Harvard?s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences will phase out its concurrent master?s degree program in Bioengineering, Electrical Engineering, and Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering.

The school said it would pause admissions for A.B./S.M. candidates in the three programs starting with the 2025-2026 academic cycle. Current students enrolled in these programs will not be affected, but admissions will be impacted for the Class of 2027 and beyond.

The A.B./S.M. programs allows undergraduate students to concurrently pursue a master of science degree through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alongside their bachelor of arts degree. Students typically apply by the fall of their junior year to be considered for A.B./S.M. candidacy. If accepted into the program, they take additional graduate-level coursework during their four years at Harvard College.

The decision to sunset the program was made by faculty members in the three departments, according to a SEAS spokesperson, who said the departments preferred to channel undergraduates seeking an intensive engineering program to the standalone bachelor of science, rather than combining an A.B. with a master?s degree.

The change follows a pause in enrollment in the A.B./S.M. program for Computational Science and Engineering for the 2024-2025 academic cycle announced last year. The CSE A.B./S.M. program was the only one impacted at the time, and SEAS continues to offer master of science and master of engineering degrees in the program.

Previously, undergraduate students interested in the three departments could pursue either the A.B., S.B., or the concurrent A.B./S.M. programs. While the A.B. degree offers more flexibility for students to study other liberal arts disciplines, such as humanities and the natural and social sciences, the S.B degree provides a more intensive focus on engineering. The A.B./S.M. allows undergraduate students to enjoy a broader liberal arts education while simultaneously seeking a master?s degree accreditation.

Harvard?s engineering program remains small, and the newly halted A.B./S.M. programs saw particularly low student numbers.

Currently, there are fewer than 10 students combined enrolled in the affected A.B./S.M. programs, according to a SEAS spokesperson. In comparison, 56 students graduated from Harvard College with S.B. degrees last year.

SEAS will continue to offer concurrent master?s programs in Applied Math, Applied Physics, Computer Science, and Environmental Science and Engineering. (The Crimson)

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