Combined Bachelor’s & Master’s Degree (BAM) and Combined Bachelors & Post-Baccalaureate (BAP) Pathways afford a way for highly motivated students to efficiently complete a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree or Post-Baccalaureate certificate in a shorter time frame by double-counting course work (up to 3 courses) at the undergraduate tuition rate.
In most cases, pathway students graduate with the Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree or Post-Baccalaureate Certificate within a total of 5 years.
Resources:
- Current BAM Program Coordinators
- List of BAM and BAP Programs (Listed towards the bottom of the page under “Combined”)
Questions about the application process and program requirements should be directed to the relevant coordinator(s).
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I be in a BAM program?
If you are interested and motivated to finish a master’s degree or a post-baccalaureate program in less time, we encourage you to explore a BAM program.
The BAM program also makes a master’s or post-baccalaureate program more affordable because students are able to complete up to nine (9) graduate credits at undergraduate rates. Additionally, up to 9 credits are double-counted towards both degrees which means BAM students have fewer credits to pay for at the graduate rate.
What is the timeline of events if I am interested in becoming a BAM student?
BAM Timeline
- Sophomore Year (30-59 credits): Speak to the undergraduate BAM Coordinator
- Junior Year (60-89 credits):
- Get approval from the BAM Coordinator to apply to the graduate program.
- Submit a University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Graduate Division online application.
- If admitted, please submit your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) to accept your current graduate status in the BAM program.
- Senior Year (90+ credits): BAM students can begin taking their double-counted credits at an undergraduate tuition rate.
- Graduation: Upon graduating with your bachelorʻs degree, you will now be considered a full-time graduate student and must follow Graduate Division policies and procedures.
- Full-Time Masterʻs Student: You are no longer enrolled in a dual degree program, and graduate tuition is now being assessed appropriately. Your double-counted BAM courses are now viewable on both your undergraduate and graduate transcripts.
Can I be a part-time undergraduate student?
Yes, however, please be aware that part-time students must consider financial aid and other enrollment requirements.
When should I apply for a BAM program?
If you are interested in a BAM/BAP program, it is highly recommended that you speak with an undergraduate academic advisor or the appropriate BAM/BAP coordinator as soon as possible, ideally during your second year (30-59 credits). Doing so is especially important if your program has specific sophomore-level course requirements.
The application to the BAM/BAP program is the same as the application to the master’s or post-baccalaureate program of the BAM/BAP pathway. You should work with an undergraduate advisor or BAM/BAP coordinator to prepare and submit an application to the master’s or post-baccalaureate program by the deadline set by the graduate program. Admission will generally be for the first term of the last year of your bachelor’s degree.
What are “gateway courses”?
To be eligible for a BAM/BAP program, you must first pass a designated UH Mānoa course with a minimum grade requirement set by the department. See the BAM information for the gateway course and the minimum required grade.
Meeting the minimum grade requirement in the gateway course is an indication that you are ready to take graduate level courses during the last year of your undergraduate degree program.
When do I take the gateway course?
See the BAM/BAP 5-year plan for the recommended semester. The majority of pathways suggest taking the gateway course in the first semester of your third year (for full-time students).
Gateway courses must be taken prior to applying for BAM pathway. You cannot take the gateway course after you have been you have been admitted into the BAM program.
What if I do not meet the grade requirement for the gateway course?
If you do not meet the minimum grade requirement for the gateway course, you will not be admitted into the BAM/BAP program. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for admission to and continuation in any graduate program at UH Mānoa, and specific grade requirements also apply to all double-counted courses.
If you are not admitted to the BAM program, you can still apply to the graduate program after earning your bachelor’s degree. All standard graduate program admission requirements will apply at that time.
For more information, consult with an academic advisor and review the University policies on repeating courses.
Can transfer students enter the BAM program?
Yes, but be aware that the best time to apply to the BAM program is after taking the gateway course (e.g., during the 3rd year, after earning approximately 70-80 credits).
If you are a transfer student interested in a BAM or BAP program, you should meet with the BAM/BAP coordinator for your desired program as soon as possible in order to receive advice tailored to your specific circumstances.
What if I need more time (e.g., Leave of Absence-LOA), can I still remain in the BAM/BAP?
Yes, you can still remain in the BAM/BAP program. The process for a Leave of Absence (LOA) depends on your academic standing when you request it.
- Before earning your bachelor’s degree: You will follow the standard undergraduate student procedures for a Leave of Absence.
- After earning your bachelor’s degree: You will follow the graduate student procedures. Note that a graduate-level LOA is allowed only after you have completed your first term of graduate work.
You are not required to finish both degrees in five years if circumstances prevent it. The primary goal is for you to successfully complete and graduate from the program.
Can I have a Graduate Assistantship (GA)?
Yes, but not until your bachelor’s degree has been conferred. A completed bachelor’s degree is required before you can serve as a GA. Therefore, as a BAM/BAP student, you would be eligible in the last two semesters of your graduate coursework.
Is the GRE waived for students applying to BAM/BAP programs ? Is TOEFL required?
Standardized exam requirements vary by program and are not waived for BAM/BAP applicants. Please review both Graduate Division and program-specific admissions requirements before applying.
TOEFL is not required if you will graduate with your bachelor’s from UH Mānoa.
How long am I considered a BAM student?
You are considered a BAM student from the time you have been accepted into the graduate program until you graduate with your bachelorʻs degree. Once you have earned your bachelorʻs degree, you are then considered a full-time graduate student and must follow all of the Graduate Division policies and procedures related to your degree program.
