Alternative En Route MA or MS

Students enrolled in a PhD program may seek to receive an en route MA or MS degree from another program, provided it is in a related field and deemed necessary by your adviser and director of graduate study (DGS) for the completion of your proposed dissertation research. Note that you may only receive up to one en route MA or MS during your PhD program. Some PhD programs do not offer an en route MA or MS.

There is no form for applying to receive an MA or MS in a different program. If interested, you should consult with your current DGS and the DGS in the proposed program in which you would like to receive an en route MA or MS. In consultation with them, you will develop a proposed plan of study. Courses taken toward a Master’s degree in another department must be part of your course requirement for the PhD, but may not simultaneously count toward a Master’s degree in the department to which you were admitted. You may not advance to candidacy until all requirements have been completed for both the en route Master’s degree in the program to which you were admitted, and the proposed Master’s degree in a related field. If both DGSs agree in writing to your final proposal, it should be submitted to the Dean’s Office for approval. You should arrange to have the approved proposal sent to GSASadministrativedean@yale.edu.  Please note that programs are not obligated to permit students in other programs to receive their en route Master’s degree.

If you would like to pursue a Master's degree in a field that is not closely related to your PhD, you will need to take a leave of absence from your PhD program and apply separately for the Master's program.