Additional Degrees and Concentrations
Students must note that limitations on Title IV financial aid, military tuition assistance, VA Education Benefits, and other forms of tuition assistance may apply to additional degrees at the same level. Students are urged to contact their Student Finance Advisor or other applicable tuition assistance advisor for appropriate guidance.
Associate’s to Bachelor’s Degree Students
If a student has an earned Associate’s degree from Trident, the University will consider an application for a Bachelor’s degree.
- Once an Associate’s degree has been conferred, the student must apply for admission to the Bachelor’s degree program and meet all admission requirements.
- Students may apply same institutional credit from the associate's to fulfill requirements for their bachelor's degree, but must complete at least one unique course in residency within the Bachelor’s.
- General Education requirements will be waived for the Bachelor’s degree.
- Students must meet standard degree-credit requirements, upper division requirements, and concentration requirements to earn the additional degree.
Additional Bachelor’s Earned at Trident
If a student has an earned Bachelor’s degree from Trident, the University will consider an application for an additional Bachelor’s degree.
- Once a degree has been conferred, the student must apply for admission to the additional Bachelor’s degree program and meet all admission requirements.
- Students pursuing an additional degree must select a program that is distinct from their previous degree(s).
- Students must meet standard degree-credit, upper division, and concentration requirements to earn the additional degree.
- General Education requirements will be waived for the additional degree.
- Courses from the first degree may apply to the additional degree but cannot be used to satisfy the Trident residency requirement. (See the Academic Programs portion of the catalog or the Graduation Requirements section of this document for information about the Trident residency requirement.)
Additional Bachelor’s with Previous Degree Not Earned at Trident
- Students must apply for admission and meet all Bachelor’s degree admission requirements.
- Students pursuing an additional degree must select a program that is distinct from their previous degree(s).
- Students must meet Trident’s degree-credit, residency, upper division, and concentration requirements to earn the additional degree.
- General Education requirements will be waived if the first degree was completed from an institutionally accredited institution.
- Coursework from the previous degree may apply to the additional (Trident) degree but cannot be used to satisfy the Trident residency requirement.
Additional Master’s with First Degree Earned at Trident
- Once a degree has been conferred, the student must apply for admission to the additional Master’s degree program and meet all admission requirements.
- The final GPA from the most recent degree will be used to make the admission decision.
- Students pursuing an additional degree must select a program that is distinct from their previous degree.
- Students cannot use more than 30% of the credit earned from their previous degree(s) for the additional degree (students must complete 70% unique credits in residency as part of the additional degree).
- Students must meet all specific requirements for the additional Master’s degree not already satisfied by the previous degree(s).
Additional Master’s with First Degree Not Earned at Trident
- Students must apply for admission and meet all admission requirements.
- The final GPA from the most recent degree may be used to make the admission decision.
- Students pursuing an additional degree must select a program that is distinct from their previous degree(s).
- Coursework from the previous degree may apply to the additional (Trident) degree but cannot be used to satisfy the Trident residency requirement. See the Graduation Requirements section of this document for information about the Trident residency requirement.
- Students must meet all specific requirements for the additional Master’s degree not already satisfied by the previous degree(s).
Additional Doctorate with First Doctorate Earned at Trident
- Once a degree has been conferred, the student must apply for admission to the additional doctoral degree program and meet all admission requirements. The final GPA from the most recent degree will be used to make the admission decision.
- Students pursuing an additional doctorate must select a program that is in a fundamentally different disciplinary field from their previous degree.
- Students pursuing an additional doctorate may not enroll in a Trident Doctoral Degree Completion program using credit completed as part of a prior conferred doctorate.
- Students cannot use more than 50% of the credit earned from their previous degree(s) for the additional degree (students must complete at least 50% unique credits in residency as part of the additional degree).
- Students may not transfer prospectus, dissertation, or doctoral study project courses.
- Students must conduct their research on a topic that is distinct from the original doctoral study project or dissertation.
- Students must meet all specific requirements for the additional Doctoral degree not already satisfied by the previous degree(s).
Additional Doctorate with First Doctorate Not Earned at Trident
- Students pursuing an additional doctorate may not enroll in a Trident Doctoral Degree Completion program using credit completed as part of a prior conferred doctorate.
- Students must conduct their research on a topic that is distinct from the original research project.
- Coursework from the previous degree may apply to the additional (Trident) degree but cannot be used to satisfy the Trident residency requirement. See the Graduation Requirements section of this document for information about the Trident residency requirement.
- Students may not transfer capstone, prospectus, dissertation, or doctoral study project courses.
- Students must meet all specific requirements for the additional Doctoral degree not already satisfied by the previous degree(s).
Second Concentrations within a Single Degree
Students must declare multiple concentrations prior to enrolling in the final capstone course in their current program.
Coursework completed previously from the first concentration cannot be used to fulfill the requirements of a second concentration within a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. When concentrations have duplicate or overlapping courses, the College Dean or designee will determine substitute courses. Completing the requirements for a second concentration does not qualify a student for a second degree.
Graduate-level students completing a Graduate Certificate and a Graduate Degree
Students may apply same institutional credit to fulfill requirements for their first certificate and degree of the same level.
Additional Certificate
Graduate Certificates:
Students completing a second certificate cannot use previously completed coursework from the first certificate to fulfill the requirements of a second certificate. When certificates have duplicate or overlapping courses, the College Dean or designee will determine substitute courses.