Combined Preprofessional Courses

Students planning professional careers are urged to complete a bachelor's degree from Albion before entering a professional school. Albion has, however, established "combined course" arrangements with a number of accredited professional schools in career areas such as engineering, health sciences, natural resources and public policy. A student who has met both Albion's requirements for the combined course program and those established by the particular professional school enters the professional school at the end of his or her junior year at Albion College. After the successful completion of the equivalent of 7.5 units, the student qualifies for a bachelor of arts degree from Albion. After completion of the professional program, the student qualifies for the professional degree from the other school or the opportunity to earn certification. Students may obtain information on approved combined course programs from the registrar.

Albion College Requirements for Combined Courses

In order to qualify for the combined course arrangements, the student must:

• Complete at least 23 units of college credit, 15 units of which must be earned at Albion.
• Maintain a minimum cumulative average of 2.5.
• Complete the core requirement, the writing competence requirement and a minimum of four units toward a major.
• Make application in writing to the registrar for the combined course privilege. This application must be submitted during the junior year and receive the endorsement of the Academic Status and Petitions Committee. Application forms are available in the Registrar's Office.

In addition to the general requirements above, the student should make sure that the requirements for admission to the professional school of his/her choice have been met.

Dual-Degree Program in Engineering

Students in the dual-degree program in engineering typically spend three years at Albion and develop a strong background in science and mathematics, gaining this knowledge in a liberal arts-focused environment. They then transfer to an engineering school and usually complete an additional two years of study. (Albion has a formal arrangement with Columbia University and a longstanding relationship with the University of Michigan.)

Students graduate with two degrees: a B.A. from Albion (typically in physics, or mathematics), and a B.S. degree in engineering from the transfer school.

Academic Program—The academic requirements for the dual-degree program in engineering appear in the Programs of Study section of this catalog.

Admission—Students in the dual-degree program in engineering have a strong background in mathematics and science, very good academic performance, and a desire to pursue the engineering profession. To be eligible for program admission, students must declare the dual-degree engineering major in either mathematics or physics, write a personal essay, complete a personal interview with the program director, and have at least a 2.5 overall GPA, as well as at least a 2.5 GPA in completed courses in the science division. Although these program admission requirements should normally be completed by the end of a student’s first year at Albion, late admission requests are considered by the Engineering Advisory Committee as needed.

Apply to the dual-degree program in engineering.

Contact the director for more information.

Health Sciences

Students may pursue combined course plans through accredited programs in dentistry, pharmacy and nursing. A number of professional schools offer dual-degree programs that can be arranged with permission of Albion's registrar. See the Institute for Healthcare Professions section for more information.

Natural Resources Areas

Albion College maintains course arrangements with the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. A student in the 3-2 program, upon completing all requirements, will receive the bachelor of arts degree from Albion College and one of two master's degrees from Duke University. The Duke University School of the Environment offers nine programs under two degrees. The forest resource management program is offered under the master of forestry degree. The other eight programs (coastal environmental management, conservation science and policy, environmental economics and policy, ecosystem science and management, energy and environment, environmental health and security, global environmental change, and water and air resources) are offered under the master of environmental management degree. Two certificate programs, energy and environment and geospatial analysis, can be pursued with any of these degree programs.