadowing, and involvement in undergraduate activities and community programs.

Pre-Professional Scholars in Medicine are not required to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) for the program. However, if they do take the MCAT, they are expected to achieve a score that is above the 94th percentile. Program participants who have an interest in applying to other medical schools or who wish to be considered for a dean’s merit scholarship at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine should plan on taking this test.

Progress is reviewed with each student at regular intervals in the program.  At the end of the third year, Pre-Professional Scholars in Medicine who have met the required levels of performance go through the normal admission procedures for the University Program of the School of Medicine, including submitting an application through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) and an interview. Participants who do not meet the required levels of performance may still be admitted into the University Program of the School of Medicine, but such admission will be subject to review and approval by the School of Medicine’s Admissions Committee.

Successful completion of the Pre-Professional Scholars Program in Medicine guarantees admission only to the University Program of the School of Medicine. Students seeking admission to the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine must complete a separate application and will be considered in competition with all applicants for that program.

Applying to the Pre-Professional Scholars Program

Prospective students who wish to apply to either of the Pre-Professional Scholars Programs should do so through the Office of Undergraduate Admission. All forms are included within the application materials. Select Regular Decision or Early Decision I as your preferred admission plan. Later in the application you will be able to indicate your interest in applying for PPSP. 

Those who apply Regular Decision and are not selected as a PPSP finalist will have an opportunity to be considered under the Regular Decision admission plan.

Pre-Professional Scholars candidates who apply under the Early Decision I admission plan commit to attending Case Western Reserve if admitted to the undergraduate program, regardless of whether they are selected as finalists for the Pre-Professional Scholars Program. This commitment needs to be made before candidates would know about their status with the Pre-Professional Scholars Program. 

Admission to the Pre-Professional Scholars Program is highly competitive. Students who are not selected for the program may still be considered for undergraduate admission to Case Western Reserve, and many choose to enroll in the first-year class.

For more information, contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission:

Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Eastern
216.368.4450
admission@case.edu

*Effective for students entering fall 2017 and beyond: The PPSP program is no longer available in law, social work, and the six-year dental program.*

Pre-Professional Scholars Program in Law

Each year, approximately twelve exceptionally well-qualified high school seniors who plan to pursue careers in law will be offered places in the Pre-Professional Scholars Program in Law at Case Western Reserve University. Pre-Professional Scholars receive a conditional commitment of admission to the Case Western Reserve School of Law, to be honored upon completion of the bachelor’s degree at the university. The Pre-Professional Scholars in Law are encouraged to gain a wide cultural experience in their undergraduate studies, to major in the area that most interests them, and to choose courses in which they will learn habits of rigor and logical analysis. The law school encourages applications from all majors, including engineering and the sciences. The School of Law recommends that Pre-Professional Scholars in Law take courses in accounting, economics, history, and philosophy and that they gain as much writing experience as possible, because the ability to write effectively is critical to success in law school and legal practice.

Students admitted to the Pre-Professional Scholars Program in Law will be guaranteed a seat in the School of Law upon graduation from Case Western Reserve University if they satisfy the requirements set out at the time of admission to the program.

Pre-Professional Scholars Program in Social Work

Each year, as many as ten high school seniors who plan to pursue careers in social work are offered places in the Pre-Professional Scholars Program in Social Work. The program gives a conditional commitment of admission to the Case Western Reserve University Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences to be honored upon successful completion of the bachelor’s degree.

Admission to the master’s degree program in social work at MSASS is dependent upon the following requirements:

1. Graduation from the university with a cumulative grade point average of 3.000 in the junior and senior years.
2. Completion of a minimum of 24 semester hours in the social and behavioral sciences.
3. Continued evidence of a combination of personal qualities which are considered essential for the professional practice of social work.

Pre-Professional Scholars in Social Work who wish to accelerate their program may apply for the senior year in professional studies privilege.

Six-Year Dental Program

Each year a few exceptionally well-qualified high school seniors who plan to pursue careers in dentistry are offered places in the Six-Year Dental Program.

The first two years of the program are spent pursuing undergraduate studies, advised by the director of health career advising. Students are required to earn a minimum of 60 semester hours. They are required to take all of the science and mathematics courses listed above for the Pre-Professional Scholars Program in Dentistry. If Advanced Placement credit is used to satisfy some of these science requirements, a minimum of 30 semester hours in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics must be taken during the two years of undergraduate study. Additionally, to meet general education requirements, students must take one year of physical education, First Seminar, two University Seminars, one course in the area of Arts and Humanities, and one courses in the area of Social Sciences, and must complete a writing portfolio. To qualify for the place reserved in the School of Dental Medicine, a student in the program must achieve the following:

1. A cumulative grade point average of 3.250 or higher for all course work completed;
2. Grades of B or higher in the required courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics;
3. An average score of 18 or higher on both the academic and PAT portions of the Dental Admission Test of the American Dental Association. The test must be taken no later than April of the second year.

