Many students interested in environmental sciences now entering VCU can choose to earn two VCU degrees in five years.
The catch?
They have to wait until they are juniors to officially enter the program.
Not only can undergraduate students complete graduate courses while being an undergraduate, but students can apply the credits to both degrees.
For example, a junior student can take a 500-level statistics graduate course instead of completing the 300-level undergraduate course.
“I think we have the right combination of courses in the program in order to give advanced undergraduates the opportunity of two degrees in a short amount of time,” said Peter Defur, the affiliated associate professor who coordinates the graduate environmental studies program.
Since the VCU Board of Visitors reviewed and approved the dual program last spring, the program continues to offer the same classes. The only difference? The student may take 500-level classes as a junior.
“Students need to apply for the five-year master’s program before their junior year in order to start taking graduate courses needed for graduating in five years,” said Clifford Fox, assistant director for the Center for Environmental Studies.
Fox, along with Greg Garman, the center’s director, developed the program, which requires students to have a 3.0 cumulative grade-point-average in general education and a 3.3 cumulative grade-point-average in their environmental studies courses.
Jameson Price, a student transferring from J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College into the environmental studies program, said the new dual program is the road he most likely will take.
“The five-year master’s program sounds about perfect for me. I mean-a master’s and a bachelor’s in five years-what could beat that?” Price asked.
Thus far the program has gone according to plan with three students in the new master’s program and three more being processed.
“We planned for kinks in the transfer of credits and scheduling issues within the program and they have been worked out. I would anticipate seeing growth in the five-year program up to more students than we have slots, and the question is if we can accommodate the demand,” Defur said.
Fox acknowledges the new program’s growth during the last two years, saying 75 undergraduate students now major in environmental studies.