Cooperative Degrees

A liberal arts education provides excellent preparation for careers in a variety of professions. For this reason, several professional schools have contracted with Lawrence for cooperative programs that enable students to build a foundation in the liberal arts and then acquire specific professional skills. These programs lead, in most cases, to the awarding of two degrees.

The Lawrence cooperative programs listed below generally provide for students to study at Lawrence for three years and then transfer to a professional school for two more years. To qualify for a Lawrence degree in these programs, students must earn 162 units (164 for pre-law) and fulfill all other degree requirements that cannot be met in the professional school. Students must undertake careful planning with the professional advisors and with their own faculty advisors to make sure all requirements will be completed satisfactorily.

Students who earn the required number of units at Lawrence and successfully complete the first year of study in professional school may participate in the Lawrence Commencement with their matriculation class.

Program advisors: Matthew Stoneking (Fall)  and Margaret Koker (Winter and Spring)

Students wishing to combine a liberal arts education with engineering may want to choose a dual degree program in engineering, which typically involves three years of study at Lawrence University and two years of study at an affiliated engineering school. Lawrence has formal affiliations with Columbia University (New York, New York), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, New York), and Washington University (St. Louis, Missouri). Upon satisfactory completion of the five-year program, eligible students will receive the Bachelor of Arts degree from Lawrence as well as a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree from the engineering school they have attended. To prepare for admission to one of Lawrence’s engineering school partners, students must take the following courses at Lawrence at minimum:

• MATH 140: Calculus I
• MATH 155: Multivariable Calculus
• MATH 350: Ordinary Differential Equation
• CMSC 140: Introduction to Programming with Python or CMSC 150: Introduction to Computer Science
• CHEM 115: Principles of Chemistry: Structure and Reactivity or CHEM 116: Principles of Chemistry: Energetics and Dynamics
• PHYS 141: Introduction to Physics I
• PHYS 151: Introduction to Physics II
• 5-8 courses (30-48 units) in humanities and social sciences coursework (exact requirements will vary by engineering school)

Many of these courses may also count toward a student’s major and/or general education requirements at Lawrence. Because specific prerequisite course requirements vary among the engineering schools and programs, students pursuing the 3-2 program should consult early with the program advisor.

Program advisor: Bart De Stasio

The college offers a cooperative 3-2 program with Duke University in the areas of environmental management and forestry. Upon satisfactory completion of this five-year program, spending three years at Lawrence and two at Duke’s School of the Environment, the student will receive the B.A. degree from Lawrence and the professional degree Master of Forestry or Master of Environmental Management from Duke.

The major emphases at Duke are in forest resource production, resource ecology, resource policy and economics, water and air resources, and ecotoxicology. An undergraduate major in natural sciences or social sciences is good preparation for the programs at Duke, but a student with any undergraduate concentration will be considered for admission. The student must complete a total of 48 units at Duke, which generally takes four semesters. The student must complete 162 units at Lawrence and fulfill all other requirements that cannot be completed at Duke. All students contemplating this cooperative program should plan to take work in ecology, economics, and statistics at Lawrence before matriculating at Duke.

Some students may prefer to complete the bachelor’s degree before undertaking graduate study at Duke. The master’s degree requirements for these students are the same as those for students entering after the junior year, but the 48-unit requirements may be reduced for relevant, already completed undergraduate work of satisfactory quality. All credit reductions are determined individually and consider both the student’s educational background and objectives.

Program advisor: Ty Collins

A liberal education, whatever the disciplinary focus, is excellent preparation for law school and a legal career. The conventional time for completion of a juris doctor (J.D.) law degree is four years for the undergraduate degree plus three years of law school. Lawrence has an accelerated 3-plus-3 cooperative partnership with Marquette Law School that allows qualified students to complete both the Lawrence degree and juris doctor degree in just six years.

