Home
Guide Overview
Dual-Degree Programs

Guide To Dual-Degree Programs

Version 2022.1

Description
Benefits
Effective Practices
Assessments
Resources
Evidence

This section provides recommendations for working with a

to develop a dual-degree program. Upon completion of a dual-degree program, a student receives two degrees: a physics degree through your department (the home department) and an additional bachelor’s or master’s degree, often in engineering, from the dual-degree partner. Dual-degree programs between physics and engineering are the most common and are the focus of this section, but most recommendations could apply to partnerships with any kind of program. Partnerships with engineering programs provide students who are interested in engineering careers with pathways that would otherwise be unavailable. Dual-degree physics and engineering programs are generally structured to include three years at the home (physics) department and two years at the partner (engineering) department. (This is often referred to as a 3+2 program.) Other examples of dual-degree programs exist, such as 4+1 accelerated bachelor’s/master’s degree programs, and programs combining a physics degree with a degree from a medical or other professional school. Information in this section will help departments identify and develop productive partnerships that result in dual-degree programs, clearly identify roles and relationships among partners, and establish successful dual-degree programs that can be promoted to current and prospective students. For guidance on how to establish specialized degree tracks within your department or collaboratively with other departments within your institution, see the section on Degree Tracks.

Benefits

Dual-degree programs benefit students as well as each department or institution in the partnership. For physics departments, a dual-degree program can substantially improve recruiting and retention of students. Dual-degree programs can appeal to a broader range of students than a stand-alone physics degree does. This supports equity, diversity, and inclusion by better meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse population of students. Because dual-degree programs often highlight career options that are more widely known than more traditional physics career paths, they can be a powerful recruiting tool, particularly for students who might not otherwise be interested in physics. Students may be drawn to the increased number of curricular pathways, learning opportunities, and employment opportunities; the promise of preferred or guaranteed admission at a partner institution; and the opportunity to receive a degree that your institution doesn’t offer and/or to receive two degrees on an accelerated timeline. Similarly, the

benefits by receiving academically well-prepared transfer students who can serve as tutors and peer mentors, particularly for introductory physics courses, and who can fill any enrollment gaps in junior- and senior-level courses. Dual-degree programs can provide students with the opportunity to start at a smaller, perhaps less expensive, institution before receiving a specialized degree from a larger institution. A dual-degree pathway provides students with flexibility to explore various engineering disciplines, as students do not typically have to commit to an engineering program until the third year of the dual-degree program. Finally, the depth and breadth gained from earning degrees in two disciplines provides students with enhanced preparation for and access to graduate school and careers in the private and public sector.

The Cycle of Reflection and Action

Where are you and what are you trying to accomplish?

Who should be involved?

What will you do?

How did it go and what comes next?

To be intentional about change, a department must have a clear understanding of its present situation and a vision for what it would like to become. Our cycle of self-reflection questions will help your department start conversations and structure thinking about how to get from where you are to where you want to be.

The Cycle of Reflection and Action will help you put the EP3 Guide to work for your department.

Learn more about the Cycle of Reflection and Action and how it can help your department.

