Dual Degree - Bachelor of Science - Molecular & Cell Biology & Master of Science - Chemistry (4 + 1)

The Molecular & Cellular Biology major is interdisciplinary, combining a rigorous grounding in the foundational principles of biological science at all scales of organization from molecules to ecosystems with significant coursework in cellular and molecular biology. Through Sacred Heart's program, you’ll gain extensive research experience in elective labs and through supervised research with biology faculty or internships with local companies making use of molecular and cellular methods in their business (e.g., pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, breweries, hospitals).

Students apply to the dual degree program as incoming freshmen and are admitted directly into the graduate program at the same time as their admission as undergraduate students. Dual degree students are guaranteed a place in the Master of Science in Chemistry program provided they continue, as undergraduate students, to meet program-specific criteria to progress into enrollment in the graduate program. Dual degree students, therefore, have a space reserved for them in the graduate program beginning in their first year, with clear criteria and achievements required to progress into the graduate program.

Students in the 4+1 Master of Science in Chemistry Dual Degree program complete their baccalaureate degree in four years of undergraduate study and complete the Master of Science in Chemistry in one year of graduate study. The ability to earn both an undergraduate and a graduate degree in five years (versus the typical two-year time frame to earn the MS in Chemistry degree after graduation) offers students significant cost savings and the ability to enter the workforce with advanced credentials one year earlier.

Combined with advisement from their undergraduate academic advisor, students’ engagement with the College of Arts & Sciences and participation in activities and programs offered by the Chemistry program provide strong support toward successful progression into graduate study.