BAM (BS & MS)

Combined Bachelor's & Master's Degree (BAM) Pathways afford a way for highly motivated students to efficiently complete a Bachelor’s degree and Master's degree in a shorter time frame by double-counting course work (up to 9 credits) at the undergraduate tuition rate. In most cases, pathway students graduate with the Bachelor's degree and Master's degree within 5 years (total). See checksheets for summary.

If you are interested, email Graduate Chair, ecegc@hawaii.edu.

Requirements

The following are required for admission to the BAM Program:

  • have at least a 3.0 GPA
  • have at least a B+ in one of the gateway courses:
    • ECE 361 for Computer Engineering track
    • ECE 371 for Electrophysics track
    • ECE 315 for Systems & Data Science track
  • have a faculty recommend you for the BAM program

Applying in junior year is encouraged to take full advantage of double-counting.

Double-Counted Courses

The following courses taken while enrolled in the BAM program (typically in the fourth year) can be double-counted:

Computer

1. ECE 468 (3 cr.)

2. ECE 6XX Computer subfield (3 cr.)

3. ECE 6XX Computer subfield (3 cr.)

ECE 699 credits are excluded.
Electrophysics

1. ECE 6XX (3 cr.)

2. ECE 6XX EP subfield (3 cr.)

3. ECE 6XX EP subfield (3 cr.)

*Three credits may be at 400-level (excluding ECE 495, 496, 499, ECE 699).
Systems & Data Science

1. ECE 6XX (3 cr.)

2. ECE 6XX SDS subfield (3 cr.)

3. ECE 6XX SDS subfield (3 cr.)

*Three credits may be at 400-level (excluding ECE 495, 496, 499, ECE 699).

*A 400-level course may be double-counted if only two 600-level courses will be double-counted. A total of 9 credits are to be double-counted.

Notice that you must be enrolled in the BAM program for the double-counting to work. For example, if you take ECE468 before you are enrolled in the BAM program, it will not be double-counted.

Application

Applications should be made in the junior year (5th or 6th semester).  Students must submit a regular MS application in Electrical & Computer Engineering and fee at https://manoa.hawaii.edu/graduate/how-to-apply/.  Please send an email alert to ecegc@hawaii.edu when you are ready to submit your application. In addition, please arrange an email recommendation from a faculty in your major track following these instructions.

Bachelor’s Degree

The bachelor’s degree is conferred after successful completion of all required coursework, including meeting the minimum upper division credit requirement (currently 45 credits) for the undergraduate degree (ideally in the 8th semester).

Graduate Enrollment

Pathway students generally begin their 9th semester as “graduate students,” and continue the master’s degree program at the graduate tuition rate. Continuous enrollment after conferral of the bachelor’s degree is required (unless on approved leave of absence after the first semester as a graduate student).

Graduate Degree

Aside from the double-counted classes, BAM students must satisfy either MS Plan A (thesis) or MS Plan B (non-thesis) degree requirements in order to obtain both a bachelor and master degree.