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Graduate Programs
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Masters of Arts (MA) Two-Year Program
- Master of Arts (MA) via the BA/MA Program
- Non-degree Graduate Students
- Graduate Concentrations
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
The University offers the PhD degree in biology, chemistry, ethnomusicology, mathematics, molecular biology and biochemistry, and physics. The programs are innovative with respect to the opportunities of the particular fields. The programs are small and allow attention to the needs and interests of the individual student and provide a close working relationship between students and faculty. There is considerable variation among the programs in format, requirements and methods of work. PhD degree requirements for coursework, dissertation and its defense are specific to each department and can be found in the University Catalog: https://catalog.wesleyan.edu/departments/
Most full-time PhD students receive a financial package that includes tuition remission and a stipend in exchange for service to the department. The duties of PhD students vary by department and generally involve assistance in instruction and research.
Information about the departments that offer the PhD degree:
Masters of Arts (MA)
The University offers a two-year program leading to the MA degree in astronomy, computer science, earth and environmental sciences, mathematics, and music. The University also offers a combined BA plus MA program for Wesleyan undergraduate students leading to the MA degree in astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth and environmental sciences, mathematics and computer science, molecular biology and biochemistry, neuroscience and behavior, physics, and psychology.
The programs are innovative with respect to the needs and opportunities of the particular fields. The programs are small and allow close attention to the needs and interests of the individual student. There is considerable variation among the programs in format, requirements and methods of work. MA degree requirements for coursework, thesis and its defense are specific to each department and can be found in the University Catalog: https://catalog.wesleyan.edu/departments/
Most full-time MA students in the two-year MA program receive a financial package that includes tuition remission and a stipend in exchange for service to the department. The duties of MA students vary by department and generally involve assistance in instruction and research.
Financial support for students in the one-year BA/MA program includes tuition remission for two semesters of post-BA work.
Information about the departments that offer the MA degree via the two-year program:
- Astronomy
- Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Math & Computer Science
- Music
Information about the departments that offer the MA degree via the BA/MA program:
Astronomy
Biology
Chemistry
Earth & Environmental Sciences
Mathematics & Computer Science
Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
Neuroscience & Behavior
Physics
Psychology
BA/MA Program
Wesleyan offers a BA/MA program in the natural sciences, mathematics, and psychology as a formal curricular option that allows Wesleyan undergraduate students to continue at the university for a degree of Master of Arts (MA) after completing their bachelor’s degree. The program has a research orientation and includes course work, seminars, and in some cases, teaching. The program provides a strong professional background for further advanced study or employment in industry.
The period for completion of the MA degree is two semesters beyond the completion of the BA degree. BA/MA students are full-time, in-residence graduate students during the two semesters immediately after the completion of the BA degree.
Students must apply for this program before they complete their undergraduate studies. Careful planning of one’s schedule of courses and research is essential for completion of both the BA and MA degrees. In the optimal case, a student will have 1) started research in the summer prior to their senior year, and 2) plan to take coursework during the senior year that can be applied to the MA degree. Applicants are not required to take the GRE.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition for two semesters of post-BA work toward the MA degree is waived, including courses offered during summer and winter sessions. The tuition waiver is not applicable to study abroad courses, nor to coursework beyond the two semesters after the BA. In the exceptional case that a student needs an additional semester to complete the MA thesis the student will be charged an extension fee of $250. BA/MA students are financially responsible for their housing, food, health insurance, the graduate student activity fee, and other living expenses. Please plan accordingly. Meal plan stipends may be available to eligible students upon application. Students who have completed the BA requirements and received Wesleyan grant aid during the final year of the BA program are eligible to apply for a meal plan stipend. The meal plan stipend provides the all-points plan free of charge for the two semesters after the BA. The meal plan stipend is not available in the summer or during winter break. Students are welcome to participate in the Middletown Cash program.BA/MA students are required to have health insurance and must provide proof of health insurance coverage. Students may opt to participate in the graduate student health plan offered by the university. BA/MA students who select student insurance are responsible for the full premium.
BA/MA students are not eligible for graduate stipends from the University. Some students may be able to find financial support either from research grant funds or by serving as teaching assistants after completion of the BA. Please note that student accounts must be in good standing to continue study after the BA portion of the program.
Housing Options for BA/MA Students
BA/MA students are eligible to apply for Wesleyan graduate student housing. Graduate student housing generally becomes available in late August.
BA/MA students who are required by their academic department to be on campus conducting research in the summer between the completion of the BA and the start of the MA who wish to live in Wesleyan graduate student housing in the Fall, may apply to live in graduate student housing during the summer. Residential Life will make every effort to accommodate these requests.
The deadline for applying for Wesleyan housing is July 1. Residential Life makes every effort to match a graduate student’s preference for housing with the available housing stock and considers requests in the order in which applications are received.
BA/MA students who are required by their academic department to be on campus conducting research in the summer between the completion of the BA and the start of the MA who do not plan to live in Wesleyan graduate student housing in the Fall, should make arrangements to move into an off-campus location for the summer.
Non-Degree Graduate Students
Wesleyan offers the opportunity for non-Wesleyan students to take graduate courses on a non-degree basis. The Office of Continuing Studies serves as the administrative office for non-degree courses: Information and application for non-degree study.
The Office of Graduate Student Services serves as the administrative office for students in the non-degree programs listed below.
- Foreign Language Teaching Assistants
- Graduate Writing Fellows
Graduate Concentrations
MA or BA/MA students in the Natural Sciences and Mathematics may elect a course of study resulting in the Planetary Science Concentration. The Concentration is designed to engage students in the research results, skills and methods of Planetary Science.
- Planetary Science
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