Joint Degree Programs
[ Occupational and Envir. Health ]
Various joint degree options are available to program students, permitting students to earn an M.A. or M.S. in planning and a second degree in less time than would be required to obtain the two degrees independently. Formalized joint degree options have been established in law (J.D.), social work (M.S.W.), health management and policy (M.H.A.), occupational and environmental health (M.S.), and civil and environmental engineering (B.S.). Admission to both the planning program and to the second program is required.
A transportation studies certification program is offered in cooperation with the departments of civil and environmental engineering, geography, and economics. Information about all the above programs is available from the planning program admissions director.
While the requirements of the joint degree options vary, all have several key features in common. In each case, a student must complete an approved concentration area in planning, satisfy the planning program’s final examination requirement, and take at least 35 hours of planning (102 prefix) courses. Separate admissions to the planning program and to the other academic unit are required in each instance. It should be pointed out that work in the other academic unit does not, in and of itself, necessarily constitute a valid area of concentration in planning (e.g., “law” is not an area of concentration in the planning program, although an environmental law course may be a part of the environmental specialty area).
It is possible to receive a master’s degree in planning in conjunction with a graduate degree in another discipline even when an official joint degree program does not exist. University policy requires that prior administrative approval be granted and a minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate credit be completed to receive two master’s degrees.
Specific features of the formalized joint degree programs follow. The student should verify the most recent joint degree requirements with the department of interest, as courses and requirements are subject to change.