The Multiple Dependent Degree Program (MDDP) allows students to earn two separate undergraduate degrees from two different U-M Ann Arbor schools or colleges at the same time. You may hear the MDDP also referred to as a joint degree or dual degree. 

You can schedule an appointment with an advisor when you are exploring this option, when you are ready to complete your application, or for regular support once you're enrolled in an MDDP program. To do this, click the schedule button, select “MDDP” and then your non-LSA school, and then choose the advisor you'd like to meet with from that MDDP team. If you are an Honors, Residential College, or Comprehensive Studies Program student, you'll work with that office for MDDP advising, so please schedule with them instead. 

Read on to learn about what’s involved in pursuing an MDDP with LSA. We’ll start with an overview and then get into specific programs.

MDDP Requirements

To complete an MDDP with LSA, a student must:

• Formally apply to the MDDP.
• Fulfill all the requirements for an undergraduate LSA degree.
• Fulfill all the requirements for an undergraduate degree from another U-M school or college. 
• Complete a minimum of 150 total credits, of which at least 100 must be LSA credits. For students in an LSA/Engineering MDDP, complete 128 total credits, of which at least 90 must be LSA credits. 
• Graduate with both degrees in the same term. Neither degree will be awarded until all requirements for both degrees are met. 

Getting Started

Research the requirements and policies for each school in your prospective MDDP. Be aware of eligibility criteria.

• To apply to an MDDP, your cumulative GPA for work completed on the Ann Arbor campus must be 3.0 or better. Engineering allows for a 2.7 or higher cumulative GPA.
  
• Prior to applying to the MDDP, you must have completed a minimum of 30 credits on the Ann Arbor campus. If you transferred into U-M, you must meet the GPA requirement, but you can apply to an MDDP after completing one term at U-M.
  
• Some schools will require you to apply and be admitted before you can be considered for an MDDP with them. Note: If you are a non-LSA student and want to start an MDDP with LSA and your current school, do not apply to cross-campus transfer into LSA as part of your process. Your advisor will confirm that you meet LSA admissions criteria when they sign the MDDP approval form.

Take time to consider if an MDDP is the right option for you. 

• How will two undergraduate degrees support your personal, professional, and academic goals?
• What is the benefit of two concurrent undergraduate degrees over, for example, a major and a minor, or an undergraduate degree in one field and a graduate degree in another ?
• How do you feel about potentially extending your time to graduate beyond four years?
• How would you balance the higher workload required for two degrees with your other responsibilities and priorities?

Discuss your plans with advisors in each school in your prospective MDDP. See below to learn how to connect with LSA advisors in each MDDP. Be sure to meet with an advisor in your LSA major too. At this stage, advisors will share information, support your decision-making, and, if you decide to proceed, will guide you through the MDDP application process.

Applying to an LSA MDDP

You will need to complete the Undergraduate Dual Degree Approval Form and get signatures from advisors in both schools. On the LSA side, this includes a signature from a major advisor and an LSA MDDP advisor, in that order. Plan ahead and leave time to get all the signatures you need.

You must be eligible to declare your intended LSA major at the time you apply to the MDDP. You will be held to the major requirements in effect when you declare, and held to the LSA requirements in effect when you start in the College.

You must select one of your two schools to be your “home unit” on the approval form. You will be governed by the academic rules, policies, and deadlines of your home unit, register for classes under your home unit, and pay the home unit’s tuition rate. Consult with your advisors, as the choice of home unit may be dictated by the terms of the particular MDDP.  

The approval form must be completed and submitted by the third-week deadline of a fall or winter term, or the second-week deadline of a spring or summer term, for the MDDP to be active in that term.

Programs