The combined degree programs developed by Willamette University allow students interested in management, law, data science, engineering, and forestry to accelerate their training and earn degrees from Willamette University and other universities participating in the combined degree programs.
Management
The Willamette University College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) and Atkinson Graduate School of Management (AGSM) offer a combined degree program (B.A./M.B.A.) which allows eligible Willamette University CAS students to complete the Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Business Administration degree in five years. The B.A./M.B.A. program gives students the opportunity to pursue their interest in business, government and not-for-profit management while obtaining a liberal arts education, and provides a fast track for completion of the master's degree.
The Master of Business Administration degree of the B.A./M.B.A. program is one of only two M.B.A. degrees in the United States accredited for business and public management by the two most prestigious organizations evaluating management education: AACSB International - The Associate of Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and NASPAA - the National Association for Schools in Public Affairs and Admission.
Students preparing for the B.A./M.B.A. program are enrolled in the CAS during their first three years of study at Willamette University, completing at least 23 credits and most courses required for their major. CAS students who transferred to Willamette University are required to complete at least 15 credits of undergraduate work at Willamette as well as most courses required for their major. The specific courses and number of CAS credits a student must complete during the first three years are determined by the student's CAS major department.
During the fourth year of study, B.A./M.B.A. students complete their senior experience courses at the CAS and at least eight (8) of the ten (10) courses of the first year M.B.A. curriculum. The first year M.B.A. curriculum is comprised of eight M.B.A. required courses and two M.B.A. elective courses. At the end of the fourth year of study, B.A./M.B.A. students who have met all CAS graduation requirements are awarded the Bachelor of Arts degree.
During the fifth year of the program, B.A./M.B.A. students complete the second year curriculum of the M.B.A. program. The second year curriculum is comprised of seven M.B.A. elective courses and three M.B.A. required courses. At the end of the fifth year, B.A./M.B.A. students who have met all graduation requirements for the M.B.A. program are awarded the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree.
Application for admission to the Atkinson Graduate School M.B.A. segment of the B.A./M.B.A. should be completed by May 1 of the junior year. Students from all CAS major programs may apply for admission to the B.A./M.B.A. program. The application process includes submission of the Atkinson Graduate School application for admission, official transcripts of all college coursework, official GMAT or GRE scores, two letters of reference, the written consent of the student's CAS major department or program concerned, a personal statement of experience and goals, and an interview.
Law
Willamette University, through its College of Arts & Sciences and College of Law, offers an accelerated B.A./J.D. program for academically qualified students. The B.A./J.D. program offers students the opportunity to earn a J.D. degree in Law and a liberal arts education with a B.A. degree in six years.
Located across the street from the College of Arts & Sciences and the Oregon Capitol, the College of Law is situated in the epicenter of state law, government and business. Like the College of Arts & Sciences, the Law School emphasizes small enrollment, excellence in teaching and a high level of faculty-student interaction.
Students may be admitted to the B.A./J.D. program anytime during their first two years of undergraduate enrollment. Because the program requires very careful scheduling, early enrollment is often helpful. Admission to the program does not guarantee admission to the College of Law.
Requirements for admission to the B.A./J.D. program are:
- Minimum combined SAT score of 1950 or a composite ACT score of 29. Test scores submissions are waived for students who pursue their undergraduate degree at Willamette University.
- Minimum high school GPA of 3.5.
- A submitted essay describing the student's reason for applying to the program and the capacities that will enable the student's success in an accelerated program.
- An in-person interview with the B.A./J.D. Admission Committee demonstrating the qualities of maturity, focus and discipline required of program participants.
- Participation in a B.A./J.D. orientation session.
Students in the program apply for admission to the College of Law during the junior year of their undergraduate work. Students who are admitted to the College of Law receive a bachelor's degree after successfully completing their first year of study at the College of Law.
By the end of their junior undergraduate year, B.A./J.D. students must:
- Complete all requirements for a major in the College of Arts & Sciences.
- Complete all requirements of the general education program of the College of Arts & Sciences.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher.
- Complete a total of 24 or more credits of undergraduate coursework.
- Achieve a Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score in their junior year that is no lower than the median LSAT score for the prior year's entering class of the College of Law.
- Complete all required College of Law application materials and comply with all other College of Law admission requirements.
Students selected to the B.A./J.D. program may replace the first-year law elective with the B.A. program's senior capstone course, in which case the student can graduate without taking the first-year law elective. A student in the B.A./J.D. program is required to take 87 hours of credits to graduate from the College of Law, rather than the usual 90, 72 of which must be graded hours.
Engineering
To offer the advantages of a combined liberal arts and engineering program, Willamette University has arrangements with Columbia University, New York; the University of Southern California, California; and Washington University, Missouri, whereby a student may receive both a Bachelor of Arts from Willamette and a Bachelor of Science from the participating engineering school.
After three years in residence at Willamette University, the student may qualify for transfer to Columbia University, University of Southern California, or Washington University. To qualify for the program students must, at a minimum, complete the following courses: mathematics through differential equations, two semester sequence of introductory chemistry, two semester sequence of introductory physics, and computer programming. Other courses for a particular engineering field or school may be required or recommended. The student must complete the general education requirements: six Modes of Inquiry courses, two quantitative courses, foreign language, and four writing-centered courses. The student must also make progress towards completing a major. At any of our affiliated engineering schools, the student spends two years in any one of the several curricula in engineering. At the end of five years, he or she will receive the Bachelor of Science in engineering from Columbia, USC, or Washington and the Bachelor of Arts degree from Willamette University. Information concerning the engineering program may be obtained by consulting Dr. Richard Watkins of the Physics Department.
Forestry
Willamette University has partnered with the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University in North Carolina to offer a five-year program resulting in a B.A. from Willamette and a masters of Forestry or Masters of Environmental Management from Duke. Students take three years of undergraduate liberal arts courses at Willamette and two years of graduate courses at Duke. The program is also available over four and two years.
Program Prerequisites include:
- Natural or Social Science courses related to the student's area of interest
- College level course in Calculus (required)
- College level course in Statistics* (required)
- Students must earn a grade of B- or better in each prerequisite course and earn college credit in order for it to count towards the prerequisite. Pass/Fail courses are not acceptable. Self-paced courses are also not acceptable.
- Undergraduate experience and training in professional Writing
- Each program requires additional courses or recommends additional preparation, for details visit Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment Concurrent Degree Program.
Interested students should contact Dr. Karen Arabas (karabas@willamette.edu) 503-370-6666.