Double Dawgs | College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences

The Double Dawgs program was created to give ambitious and motivated students a competitive advantage in today’s knowledge economy. By earning both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in five years or less, students can save time and money while positioning themselves for success after graduation.

Double Ag Dawg Programs

Early planning is critical when pursuing a Double Dawgs program. Interested students should notify their academic advisor of their interest as soon as possible. While each student's path may vary, the following gives students an idea of what to expect.

Recommended Timeline

Search through the approved Double Dawgs programs for your undergraduate major.
Based on your area of interest within your undergraduate major, locate a faculty mentor.
- This person will oversee the research for your master’s degree and provide a graduate course plan. Students must have a faculty mentor and a list of the 12 hours they will take at the graduate level by the end of Year 2 for the 4-year plan and Year 3 for the 5-year plan (see Sample Plans below). This is the deadline.
Establish timeline with faculty mentor.
- When will research start?
- Will there be funding?
- Any financial aid for graduate degree?
Take up to 12 hours of approved split-level courses that will count toward both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs. This will be done in the last year of the undergraduate degree.
Plan for the GRE. This will be taken the semester before undergraduate degree completion.
In the final semester of the undergraduate program, apply to the Graduate School for the starting semester agreed upon by student and faculty mentor.
Graduate with undergraduate degree and begin graduate school in subsequent semester.

Important Guidelines

Only 12 credit hours of graduate level coursework, taken as an undergraduate student, may be used toward satisfying graduate degree requirements. Beyond the 12^th graduate level credit hour, students must be admitted to the graduate program in order for those credit hours to apply toward completion of graduate degree requirements.
The 12 hours of split-level courses must be courses that have already been pre-approved for the pathway.
Students can start research while completing their undergraduate degree, but cannot register for graduate level research that will count toward the master’s degree until they graduate.
Students can take other graduate level courses while in the undergraduate program, but they cannot count toward the graduate degree.
The pathway does not have to follow a specific semester plan.
- Students can finish the undergraduate program in summer, fall, or spring and can start the graduate program in summer, fall, or spring.
- Students must start the graduate program immediately following graduation. Any break in enrollment (except summer) leads to the student's dismissal from the Double Dawgs program. In that case, the graduate courses taken as an undergraduate may no longer count toward the graduate degree.
The pathway can be completed in less than 5 years depending on the student’s academic record.
If a student cannot start research as an undergraduate or fails to locate a faculty mentor by the last undergraduate year, it would be more advantageous to complete the undergraduate degree and apply for the traditional master’s program.
Graduate level courses taken as an undergraduate cannot count toward a master's degree unless the student has been admitted to a Double Dawgs pathway.
Any graduate level funding cannot be applied toward a student’s tuition/student account until they have graduated from their undergraduate program. For updated information on tuition and student fees at the University of Georgia, please visit the Office of Student Financial Aid’s page.
Students may take more than one year to complete the graduate degree, if they wish.

Sample Plans

UGA Double Dawgs