Submatriculation allows undergraduate students to begin work on a Master’s degree while still completing their Bachelor’s degree. For research master’s programs (M.A. or M.S.) in the School of Arts and Sciences, submatriculants obtain both the bachelor’s and the master's degree simultaneously, with the master’s level work continuous with the undergraduate major, which it extends and intensifies. Students should consider carefully whether submatriculation is the best option for them, since it will involve additional course work and possibly additional tuition. For more information requirements , see our Master's of Arts in Philosophy webpage. Submatriculants may double-count up to 4 courses towards their BA and MA degrees.  Students interested in submatriculation should discuss this with their College Advisor (listed on Path@Penn) to determine whether or not the program is a good fit for their goals, and whether those goals can be better achieved through other options than submatriculation. 

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 Application  To apply, students must have two faculty members in Philosophy who are willing to support their application. Interested students must apply and be accepted into the Graduate program in the fall semester of their junior year. Successful applicants typically have a GPA higher than 3.70.   Students who are ready to begin the application process, should complete the following steps: 1. Meet with the Undergraduate Chair to discuss their eligibility. Applicants must also name two faculty members who have explicitly agreed to support their application. (So, prior to this meeting, the applicant should have already consulted with their prospective references).  2. Meet with the Graduate Chair to discuss their interests and to determine whether they have a feasible academic plan for completing the MA degree. 

• Steps 1 and 2 must be completed before October 20th (of the junior year).

 3. If steps 1 and 2 are successful, the application is presented before the Philosophy Department for a vote.  4. The successful applicant will be notified and will then meet with the Department's Graduate Coordinator to formally complete their enrollment and with their College Advisor to discuss how graduate courses will contribute to their undergraduate degree. 

• Steps 3 and 4 must be completed before December 5th (of the junior year). 

 These deadlines are important because courses completed before your enrollment in the Graduate Program, even if they are graduate courses, cannot be counted towards the Master's Degree. Students applying outside these deadlines may be considered, but note the restriction against counting graduate courses retroactively.  The Graduate Chair will be the primary advisor for the MA portion of the student's coursework, and the Undergraduate Chair remains the primary advisor for the BA portion.   

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  Financial Aid  Students on financial aid who are considering submatriculation are urged to consult with Student Registration and Financial Services (SRFS) before applying. The calculation of tuition and eligibility for undergraduate financial aid may be affected by enrolling in graduate courses, even during the regular eight semesters of the student’s undergraduate program. Some programs require students to become graduate students after their fourth year in the College, which is likely to mean that their tuition is no longer covered by undergraduate financial aid. Again, consultation with SRFS is essential. For more information, see: https://www.college.upenn.edu/submatriculation