Joint Bachelor’s-Master’s Students
Individuals pursuing a master’s degree simultaneously with the bachelor’s degree (joint Bachelor’s-Master’s degree) are considered graduate students and are limited to one application to NSF GRFP.
All Bachelor’s-Master’s degree applicants must enroll in a doctoral program no later than the beginning of the academic year immediately following the academic award year of the joint degree to be eligible to apply for the GRFP.
- If applying during the joint Bachelor’s-Master’s program, applicants must apply as Level 2 applicants.
- If applying during the first year of the doctoral program shortly following award of the joint Bachelor’s-Master’s degree, applicants must apply as Level 3 applicants.
- Individuals enrolled in the second year of their doctoral program following award of a joint Bachelor’s-Master’s degree are ineligible.
Applicants who earned master’s degrees in joint Bachelor’s-Master’s degree programs must submit transcripts that clearly document the joint program. For GRFP, joint Bachelor’s-Master’s degrees are defined as degrees concurrently pursued and awarded. If the transcript does not document the joint program and does not show that the bachelor’s and master’s degrees were conferred on the same date, applicants must upload a letter from the registrar of the institution certifying enrollment in a joint program, appended to the transcript for that institution. Failure to provide clear documentation of a joint program may result in an application being returned without review.