Effective Practices

Determine whether to pursue creating a dual-degree program
1. Identify ways that a dual-degree program might address your department’s needs, e.g., to recruit more students by increasing opportunities that your institution cannot provide on its own.
  Use your annual assessment and periodic program
  to identify potentially beneficial dual-degree programs such as physics and mechanical engineering, physics and computer science (for students interested in quantum computing), physics and high school teaching, and/or an accelerated master’s program.
  Identify and learn about potential
  . See 2.A for details.
  Survey the needs of regional employers and alumni to identify potential disciplinary areas for a dual-degree program, e.g., physics and engineering, physics and biology, physics and data science, or physics and teaching.
  Consult your admissions office about the interests of prospective students, to determine relevant disciplinary areas. Ask whether prospective students are inquiring about, for example, engineering, medical and health-care-related subjects, and/or opportunities to pursue double majors.
  Learn about your students’ educational goals and career aspirations through, e.g., surveys of students in your introductory courses, focus groups and/or exit interviews with students, and/or discussions with academic advisors and research mentors, to identify potential areas for a dual-degree program.
  Identify groups of students your department might want to recruit to a dual-degree program, e.g., students from
  , students with particular interests or backgrounds, transfer students from community colleges, and/or students in your introductory and service courses. Talk to and/or survey students from these groups to learn about their needs and interests and identify potential dual-degree programs for your department to consider.
  Identify leaders of other dual-degree programs about their positive and negative experiences and lessons learned.
2. Examine the flexibility of your existing physics degree programs (e.g., your BS and BA degree tracks), and how the requirements for a dual-degree program can be accommodated within them.
  Evaluate current and potential course offerings and the facilities, equipment, and computing resources needed to offer a dual-degree program.
  Identify existing courses and facilities that could be used directly in, or modified for, a dual-degree program.
  Evaluate whether you have the expertise in your department to offer the curriculum (e.g., courses in statics and engineering circuits) needed to support a dual-degree program. Determine how to address any gaps by, e.g., restructuring your curriculum to accommodate the necessary topics, hiring part-time
  with the needed expertise, or requesting assistance from the
  .
  Identify department personnel willing and able to support the dual-degree program, e.g., someone to serve as a program coordinator to assist with transfer logistics, updates to the curriculum, and advising.
  Evaluate whether you will need any additional staff to support the program by providing, e.g., administrative oversight and general support for advising and/or marketing.
  Identify any needs for additional
  to, e.g., accommodate increased enrollment in, and demand for, introductory courses; expand advising; and/or develop elective or specialty courses.
  Consult with your administration about program needs and the level of support it is willing to provide for establishing and maintaining potential partnerships.
  Work with your development or fundraising office to fund scholarships or other financial aid for students in a dual-degree program, through new or existing fundraising efforts. See the section on How to Be an Effective Chair for guidance on how to manage and advocate for resources.
3. Task a group of department members with investigating the feasibility of implementing a dual-degree program and presenting the results to the entire department.
  Determine the number of students needed for a successful dual-degree program, taking into account how your administration measures, e.g., enrollment, time to degree,
  , student-faculty ratios, and degrees awarded.
  Estimate the number of students likely to be interested in participating in your dual-degree program. Consider students who are currently physics majors and those who could be recruited through the dual-degree program.
  Determine the potential impacts, positive and negative, of the dual-degree program on your existing undergraduate program. For example, consider the possible positive impact of recruiting more students into your program and the possible negative impact of decreasing enrollment in upper-level courses not required for the dual-degree program.
  Hold departmental discussions on the feasibility findings, the goals your department is trying to achieve by developing a dual-degree program, and which particular dual-degree program to pursue creating.
  If your department decides to move forward, seek approval from your administration to explore the development of the dual-degree program.
Establish and maintain a partnership and associated dual-degree program
1. Determine which potential
  would best support student needs and interests by, e.g., having appropriate academic programs, costs, locations, and prestige.
  Determine, for each potential
  , how student services (e.g., financial aid) would be affected.
  Identify any structural restrictions at your institution that could impact the implementation of a dual-degree program, e.g., final year campus residency requirements or rules for participating in commencement ceremonies. Work with your administration and the
  to address these restrictions.
  Identify, for both parties in the partnership, the benefits (e.g., access to programs outside your institution, filling upper-level courses for the
  ), responsibilities (e.g., advising), requirements (for, e.g., admission and receiving a degree), and constraints.
  Speak with leaders of existing institutional partnerships and dual-degree programs to learn about their practices and strategies for recruiting, preparing, and supporting students and faculty who participate.
  Regularly explore potential additional dual-degree partnerships.
2. Involve leadership of all partnering departments and institutions early on to ensure there is support for the dual-degree program at all levels.
  Determine the
  ’s capacity to take students from your department.
  Determine and/or negotiate the
