The combined bachelor/master's program specific to the Grinnell BA/MCS U2G require a combined total of 112 s.h., which is 12 semester hours less than the sum of the requirements for both degrees earned separately.
Students in the joint programs must complete all requirements for each degree. They may count a maximum of 12 s.h. (four courses) toward both degrees. The four courses must be taken during the fourth year of undergraduate study, after admission to the joint program, and must satisfy degree requirements of both the B.A. or B.S., and the M.C.S.
When a student withdraws from the joint program before completing his or her bachelor's degree, credit earned in the four courses is counted only toward the undergraduate degree.
Students are granted the B.A. or B.S. when they complete all requirements for the undergraduate degree.
Students apply for admission to the joint program during their third year as undergraduates and enter the program at the beginning of their fourth year—becoming both an undergraduate and graduate student. Students will switch to graduate status only in the semester following the award of the baccalaureate degree (usually at the end of their fourth year), and should complete the program comfortably in one additional year.
Grinnell undergraduate students with a declared major in Computer Science may be considered for admission. The Grinnell student will apply to the UIGC-MCS program by the second semester of the third (penultimate) undergraduate year.
Each applicant must:
All documents and forms should be completed and then uploaded at the University of Iowa's myUI website. If you are new to the University you will be given access to myUI after you complete the graduate application.
The Application for Admission to the BA/MCS or BS/MCS Program form: Bachelors/MCS Application
Following admission to the combined degree program, Grinnell College will accept six (6) graduate credits of UIGC-MCS coursework to fulfill the requirements for their BA degree.
During the first year of combined study (the fourth and final year of study at Grinnell), or until completion of the undergraduate degree requirements, students will be assessed Grinnell College tuition and University of Iowa tuition. Grinnell College will reimburse the University of Iowa, at the UI rate, for UIGC-MCS courses taken by all dual-enrolled students during the first year of combined study (the fourth and final year of study at Grinnell) or until completion of the undergraduate degree requirements (provided that the students are enrolled at Grinnell College).
The MCS program requires a minimum of 32 semester credits to earn the degree.
Six (6) of these credits will be taken during the students’ fourth (final) year of undergraduate study at Grinnell College and apply to both the BA at Grinnell and the MCS degree at UI.
Six (6) of these credits will transfer from Grinnell College to UI and apply to both the BA at Grinnell and the MCS degree at UI.
Twenty (20) of these credits will be taken at UI and only apply to the MCS degree at UI.
Academic support will be provided by students’ Grinnell adviser(s) as well as the graduate adviser in UI MCS. Once students have completed the requirements for their undergraduate degree they will be advised by UI MCS advisers only.
Faculty and staff at Grinnell College and the UIGC-MCS program will work together to assure students are able to schedule web-based and on-campus courses in the appropriate semesters.
Some UIGC-MCS core courses have web-based options, facilitating scheduling across geographically distant campuses.
Based on scheduling in previous years, there are no conflicts at this time in the proposed plan of study.
We expect students will reside at Grinnell College for the first year of the combined degree program (the fourth and final year of study at Grinnell) and at the University of Iowa for fifth year of study at UI (the first year of MCS study at UI).
An individualized and detailed plan of study will be prepared for each student on admission to the program and will be configured to ensure that the BA degree will be completed two semesters after admission to the combined degree program (the end of the fourth and final year of study at Grinnell), and that the MCS degree will be completed by the spring or summer of the fifth year.