Dual Degree Programs

Fisk Dual Degree Programs

Fisk University has a amazing history working with some of the countries fellow elite universities to help further our student education. Fisk currently has dual degree programs with Case Western Reserve University and Vanderbilt University focusing on the Pre-Professional programs.

The Fisk/Vanderbilt Dual Degree program allows a student to earn both a Bachelor's Degree from Fisk with a science major (Biology, Chemistry, Math and Computer Science and Physics) plus Bachelor's Degree from Vanderbilt University in Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering. This is a five year program, with the first three years spent in residence at Fisk and the last two years spent living on the Vanderbilt campus.

In order to qualify for the program, students must begin taking Vanderbilt engineering courses while still at Fisk (no later than the first semester of the junior year) and do well enough in these courses plus their Fisk coursework to qualify for admission to Vanderbilt. This requires special attention to the sequence of courses taken at Fisk, so contact with the Fisk Dual Degree advisor should be made as soon as possible.

Information about Vanderbilt engineering programs can be found at the Vanderbilt School of Engineering website.

The Program is a "three + two" Dual Degree Program between Fisk University and Case Western Reserve University, leading to a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics and Physics from Fisk and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree from Case. Dual Degree Students can major in the following disciplines at Case Western Reserve University School of Engineering:

Information about the Case Western Reserve programs can be found at the Case Western Reserve dual-degree website.

Vanderbilt University

  • In October or November of the fall of their third year, students should make a formal application to the Vanderbilt Office of Undergraduate Admissions as a special case (three-two students) of the transfer application process.
  • Before initiating the application process, the student should make sure that the 3-2 liaisons in the home school and at Vanderbilt (Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, School of Engineering, Cynthia B. Paschal, PhD., AIMBE Fellow) can certify them as having met the requirements of our dual-degree contract (B average, proper pre-engineering courses, and the recommendation of the home institution). The home school liaison should communicate his/her recommendation to Dean Paschal and to the Vanderbilt Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
  • Contact with VU Undergraduate Admissions should be made through Director of Admissions John O. Gaines (  ). Please make sure the Vanderbilt admissions office understands you are a 3-2 transfer applicant.
  • Application for need-based financial aid, if appropriate, should be made as part of the application process through Admissions. Merit (honor) aid is not available.
  • Admissions will initiate arrangements with our immigration officers (if appropriate) and housing (if needed). We cannot guarantee housing for transfer students, but we can help them.

The student should obtain the form as soon as possible in the freshman year from the Dual Degree advisor, and complete and return it so that the advisor can inform the student as to the requirements of the program. Note that completion of this form does not mean the student is admitted to the program. Formal admission to the program occurs when the student has completed the work necessary to begin taking courses in the Vanderbilt Engineering School, usually in the sophomore or first part of the junior year, has completed an application, and has been accepted by the Dual Degree Committee. Continuation in the program requires successful academic progress.
A minimum of 90 hours of Fisk courses are required, including -

  • Major courses (approx 30-39 hours, depending on the major)
  • Core curriculum courses
  • Electives and major cognate courses

The student must major in one of the natural sciences, mathematics, or computer science at Fisk. Usually the Fisk major will be determined by the desired engineering major field at Vanderbilt. The Dual Degree advisor should be consulted on this. A more detailed description of appropriate pre-engineering preparation is available. The student must satisfy the degree requirements for the VU degree, including a minimum of 60 hours of Vanderbilt courses -

  • Major courses (approx. 40 hours)
  • Program electives and cognate courses (approx. 20 hours)

The student will be informed of the specific science, mathematics and computer science courses that he/she must complete at Fisk before he/she can transfer to Vanderbilt University. These courses may vary depending upon the student's major. The program is designed for the student to take all of his or her courses at Fisk during the freshman year. The student should normally cross register to take one to three hours at Vanderbilt each semester of the sophomore year. It is necessary before cross-registering to apply for admission to the Dual Degree Program. The student should cross register to take four to eight hours at Vanderbilt during each semester of the junior year. The courses taken must be those specified in the curricula that have been approved for each dual degree program.

By January 15 of the second semester of the junior year, the student should fill out the proper papers to transfer to Vanderbilt University. The student will have all of his or her financial affairs handled by Vanderbilt. This means:

  • The student should have his/her FAFSA information form and PROFILE data sent to Vanderbilt.
  • The student will have to get a transfer application from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions from Vanderbilt University and make sure that it is marked as a Dual Degree Program applicant's.
  • The student has to have a Fisk University transcript sent to Vanderbilt University.

Once this has been done and if the student has a 3.5 GPA or higher at Fisk and Vanderbilt, both overall and in math and science, the Vanderbilt Dual Degree Coordinator will recommend to the V.U. Admissions Office the admission of the student and Vanderbilt will provide the student with information on his/her housing contract.

While a Vanderbilt student, all of the student's financial matters will be handled through Vanderbilt University. The student will pay tuition at Vanderbilt. The student must keep in mind that all bills must be paid at Vanderbilt each semester before he or she will be allowed to continue the following semester.

The student will be responsible for making sure that each university has all the required information on them in order to graduate. The most important requirement is that the student must transfer his/her Vanderbilt transcript to Fisk the last semester before graduation. This is necessary so that Fisk can substitute major courses taken at Vanderbilt for the rest of the program electives and cognates needed to meet the graduation requirements from Fisk.

Case Western Reserve University

  • Application to Case is made through Case's Office of Undergraduate Admission. The application process can be reviewed on-line through the Undergraduate Admissions home page, http://admission.case.edu/. Acceptance into the Program and Case shall be at the sole discretion of Case and the student's application does not guarantee acceptance.

    Acceptance to the Program prior to the end of a student's third year at Fisk shall be conditional, with formal admission contingent upon the student's final grade point average and academic requirements at the end of the third year meeting the Program requirements. Students must provide Case with an official transcript, as soon as it becomes available, prior to a final decision being made at Case. Final acceptance into the Program is contingent upon Case's issuance of a written statement confirming said acceptance.

    Each student shall be responsible for paying the tuition and fees to the institution in which he or she is enrolled during the time enrolled and for complying with all of the policies and procedures of such institution. Students in the Dual Degree Program may apply and qualify for financial aid at http://finaid.case.edu

Prior to admission to the Program students must:

  • Complete the equivalent of 90 semester hours or 135 quarter hours at the University and earn a grade point average of 3.0 or greater on a scale of 0.0-4.0. Furthermore students must have a 3.0 cumulative grade point average in Math and Science courses at Fisk.
  • Complete the then current Dual Degree Entrance Course Requirements established by Case. (At the time of execution of this agreement, the requirements are set forth on the Case website at www.engineering.case.edu/desp/dualdegree )
  • Be in disciplinary good standing at Fisk.