  ’s admissions requirements for students in the program. For example, determine whether they will guarantee admission for students with a minimum GPA, and/or whether admission is restricted to in-state students. Advocate for admissions requirements that ensure access to the program for a wide range of students.
  Discuss with the
  curricular details important to the implementation of the dual-degree program, e.g., how often and when courses will be offered and minimum enrollments required to offer courses.
  Determine whether the courses in your physics curriculum are sufficient to meet the prerequisite requirements for the
  ’s courses, and, if not, whether the partner can waive requirements.
  Ensure that
  are able to provide students with a degree within the designated time period, e.g., two years for 3+2 program. Identify curricular revisions or opportunities needed to make this feasible, e.g., using a course as a corequisite rather than a prerequisite, or asking a partner institution to ensure that any prerequisite courses your institution does not provide are available for your students to take during the summer or online prior to transferring.
  Be aware of the requirements that accrediting bodies such as
  put on engineering programs, and recognize how such requirements may restrict what compromises an engineering program can make.
  Reach a mutual understanding among relevant administrators (e.g., department chairs, deans, provosts, and/or vice presidents) to move forward and finalize the details of the collaboration.
3. Ensure that students are able to complete your dual-degree program in a timely manner. See the section on Retention of Undergraduate Physics Majors for guidance on how to ensure that your program is flexible and relevant for students with a wide variety of backgrounds, interests, and career aspirations.
  Review each program’s curriculum to determine how the curricula align and how they can be combined with one another. For example, identify courses common to both degrees and courses that can substitute for one another.
  Consult the
  ’s transfer policies to inform the design of pathways through the dual-degree program and the academic advising of students in the program.
  Provide the
  with your degree requirements and
  so that they can review how your curriculum fits in with their requirements.
  Identify courses that students must complete prior to transferring to a partner institution, e.g., introductory engineering courses, general education requirements, and/or courses in mathematics or other STEM disciplines.
  Identify courses that students must complete at a partner institution for your institution’s degree, e.g., to fulfill the total number of required credits or the number of junior- or senior-level course credits required for the degree.
  Identify courses that students must complete at a partner institution for that institution’s degree, e.g., requirements for the major and/or additional general education requirements.
  Request assistance and approval from a partner institution prior to offering introductory engineering courses (e.g., statics or engineering circuits) that satisfy their program prerequisites. For example, request course resources, textbook information, syllabi, and course catalog descriptions, and discuss these with representatives from the partner institution.
  Plan alternatives for students to meet requirements for courses in your program that they are unable to take before they transfer to a partner institution, e.g., courses that are offered only every other year.
  Design degree tracks in your department so that students can smoothly transition into or out of the tracks used for the dual-degree program. See the section on Degree Tracks for details.
  Design a pathway for students who are not accepted by the
  or are no longer interested in the partner’s degree to complete a degree in your department within four years.
  Consider giving students the flexibility to receive their degrees independently from your department and the
  , rather than requiring them to complete the entire dual-degree program before receiving either degree. Recognize and help students avoid or navigate any impacts that receiving degrees at separate times might have on their financial aid.
4. List degree requirements for each degree track in your department and at the
  , including course equivalencies for transfer courses.
  Develop sample schedules for each part of the dual-degree program, e.g., a three-year sample schedule for your department and a two-year sample schedule for the program at the
  .
  Identify the points of contact for each partner (e.g., the advisor and coordinator for each degree program) and appropriate staff in each partner’s offices of admissions, the registrar, and financial aid.
  Outline the transfer application process (e.g., application forms, due date, and official transcript requirements), eligibility (e.g., required minimum GPA and number of credits), and whether students receive guaranteed or preferred admission. Work with the partner institution to ensure that the selection process is fair and equitable, e.g., by consciously addressing
  .
  Include an overview of the dual-degree program; expected time at each partner (e.g., 3+2, 4+1); degrees being offered (e.g., BS and/or MS); how, when, and to whom official transcripts need to be sent; duration of the articulation agreement; termination conditions; and information that may be shared between your program and the
  . For example, you might share course and program assessments, the number of students in each year of the program, and/or those students’ planned areas of study.
  Discuss annually with each
  any programmatic changes that your department or the dual-degree partner have made or plan to make in the near future. Inform your department, academic advisors, and students about such changes, and make any needed updates to your course catalog and promotional and advising materials.
Support and promote your dual-degree program
1. See Programmatic Assessments below for examples of relevant data to collect about your dual-degree program.
  Regularly revisit the needs identified in 1.A above to determine how they are changing over time.
  Regularly revisit your dual-degree program to determine if changes are needed.
2. Support department members to participate in the program in ways that most effectively use their strengths and interests by, e.g., developing a large-scale vision, developing key aspects of the program, leveraging connections with the
