School of Arts and Sciences students may choose to pursue a variety of academic programs leading to multiple majors, majors within more than one department, or majors that either prepare students for or offer advanced admission to graduate or professional programs at the University of Pittsburgh.
Double and Triple Majors
Students who meet the major requirements of two or three departments may declare, and have recorded on their transcript, a double or triple major, but they will earn only one degree. If one major leads to the BA degree and another to the BS degree, students must decide at graduation which degree they wish to receive. A maximum of 8 credits can overlap from one major to another.
Double Degrees
School of Arts and Sciences students may choose to simultaneously pursue more than one undergraduate degree, either within Arts and Sciences (i.e., both a BA and a BS) or in another undergraduate school of the University. Arts and Sciences also offers a joint degree program with the School of Engineering. In general, earning two degrees requires a minimum of 150 credits and completion of the curriculum requirements of both schools. Detailed information about these options is available in the Arts and Sciences Advising Center, 201 Thackeray Hall.
Combined Degree Options
Some students may qualify for a professional school option, in which students who have satisfied the following requirements may receive a bachelor’s degree from the School of Arts and Sciences upon successful completion of the first year of graduate study:
- Completion of 90 or more credits in Arts and Sciences,
- Satisfaction of all skills and general education requirements, and
- Acceptance to a graduate professional school at the University of Pittsburgh (such as the School of Dental Medicine).
Students going on to other graduate schools (such as the School of Engineering) who have earned 96 or more credits in Arts and Sciences and have been accepted into a graduate program may receive a bachelor's degree upon completion of the specified amount of graduate study. Detailed information about these options is available in handouts in the Arts and Sciences Advising Center, 201 Thackeray Hall.
Arts and Sciences/Business Dual Major Program
Qualified students may apply for admission to the Arts and Sciences/Business program, which permits students to pursue an arts and sciences major and an undergraduate business major simultaneously. Students may apply to the program after their first year at the University of Pittsburgh. Specific information about requirements and applications are available in the Arts and Sciences Advising Center (201 Thackeray Hall) and the College of Business Administration (2100 Sennott Square). See Nondepartmental Arts and Sciences Majors for more information.
Preparation for Professional Programs of Study
Students interested in spending their junior and senior years in the University of Pittsburgh's professional Schools of Social Work, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Information Sciences, or Pharmacy normally spend two years in Arts and Sciences taking necessary prerequisite courses and electives in preparation for professional study. Although freshmen are accepted directly into the Schools of Engineering, Nursing, and the College of Business Administration (CBA), it is possible for students who begin in Arts and Sciences to transfer into those schools after one or two years. Detailed information is available in handouts in the Arts and Sciences Advising Center, 201 Thackeray Hall.
Accelerated Law Admissions Program (ALAP)
The Accelerated Law Admissions Program (ALAP), open to any student enrolled in the School of Arts and Sciences, grants admission to the University of Pittsburgh's School of Law to those students who meet the ALAP's requirements. Students who enter the program complete their undergraduate major in three years, applying for admission to the School of Law during their junior year, and then go on to law school for another three years.
Students interested in the program are encouraged to declare a major early at the end of the first year in order to allow them to complete their undergraduate Arts and Sciences major(s) by the end of their third year. Also, interested students are encouraged to take summer classes during their second year in order to reduce the credits to be completed in their third year. The requirements for the ALAP are as follows:
- Students must complete 102 credits by the end of their junior year.
- Students must take three writing-designated courses (rather than two) beyond the freshman writing requirement.
- The Arts and Sciences requirement of 12 credits in a related area is waived for students in the ALAP.
- Students must take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) by the fall of their junior year. This would include the June, October, or December test.
Acceptance into the program is competitive, and only those students with above-average grades and competitive LSAT scores should apply.