Students in the accelerated program must complete 164 units of coursework at Lawrence, including general education requirements and a major (with Senior Experience), prior to enrolling at Marquette Law School. Students are awarded the Lawrence degree upon successful completion of the first year at Marquette. They then continue for two more years to complete the juris doctor degree.

It is recommended that interested students apply to Marquette during the fall of their junior year. Students must take the LSAT as part of the application process, and Marquette considers applicants as part of the general pool for admission and financial aid. Admitted students who decline the opportunity may return to or remain at Lawrence for a fourth year to complete the bachelor’s degree.

Students interested in the accelerated pre-law program are strongly encouraged to work with their academic advisor and pre-law advisor early in their academic career.

Program advisor: Matthew Ansfield

Lawrence offers a 3-2 program in occupational therapy in conjunction with the School of Medicine of Washington University, St. Louis. Students spend three years of study at Lawrence and then continue for five semesters and two summers in the occupational therapy program at Washington University. After two semesters of successful study at Washington University, Lawrence awards the Bachelor of Arts degree. The student then continues for three more semesters and two summers at Washington University to earn the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy degree. Students who complete this program are prepared to address the prevention and treatment of physical or mental dysfunctions that impair people’s abilities to perform activities of daily life. Occupational therapists focus on the methods that permit individuals to engage in meaningful life activities. They also assist in modifying environments that make it possible for individuals to function at home, at work, and in the community.

Lawrence students apply to the occupational therapy program of the School of Medicine at Washington University during the fall of the junior year and must meet the entrance requirements established by the occupational therapy program. The Washington University School of Medicine is one of the finest in the country, and the occupational therapy program is competitive. A 3.250 Lawrence grade-point average is a minimum requirement but does not guarantee admission. Students who are admitted may apply for financial aid provided by Washington University.

To complete the occupational therapy program, students must complete 162 units at Lawrence, meet general education requirements, and fulfill all requirements for a Lawrence major. Students also must fulfill the prerequisite course requirements for occupational therapy as follows: BIOL 130, 150, and 242; one additional biology course (6 units) numbered 200 or above; one additional science course (6 units) chosen from physics, chemistry, biology, or neuroscience; PSYC 250 and 260; one course (6 units) chosen from among PHIL 100, PHIL 120, PHIL 320, PHIL 440, or ECON 290; two additional courses (12 units) chosen from the social sciences; STAT 107 and a minimum of 30 in-person hours of occupational therapy-related experience or observation. Completing Lawrence requirements and the prerequisite requirements will require careful planning, which must begin early in the Lawrence career. Students interested in this program should talk with their faculty advisors not later than the beginning of the sophomore year. Students should coordinate their plans with the program advisor as well.

More detailed information about the program, requirements for admission, and how to apply can be found at https://www.ot.wustl.edu/education/masters-msot-131.

Program advisors: Mark Jenike and Judith Humphries
Lawrence offers a 4+1 program in public health in conjunction with the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). Students spend three years of study at Lawrence and a year of dual enrollment at Lawrence and in MCW’s online public health program starting the summer after their junior year. In the dual degree year, while still in residence at Lawrence, students take the equivalent of 27 units at LU in addition to the online MPH courses. Up to 15 credits (27 LU units) of MCW graduate work may count towards both the undergraduate and graduate degrees. After the dual enrollment year students who have satisfied the Lawrence University general education requirements and their major requirements will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts. Students then continue for a summer semester and a full year in MCW’s online public health program after which they will earn a Masters in Public Health.

Lawrence students apply to the online public health program of the Medical College of Wisconsin by April 10^th of their junior year and must meet the entrance requirements established by the public health program. A 3.0 Lawrence grade-point average is a minimum requirement but does not guarantee admission. Prior to starting the public health program, students must complete 162 units at Lawrence. Although there is no restriction on a student’s choice of major at Lawrence, students must fulfill the following prerequisite course requirements for public health: First Year Studies, a writing intensive course, a statistics course (STAT 107; MATH 255; BIOL 280; PSYC 170; or ANTH 207), and BIOL 130. An additional intermediate or upper level course in BIOL or ANTH with connections to human health selected in consultation with a program advisor is strongly recommended.