  , advising students in the dual-degree program, reaching out to students in introductory courses, and/or leading recruiting sessions and tours.
  lnvolve student groups (e.g.,
  chapters, student chapters of national organizations for students of color, local clubs for women or students of color in physics, study groups, and other student social networks) and alumni in planning and carrying out recruiting activities, mentoring, and bringing student and alumni perspectives to the implementation and improvement of the program.
  Support faculty and staff who participate in the dual-degree program by, e.g., recognizing participation as a valuable department service in personnel reviews and/or nominating those who contribute to the program for a service award. See the section on How to Be an Effective Chair for guidance on how to support faculty and staff in achieving excellence.
  Set aside time in department meetings to discuss the dual-degree program, recruiting strategies, student interest in the program, and opportunities the program offers for students and the department.
  Include the dual-degree program in your department’s strategic and assessment plans, and ensure that these plans are aligned with your institution’s strategic plan and mission statement. See the sections on How to Create and Use a Strategic Plan, How to Assess Student Learning at the Program Level, and How to Create and Use Foundational Documents for details.
3. Ensure that all academic advisors understand the complexities of the dual-degree program (e.g., the degree requirements of the two institutions and/or programs, the prerequisite courses needed to ensure a smooth transfer process, and the length of each degree) and are able to appropriately advise students. See 2.C above for the features of pathways through the program that advisors should understand and help students navigate. See the section on Advising and Mentoring of Students for more details on providing strong academic advising.
  Consider having select advisors with expertise in all details of the dual-degree program dedicated to students in the program.
  Advise students on financial aid issues that are likely to arise if they enroll in your dual-degree program. Some issues that might arise include the possible impact on financial aid or loans resulting from switching institutions, a student exceeding an upper limit on the number of course credits allowed for certain financial aid or loans, restrictions that prevent financial aid for one degree from being used for courses that are required only for a partner’s degree, and a possible negative impact on financial aid or loans if one degree is completed before the other. Ensure that students work with your financial aid office, and if relevant, a partner institution’s financial aid office, to understand the implications for their particular financial aid packages.
  Identify courses that can be taken only in certain terms or years, and advise students to incorporate these constraints into their multi-year degree plans in order to complete all needed or desired courses.
  Ensure that all students participating in the program meet with their academic advisors each term to plan and/or revise their schedules and to receive up-to-date information about the dual-degree program, such as changes to prerequisite requirements and updates to course offerings. Consider placing a registration hold on each student’s account until they complete this meeting.
  Recognize that students may not be equally aware of or feel equally welcome in your dual-degree program, and some may need individual encouragement to participate. Educate advisors, research mentors,
  , and students on the
  and
  , in order to mitigate their effects on whether a student pursues or is encouraged to pursue your dual-degree program. Systematically track which students are participating in your dual-degree program, and look for and address sources of inequity. See the section on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for details.
  Consider students in the dual-degree program for awards and scholarships.
4. Invite representatives from the
  , such as the program coordinator, faculty, students, and alumni, to your department regularly to speak with your students, faculty, and administrators. For example, develop a department seminar for your first-year students and invite representatives to visit and discuss the program.
  Request that representatives discuss careers, employment opportunities, starting salaries of graduates of the dual-degree program, and student life at the
  .
  Ask representatives to participate in career events and other programmatic activities attended by all students in your department.
  Ask dual-degree program graduates to discuss why they chose to participate and what they enjoy about their degrees and career choices.
  Structure visits to include one-on-one interactions between representatives and students, particularly for students who will transfer shortly (e.g., within a year) to the
  .
5. See the section on Recruiting of Undergraduate Physics Majors for guidance on promoting your program and recruiting students in your introductory and service courses, prospective students, other students at your institution, and students at appropriate high schools and community colleges.
  Pay particular attention to your dual-degree program in all recruiting efforts, including collaborations with your admissions office and other campus student outreach programs to promote your program to prospective students.
  Include design projects or internship work conducted by dual-degree students in undergraduate symposia, newsletters, and other celebrations of undergraduate research.
  Work with new faculty and other
  to ensure that they understand and communicate the opportunities and requirements of your dual-degree program to students. Regularly review these opportunities and requirements with your entire department.
  Identify students and alumni who can speak (e.g., at recruiting events, in introductory courses, and to external stakeholders) about their interest in and benefits from your dual-degree program.
  Promote the accomplishments of alumni of your dual-degree program by, e.g., creating a networking website with summaries of alumni career paths and inviting alumni to give seminars about their careers.
  See the section on Career Preparation for guidance on educating students and faculty about the diverse careers that physicists pursue.

