Take ‘advantage’ of a combined degree

By Kenna Caprio

Come autumn, pursuing a five-year degree at Fairleigh Dickinson University just got a little easier.

Undergrads who receive the Colonel Fairleigh S. Dickinson and Dean’s scholarships and maintain a 3.25 GPA or higher are eligible to opt into FDU’s new Combined Degree Advantage Program. The program makes it possible for students to carry over a percentage of their undergraduate scholarship support into grad school.

“You can come into the University on either campus and get a bachelors and masters in five years. It usually takes six,” says Jonathan Wexler, Vice President of Enrollment Management. “And you can do this at a substantially reduced rate if you continue to do well at the University.”

Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.25-3.49 may receive 25% of their undergraduate scholarship towards graduate study. For those with a GPA of 3.5 or higher, the rate doubles to 50%. About 10-20% of incoming students receive scholarships directly from the University, according to Wexler. And about 70% of freshmen say they intend to attend grad school.

The program allows students to work across disciplines — someone with a bachelor’s degree in political science can then go for an MBA.

“There’s no other school where students can bring a portion of undergrad scholarships into the fifth year. It’s a different twist,” says an excited Wexler.

 Combined degree programs are available through University College: Arts, Sciences and Professional Studies, Becton College of Arts and Sciences, Silberman College of Business and Petrocelli College. Students enrolled in the five-year teacher preparation program (QUEST) are also eligible.

“If students can stay a year and get an additional degree, even if they take an entry level position (post-graduation), it will put them above someone who doesn’t have one,” says Wexler.