Dual Degree Program with the UMass College of Engineering

Mount Holyoke’s collaboration with the University of Massachusetts College of Engineering allows you to earn a first-rate liberal arts degree and a world-class professional degree in five years.

This five-year program allows you to work toward a bachelor of arts degree in mathematics or one of the sciences at Mount Holyoke and to also earn a bachelor of science degree in chemical, industrial, mechanical, civil and environmental, electrical, or computer systems engineering from the University of Massachusetts. Through this program you will experience both the intimacy of a liberal arts college and the resources of a world-class research university. Because Mount Holyoke and UMass are only a few miles apart and connected by the Five College bus, you will find it easy to maintain friendships at both schools.

Advising is key

Advising is essential in the first year. You will work with two advisors, one at Mount Holyoke and one at UMass, each a member of the program advisory committee at their institution.  If you are interested in applying to the MHC/UMass engineering program you will be put in touch with UMass, where you will be assigned a UMass advisor.

Residence schedule

Typically you will commit to residence at UMass in your junior year and register in the appropriate engineering courses through Five College cross-registration. You would then return to Mount Holyoke for your senior year and graduate with you class with an MHC major, provided you have completed all MHC graduation requirements. You will then spends a fifth year at UMass completing the requirements for her B.S. in one of several engineering majors.

Additional steps for applying to UMass

1. Complete the MHC/UMass Engineering Dual Degree Program form.
   This form outlines a proposed five year course of study. It is used for advising purposes in the first two years, and formalizes your commitment in the third or fourth year.  Ideally, the form should be completed in the first year; it must be completed before December 15 of the sophomore year.
2. Have the form signed. The form needs to be signed by your MHC engineering advisor, your MHC major advisor, your UMass engineering advisor, and the UMass Engineering Program Coordinator.
3. Attached the form to the MHC Application for a Dual Degree in Engineering.

Choosing courses

Course requirements vary with the engineering major; careful planning from the first semester is essential. Please see the sample programs below and then consult with your MHC and UMass advisors. Some engineering majors require taking a UMass course in the first year at MHC. All engineering majors require taking mathematics and physical science (physics or chemistry) each semester of the first year. If you satisfy the MHC distribution requirements you will be deemed by UMass to have satisfied the UMass general education requirements. A minimum of 45 UMass engineering credits in residence is required for the engineering degree from UMass. You should meet with your UMass adviser during the April advising period before each of the years in which you take a full program of courses at UMass.

Housing

Contact Julia Hoke (jhoke@umass.edu), Academic Advisor, College of Engineering at UMass, no later than March of your sophomore year to arrange on-campus housing at UMass for your junior year (your first UMass year). Mount Holyoke covers the cost of a double room and the unlimited meal plan for 9 months. (You are eligible for MHC housing during the break between the fall and spring terms or you can select 9-month housing at UMass which permits you to stay in housing during all academic year breaks.) On-campus housing is not guaranteed in year five, although it may be available on a case-by-case basis.

In addition, Ms. Hoke will serve as your primary contact at the UMass College of Engineering. Feel free to contact her with any questions or problems.

General MHC-UMass Engineering Program Information

The student will be enrolled at Mount Holyoke for the first four years and will pay regular MHC tuition, room, board and other fees, less any financial aid.

During year three (or four on the 3-2 plan), the student must be in residence at UMass. For this first year at UMass, she registers for all her courses through Mount Holyoke (not directly through UMass), using the usual registration procedures for Five-College Course Registration.

MHC financial aid is not automatic for dual degree engineering students at UMass; MHC Engineering Scholarships are available to highly qualified students on a competitive basis, using the MHC Application for a Dual Degree in Engineering, available in the Dean of the College’s office (see above).

Health insurance and health services: There is a mandatory UMass Health Services fee, currently assessed at approximately $320 per semester. The UMass Health Services fee will be covered by Mount Holyoke for the first UMass year only. In addition, a student must have adequate supplemental health insurance. In year three, the student will be billed for Mount Holyoke student supplemental health insurance, which can be waived if she has comparable coverage. (Details about procedures and coverage for MHC students in residence at UMass by the Mount Holyoke student supplemental health insurance are in a separate document.) In year five, UMass will bill the student for both the UMass Health Services fee and supplemental health insurance (which can be waived if she has comparable coverage). MHC does not cover either the health fee or the health insurance cost in year five. Questions about health insurance coverage should be directed to Student Financial Services at MHC.

Preparation for the fifth year: There are three things to do during the fourth year in preparation for year five at UMass; note that the first of the deadlines below is in early December.

1. You must complete a Post-Graduate application to the UMass College of Engineering (can be obtained from Greg Brown in Marston 126 or UMass University Admissions Office). This application is due April 1 for the following fall and the application fee is waived for Mount Holyoke students applying for this program. Note that, because of tightened visa requirements, international students will need to document their ability to cover their expenses in the fifth year that are not covered by MHC: room, board and health insurance to the International Programs Office (or IPO) at UMass.
2. If you seek additional funding for year five, apply for a College of Engineering scholarship. The application is due in early February for the following fall. Please note that UMass funds for scholarships are limited.
3. You can make your fifth year much more affordable by applying for a position in the UMass residence halls to cover the cost of housing in year five. The application is due in early December for the following academic year.