Programmatic Assessments

See the Programmatic Assessments in the section on Recruiting of Undergraduate Physics Majors and identify any relevant assessments.
Survey or interview students to learn to what extent they are aware of the dual-degree program, its requirements, and the opportunities it provides. See the section on How to Select and Use Various Assessment Methods in Your Program for guidance on how to use surveys, interviews, and focus groups to learn about your students.
Assess the extent to which the dual-degree program has increased the number of majors in your department. See the section on How to Select and Use Various Assessment Methods in Your Program for guidance on how to track department metrics.
See the Programmatic Assessments in the section on Retention of Undergraduate Physics Majors and identify any relevant assessments.
Track how many of the students who are recruited into your dual-degree program complete a degree in your department and in the partner program. Work with the
to compare four-, five-, or six-year graduation rates among dual-degree students and other physics majors.
Survey students about their experiences at the
. Ask them about, for example, whether the transition was smooth, their experiences with advising at the dual-degree partner, how their experiences and courses at the dual-degree partner compared with those in your program, and whether there were gaps in their education that hindered progress at the dual-degree partner.
Collaborate with the
to evaluate whether dual-degree students perform as well as their other students on any assessments they give and/or professional exams such as the professional engineering (PE) exam.
Collaborate with the partner institution to learn about post-graduation outcomes of dual-degree students in comparison with other students at the partner institution and in your department.
See the Programmatic Assessments in the sections on Career Preparation and Preparing Students for Graduate School in Physics and Related Fields and identify any relevant assessments. Compare the success of students in your dual-degree program with the success of your majors who are not in the dual-degree program.

Resources

Many engineering schools host dual-degree programs in collaboration with physics departments. The links below include websites outlining requirements of example dual-degree programs. These are representative samples of dual-degree programs. Inclusion on this list does not imply endorsement by EP3.

Partner (Engineering) institution

Home (Physics) institution

Programs at the same institution

Evidence

References 1 and 2 outline potential learning goals to support diverse career directions. While many physics programs may not address all of these goals, students in dual-degree programs are likely to develop a larger and deeper range of skills associated with these learning goals. The common characteristics of thriving physics departments with dual-degree (3+2) programs are highlighted in Reference 3 on pages 17, 26–27, 100, 130, and 136. Reference 4 contains annual enrollment data for physics departments in the US that can be used, along with information about your department, to evaluate the impact of dual-degree programs.

P. Heron, L. McNeil, et al. (editors), “Phys21: Preparing Physics Students for 21st-Century Careers,” American Physical Society (2016): Learning goals are discussed in Section 4 of this report.
L. Woolf and D. Arion, “Phys21 Supplement: Summary of Background Reports on Careers and Professional Skills,” American Physical Society (2016).
R. C. Hilborn, R. H. Howes, and K. S. Krane (editors), “Strategic Programs for Innovations in Undergraduate Physics: Project Report” (SPIN-UP report), American Association of Physics Teachers (2003).
S. Nicholson and P. J. Mulvey, “Roster of Physics Departments with Enrollment and Degree Data,” American Institute of Physics Statistical Research Center (2020).