Combined Degree Pathways
BAM Coordinator Training Presentation Slides 2025
Minimum Credits: A minimum of 141 credits total is required for both degrees, including a minimum of 21 credits of master’s degree coursework (inclusive of thesis or capstone credits) not double counted.
Double Counting: Up to nine (9) credits of coursework, identified by the program, may be double-counted for both the bachelor’s and master’s degree, including two (2) 600-level courses and up to one (1) 400-level course.
- The courses to be double counted must be:
- Identified by the program in advance.;
- Acceptable for meeting both bachelor’s and master’s degree requirements;
- Passed with a grade of B or better;
- Taken at UHM (not transferred in from another university); and
- Courses that are not x99 courses, practicum, internship, or related courses.
- Once approved, these courses may not be substituted or changed. Modifications to the pathway require prior approval by the Vice Provost for Academic Excellence.
Thesis/Non-thesis Options: At least 12 credits at the 600-level or above are required for the thesis option, and at least 18 credits at the 600-level or above are required for the non-thesis (capstone) option (excluding 699 and 700 courses).
Eligibility (Gateway Course(s)): Programs must identify “gateway” course(s) within the bachelor’s degree program to determine eligibility for the pathway. Undergraduate majors must pass the identified gateway courses with a minimum grade of B or higher in order to be considered for the pathway.
Gateway courses cannot be substituted with another course. If a program’s gateway course cannot be offered, and the involved department(s) would like to use a different course, the department(s) must submit a program modification to Academic Programs at acadpro@hawaii.edu.
Application: Deadlines vary by program, however applications are generally expected in the junior year (5th or 6th semester). Students must submit the Graduate Admissions Application and fee as well as all required program admission materials (including GRE/GMAT scores, etc., if required by the program) by the deadline.
Admission: Accepted students will receive notice of “admission,” typically in the spring of the junior year (6th semester). The following semester, which would generally be the fall of senior year (7th semester), pathway students begin the double-counted coursework at the undergraduate tuition rate. Pathway students are considered dual program students. An overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (upon graduation with the baccalaureate degree) is required to apply for and continue in the graduate program.
Bachelor’s Degree: The bachelor’s degree is conferred after successful completion of all required coursework, including meeting the minimum upper division credit requirement (currently 45 credits) for the undergraduate degree (ideally in the 8th semester). Note: Per the Upper Division Credit Policy (M5.320), students pursuing a baccalaureate degree in Biology or Chemistry must complete either a minimum of 45 upper division credits, or a combination of no fewer than 25 upper division credits and 35 major-required lower division credits.
Graduate Enrollment: Pathway students generally begin their 9th semester as “graduate students,” and continue the master’s degree program at the graduate tuition rate. Continuous enrollment after conferral of the bachelor’s degree is required (unless on approved leave of absence after the first semester as a graduate student). If the baccalaureate degree is not conferred, graduate status will be inactivated and the student may not continue to take courses applicable to the graduate program.
Leaves of Absence: Until the bachelor’s degree is conferred, pathway students should follow the undergraduate procedures to request a leave of absence (LOA), if needed. Graduate students, once classified, must be enrolled for at least one semester before becoming eligible for a LOA.
Approval: The Vice Provost for Academic Excellence approves combined degree pathways upon the recommendation of the faculty in the department, the respective Dean, and the Graduate Division (including the Graduate Council).
Approval Procedures:
- Consult with Dean Maeda and Director Stitt-Bergh on desired combined degree pathway.
- Submit a completed program modification action memo, via the respective dean(s), to the Graduate Division with a copy to OVPAE Academic Programs at acadpro@hawaii.edu (template for memo here: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/graduate/content/program-modification).
- Attach the approved bachelor’s and master’s degree requirements.
- Attach the proposed combined degree pathway requirements (sample academic plans here: BAM 5-Year Plan Template)
Course Substitutions
Once a student has been accepted into the BAM program, they must take the apprvoed courses listed as part of their BAM program. If those courses are no longer applicable or available, the department(s) should submit an official program modification to Academic Programs at acadpro@hawaii.edu.
Undergraduate Program Advising: Interested and eligible pathway students will need to be advised appropriately throughout this process, and Graduate Student Services must be kept informed about pathway students’ application and baccalaureate degree attainment. Specifically, a list of eligible pathway students shall be sent to Graduate Student Services, the University Registrar, and the Financial Aid Office as early as possible in the term in which they will be submitting their graduate admission application. In the term of degree conferral for the bachelor’s degree, a list of all projected pathway students admitted into the graduate program will be sent to Graduate Student Services, the University Registrar, and the Financial Aid Office.
Undergraduate Excess Credit Policy: UHM undergraduate seniors may also earn credits toward master’s degrees for certain courses completed during the final two semesters of undergraduate study. These credits would be in addition to the double-counted credits identified in the pathway. To apply, credits from upper division or graduate courses must be in excess of the bachelor’s degree requirements. Pathway students may take advantage of this policy as long as the total number of excess credits, plus double-counted credits, also meets the graduate division credit policy (i.e., more than half of the total number of credits used to fulfill master’s degree requirements must be earned at UHM while enrolled as a classified graduate student, for example, 16 or more credits for a 30-credit master’s degree must be earned at UHM as a classified graduate student). Programs may include undergraduate excess credits in the pathway only if the majority of pathway students are capable of successfully completing excess credit courses in the last year of their bachelor’s degree.Please review the Excess Credit Policy for more information: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/graduate/content/undergraduate-excess-credits.