You may earn more than one baccalaureate degree from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. For example, you may earn a BS in biology and a BA in English, or a BA in mathematics and a BM in music. The degrees may be earned concurrently or successively.

However, you can never be awarded two different baccalaureate degrees from with the same major (e.g.,  you may not earn both a BA and a BS in Psychology).

In order to earn additional baccalaureate degrees from CLAS, you must fulfill all requirements for each degree, including those for all majors and for the General Education CLAS Core. You must also fulfill the CLAS and UI residence requirements.

You may earn a University of Iowa baccalaureate degree from another UI college at the same time you are earning your CLAS degree, with the exception of a BAS and BLS degree from University College. For example, you may earn a BS in Psychology from CLAS while also earning a BBA from the Tippie College of Business, or you may earn a BA in Spanish from CLAS while also earning a BA from the College of Public Health. The same rules apply if you seek a CLAS degree after earning undergraduate degree from another UI college.

In order to earn concurrent baccalaureate degrees from different colleges, you must:

• be admitted to those colleges
• satisfy all requirements for the additional degrees, including the requirements for the majors and for the appropriate General Education Programs of both colleges
• satisfy the residence requirements of the University of Iowa and of both colleges

Please note that a maximum of 30 semester hours of credit earned while a student is enrolled in an undergraduate degree program in the Carver College of Medicine (medical laboratory science, nuclear medicine technology, radiation sciences), either as the sole college of enrollment or as the primary college of enrollment in a combined degree program, may be counted towards the 120 semester hours required to earn a bachelor’s degree from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Please contact CLAS Undergraduate Programs ([email protected]) for assistance with this matter because the 30 semester hours earned while enrolled in the Carver College of Medicine will not appear on the CLAS degree audit automatically; the credit must be entered by exception.

Additional information is available in the cooperating colleges' student services offices. Students seeking additional degrees from different UI undergraduate colleges are urged to review all requirements with their advisors as soon as possible.

If you have been awarded one or more baccalaureate degrees from the University of Iowa, you may return for one or more additional baccalaureate degrees, as long as the degree is different from the one you previously earned (e.g., if you received a BA, you may return and earn a BS, BM, or BFA). You may not earn a second BA degree from CLAS; instead, you may return and complete a second major. For more information on earning a second major, please see returning to earn additional majors.

Likewise, a student with a baccalaureate degree from another UI college may return and earn an additional baccalaureate degree from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as long as the degrees are not identical. For example, if a student has already earned a BBA, a BSN or a BSE, he or she may return to earn a BA, BS, or a BFA from CLAS. However, students who previously earned a BAS, BGS, or BLS from the University of Iowa are not allowed to earn an additional degree from CLAS.

• You may not earn two different baccalaureate degrees with the same major, such as a BA in Psychology and BS in Psychology. Instead, you must choose another major for the additional baccalaureate degree.
• You may not be enrolled in a graduate program while earning a baccalaureate degree. Concurrent enrollment is not allowed unless you are admitted to a specified combined degree program.

In order to earn the additional baccalaureate degree, you must meet all requirements for that degree, including the General Education and the CLAS and UI residence requirements. Any student interested in returning to earn an additional baccalaureate degree from CLAS must apply for admission to the University of Iowa and to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

If you have one or more baccalaureate degrees from another college or university, you may earn one or more additional baccalaureate degrees from CLAS. To do this, you must:

1. Apply for admission to the University of Iowa and to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The College will review your application and supporting documents and recommend an admission decision. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences reserves the right to deny admission to any applicant holding a previous bachelor's degree, or disallow admission to, declaration of, or awarding of any CLAS degree or major that has a substantial amount of overlap with the student's previous degree or previous major.
2. Fulfill all requirements for the major and the degree, including the General Education CLAS Core and the CLAS and UI residence requirements. Note: Any student holding a BA or BS in the liberal arts and sciences from another domestic institution is considered to have completed all General Education CLAS Core requirements except for the World Languages requirement and the Understanding Cultural Perspectives requirement. If a student has not earned such a degree, or has earned a degree from an international institution, all General Education CLAS Core requirements are evaluated separately for course equivalency.

You may not be enrolled in a graduate program while earning a baccalaureate degree. Concurrent enrollment is not allowed. You may not use graduate credit earned at another institution towards a University of Iowa bachelor's degree.

A student earning a baccalaureate degree from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences may accept early admission to any accredited medical or dental college that offers early admission.

Before enrolling in the professional program, a CLAS student must:
1. satisfy all General Education requirements
2. satisfy all requirements for the major
3. complete a minimum of 90 s.h. as an undergraduate student
4. fulfill the CLAS and UI residence requirements

During the first year of enrollment in medical or dental school, the student must earn the final 30 s.h. required for a CLAS baccalaureate degree. (A maximum of 30 s.h. from medical or dental programs can be applied toward the CLAS baccalaureate degree as elective credit.) The student must file the degree application for the CLAS baccalaureate degree during the semester in which he or she earns the final 30 s.h. from the medical or dental college.