Combined BS/MS in Computer Science and Engineering

Application to the CSE Department's combined BS/MS program is open to currently enrolled CSE and CIS undergraduate majors with outstanding academic records. The program allows undergraduates to start graduate study while completing the BS degree. In the combined program, up to 12 credit hours of courses may be applied simultaneously ("double-counted") for credit toward both the BS and MS degrees. This can shorten the total time to get a BS degree plus an MS degree by 1 semester. The goal of the combined program is to encourage undergraduates to obtain an advanced degree.

There are several steps involved:

1. E-mail Dr. Nikki Strader (strader.1@osu.edu) to set up an appointment to discuss your plans, to check eligibility, and to decide which semester should be your "double-count" semester.
2. If you are eligible, apply for admission to the CSE graduate program by filing the OSU Graduate School admission application and the Combined Degree program form (in that order) by the established deadlines:
   --Autumn Semester: Jan 31 prior
   --Spring Semester (most common): Oct 1 prior
   (Examples: Students planning to use Autumn 2023 as their double-count semester should file by January 31, 2023.  Students planning to use Spring 2024 as their double-count semester should file by Oct 1, 2023)
3. The CSE Graduate Admission Committee will accept you for graduate study if your record qualifies you for graduate admission under departmentally established criteria.
4. Register for courses in your double-count term as an undergraduate student.
5. Make sure to follow all requirements for graduating with your BS degree, including applying for graduation.
6. After graduating with your undergraduate degree, continue with your Master's coursework.

Eligibility

You must meet all requirements imposed by the OSU Graduate School for combined BS/MS programs, and by the CSE Department for its graduate programs. See the official OSU Graduate School Handbook and the CSE Department Graduate Admissions webpage for the most up-to-date information.

You are eligible for the combined BS/MS program in the CSE Department if you meet the following criteria:

• you are an OSU undergraduate CSE or CIS major;
• you have at least a 3.5 CPHR in all previous undergraduate work at the time of application;
• you have completed at least 90 undergraduate credit hours toward the BS degree;
• you satisfy all regular graduate admission requirements of the CSE Department, including GRE scores, letters of reference, etc.;
• you indicate on your graduate application your desire to enter the combined BS/MS program, and complete the Combined BS/MS form as required by the OSU Graduate School; and
• you are admitted to graduate study under the normal graduate admission criteria and processes.

Things To Watch Out For

Only courses you take during the double-count semester will count toward both degrees. Courses taken before then will not count toward the MS degree.

Once you become a graduate student, and until you complete your BS degree, you are enrolled concurrently in the Graduate School and in your undergraduate college. Keep in mind that you will be charged graduate tuition and fees at this point. Since these are higher than undergraduate tuition and fees, the result can be a financial burden if you do not have financial aid. There may be other technical implications for undergraduate scholarship and loan recipients, which you should check out before applying for the combined program.

Students are encouraged to apply for fellowships and assistantships as part of the graduate-admission process.  However, there are some restrictions on holding positions that involve teaching other students; check with the OSU Graduate School for current regulations. Finally, if you hold a graduate fellowship or graduate associate position, then you must meet all graduate-credit-hour and other requirements associated with that position.

More Information for Combined Degree Programs

For more information regarding combined BS/MS degrees programs, please see the College of Engineering's Combined BS/MS Degree Programs page.