Undergraduate students at Case Western Reserve University have the opportunity to pursue both the Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree and the Master of Accountancy (MAcc) degree through the BA/BS and Master of Accountancy Integrated Study Program.  The integrated program is open to students pursuing any undergraduate major, though students majoring in or with a secondary major in accounting are able to complete both degrees in the shortest amount of time, typically nine semesters.  CWRU students must apply and be admitted to the MAcc program, though certain requirements are waived.  Because the integrated program requires proper planning of coursework, undergraduate students are strongly encouraged to apply for the MAcc in their junior year.  A select number of exceptionally well-qualified high school seniors who plan to study accounting are offered places in the Early Admission to the Integrated Study Program in Accountancy.

Based upon the student's professional interests, they will choose between two tracks, the Professional Track and the Analytics Track, that are specifically tailored to develop the ability to prepare, interpret, and communicate accounting information as required by the profession.  The integrated study program is strongly recommended for those students planning to obtain professional certification as a certified public accountant (CPA).  Upon completion of the MAcc program, graduates will have satisfied the accounting educational requirements to sit for the CPA examination in the state of Ohio, including the required 150 credit-hours of study at the university level.

For more information, contact Tiffany Schwendeman, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate and Integrated Study Programs, at 216.368.2058.

The Integrated Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Analytics and Intelligence, Master of Finance, Master of Healthcare Management, or Master of Supply Chain Management program allows qualified CWRU undergraduates to work towards the completion of a specialty master's degree from the Weatherhead School of Management during their undergraduate studies, thereby enabling completion of both degrees in a shorter period of time.  Students admitted to the program may count up to nine credit-hours of graduate level courses taken while an undergraduate towards both the undergraduate degree (as appropriate to the student's undergraduate degree program) and the relevant master's degree.  After completion of the BA or BS, the student enrolls as a graduate student in the Weatherhead School of Management to complete any additional coursework required for the master's degree.

Admission to Weatherhead's specialty master's programs is based on academic preparation and achievement (undergraduate coursework and GPA), GMAT/GRE or SAT scores, and genuine interest in business analytics, finance, healthcare, or operations research/supply chain management (determined by application essays, letters of recommendation, and interview).

For more information about these integrated study programs, contact Jim Hurley, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate and Integrated Programs, at 216.368.3856; or Marybeth Keeler, Program Manager of the Master of Finance program, at 216.368.3688; or Eric Grelson, Program Director for the Master of Business Analytics and Intelligence program, at 216.368.5947.  For more information about applying to specialty master's programs in the Weatherhead School of Management, contact Meredith Richardson at 216.368.2069.

Students of outstanding ability and attainment who are candidates for the BA and who are admitted to professional studies in Case Western Reserve University by the end of the junior year are offered an opportunity to shorten their entire course of studies by one year through the Senior Year in Professional Studies privilege. Application should be made during the second semester of the junior year through the Undergraduate Advising Support Office. This privilege is extended to students who are candidates for the BA and who attend the School of Dental Medicine, the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, or the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences of Case Western Reserve University

A student granted the senior year in professional studies privilege is permitted to substitute the work of the first year in a professional school for that required during the last year in the undergraduate college. Upon the satisfactory completion of the first year’s work in the professional school, the student will be granted the bachelor’s degree from the College of Arts and Sciences. To be eligible for the senior year in professional studies privilege, a student must:

1. Be accepted for admission to professional studies in Case Western Reserve University.

2. Meet the following degree requirements:

   1. Completion of the SAGES requirements, the General Education Requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences, and the physical education requirement.

   2. Completion of three-fourths of the courses required for the major, including three-fourths of the courses required in the major department.

   3. Completion of 84 credit-hours of arts and sciences courses. These credit-hours may be drawn from those offered by the College of Arts and Sciences as well as those in economics, biochemistry, nutrition or computer science.

   4. Completion of at least 90 credit-hours of academic work, of which the final 60 credit-hours must have been in residence. A student may include in that final 60 credit-hours no more than six credit-hours earned in courses completed in other institutions, either by cross-registration in regular sessions or by approved transient registration in summer sessions.

Upon admission to the program, students register in the professional school to which they have been admitted and are subject to the policies, rules and regulations of the professional school. They may, however, continue to receive merit-based undergraduate scholarships and may continue to reside in undergraduate housing during what would normally be their senior year of undergraduate work.

For more information contact Dean Wes Schaub at wws@case.edu.