Fifth Year Masters Programs

With the five-year B.S.-M.C.S. and B.S.-M.S. programs, Siebel School of Computing and Data Science undergraduates can add a master’s degree in only two additional semesters immediately after completing their bachelor's degree requirements. Open to current CS juniors enrolled in The Grainger College of Engineering, these combined programs allow students to dive deeply into the upper-level courses available in our highly-ranked graduate program.

Students can share three courses (9 to 12 credit hours) between their bachelor's and master's degrees, making this an efficient option for those seeking to extend their skills, increase their knowledge, and make themselves more attractive to employers. The B.S.-M.C.S. is a coursework-only degree, while the B.S.-M.S. has a research thesis component.

See our Fifth Year BS/MCS and BS/MS Information Session slide deck.

Fifth Year Masters Degree Conferral & Commencement Policies

Graduation Convocation / Commencement Policy

Starting Fall 2018, students in a bachelor’s/master’s degree program will only be able to walk in a convocation/commencement ceremony once both programs are completed, and they will walk as a master’s graduate.  A joint degree program is a campus-approved program in which a student concurrently pursues two specifically identified degrees, which are conferred simultaneously. For graduate students, this is a combination of a graduate degree with one of the following: another graduate degree, an undergraduate degree, or a professional degree.

Confirm that Bachelor's Requirements are Met

Students in a joint bachelor’s/master’s degree program must meet with the Engineering Undergraduate Program’s Degree Conferral staff in the Engineering Undergraduate Program Office, room 206 Engineering Hall, to ensure all requirements have been met for the bachelor’s degree. The degree audit must be completed at the time students move into the master’s degree.  

In addition, students must submit any required paperwork to confer either their bachelor’s degree or master’s degree no later than November 1 for a December conferral or April 1 for a May conferral.  If paperwork is not submitted by this deadline, the college cannot guarantee that your degree will be conferred for that degree conferral period.

Add Your Name to Both Degree Conferral Lists

Students in a joint bachelor’s/master’s degree program must add their name to both the bachelor’s degree conferral list and the master’s degree conferral list in order to graduate. Students must add their name by the designated deadlines for each degree.  If either deadline is missed, this may require the student to wait until the following degrees conferral period.