Completing Lawrence requirements and the prerequisite requirements will require careful planning, which must begin early in the Lawrence career. Students interested in this program should talk with their faculty advisors not later than the beginning of the sophomore year. Students should coordinate their plans with the MCW’s public health program advisor as well.

More detailed information about the program, requirements for admission, and how to apply can be found at www.mcw.edu/mph

Program advisor: Stefan Debbert

Lawrence offers a direct admission and a 3+3 dual degree program leading to a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in conjunction with the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW).

Direct Admission Program
Students who meet the following criteria will be granted direct admission into the MCW School of Pharmacy following their graduation from LU. Students must be admitted to the direct admission program by the end of their freshman year at LU.

Earn at least a C or better in the following MCW School of Pharmacy prerequisites:

• BIOL 130
• BIOL 150
  Two of the following courses:
  • BIOL 260 -Genetics
  • BIOL 235 -Evolutionary Biology
  • BIOL 354 -Molecular Biology
  • BIOL 242 -Comparative Physiology
  • BIOL 430 -Immunology
  • BIOL 325 -Cell Biology
  • BIOL 453 -Developmental Biology
  • BIOL 340 -Topics in Neuroscience
  • Or other upper-level biology courses with advisor approval
• CHEM 115 (or AP Chemistry credit or passing score on LU placement exam
• CHEM 116
• One other non-organic chemistry course above the 200 level
• CHEM 250 -Organic Chemistry I
• CHEM 252 -Organic Chemistry II Organic Chemistry/Lab (2 courses) = Chemistry 250
• STAT 107 or BIOL 280
• MATH 103 or MATH 140
• FRST 110
• A speaking intensive course - (S) competency designation
• Any four courses from the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences not used to satisfy other requirements as noted above

Additional criteria:

1. Earn a cumulative degree GPA of 3.25 in all courses taken at LU
2. Enroll full-time (15 or more credits) each term at LU
3. Apply to MCW
4. Participate in an Early Entrance Interview at MCW and be recommended by the School of Pharmacy faculty for program admission
5. Meet all School of Pharmacy minimum admission requirements
6. Participate in a pre-matriculation interview to ensure that all appropriate coursework will be completed by the published deadline, determine continued program interest, and discuss provisional admission requirements
7. Upon provisional admission, pay the School of Pharmacy deposit by due date of the year in which the student will enroll
8. Complete all remaining School of Pharmacy admission requirements, including the successful outcome of a drug screening and criminal background check
9. Meet any additional criteria required by MCW during the term of the Program. Such additional requirements shall be communicated to LU no later than the start of the admission cycle during which the changes are effective

3 + 3 Dual Degree Program

This six-year program is comprised of three years of undergraduate curriculum at LU followed by three years of Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum at MCW, with the first year of study in the Doctor of Pharmacy program transferring back to LU to complete LU BA degree requirements. MCW coursework will not constitute more than 25% of credits earned towards a BA degree at LU.

Dual Degree Program Qualifications:

1. Complete 162 units at LU
2. Completion of undergraduate work at LU, including MCW School of Pharmacy prerequisites and minimum grade point average requirement described above in the Direct Admission Program section, in three academic years
3. Successfully complete the first year of coursework required for the Doctor of Pharmacy program at MCW
4. Students in the Dual Degree Program will be invited to participate in a minimum of two (2) School of Pharmacy programs and events each year while enrolled at LU
5. LU will assign to each student enrolled in the Dual Degree Program an advisor who will aid in designing an enrollment and progression plan that ensures their completion of all required coursework in the prescribed amount of time
6. Students will work with staff in MCW’s Office of Academic and Student Affairs in the School of Pharmacy in a timely manner to finalize their provisional admission to the MCW School of Pharmacy.

For additional information see the MCW website- https://www.mcw.edu/education/pharmacy-school/programs/undergraduate-dual-degree-programs