F4.3 Duplication of Graduate Degrees
Updated: April 29th, 2011
Students may enroll for a second academic or professional master’s degree if the second degree is in an unrelated field. An applicant who is admitted to a doctoral program that requires a master’s degree to be earned at Berkeley as a prerequisite will automatically be permitted to receive a second master’s degree, even if the applicant has a master’s degree from another institution in the same or a closely allied field of study.
Enrollment in a second doctoral program. It is the policy of both the Graduate Council and the Graduate Division not to approve requests to enroll in a second doctoral program. Exceptions to this policy will be reviewed only if they meet the following guidelines:
- The second degree program must be in a general area of knowledge distinctly different from the field of the first doctorate. For example, a student with a doctorate in physics could be admitted to a doctoral degree in music or history; however, a student with a doctoral degree in mathematics would not be permitted to add a doctorate in statistics. The Graduate Council views graduate degrees as evidence of broad research training, not as vocational training certificates; therefore, applicants with academic graduate degrees should be able to take up new subject matter on a serious level without taking the time to establish new credentials.
- Applicants who hold a doctoral degree may be admitted to a professional doctorate or master’s degree program if there is no duplication of training involved.
See All Topics in the Category: F. Degrees, Guide to Graduate Policy
