If you are a current undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, submatriculation provides a way to conditionally enroll in the Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences (MBDS) program while completing your undergraduate program. Please note that undergraduates in online programs are not eligible for this option. Once conditionally accepted to the MBDS program, only one course may double-count towards your graduate and undergraduate programs (see below).
Admission requirements
- Applicants must have a minimum 3.7 GPA.
- If you are interested in submatriculating, you should meet with your undergraduate academic advisor and the MBDS associate director as early as possible. They can help you determine whether this program is a good fit for you, confirm your eligibility and determine whether additional forms should be completed.
- You must apply to the MBDS program using the standard application portal for the program, noting in your personal statement that you are applying to submatriculate.
- In order to continue in the MBDS program, the submatriculant's grade in the course selected may not be less than an A and the overall GPA at the end of the student's undergraduate program must be 3.7 or higher. This is a condition of final admission.
Application deadlines
Apply by February 1 to start taking the course in the fall semester of your senior year.
Prerequisites
The program has two prerequisite courses:
- Introductory statistics
- Microeconomics or game theory
Prerequisites do not count toward the nine credit units that make up the master.
Double-counting courses
Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences submatriculates can have one course double-counted toward both the undergraduate and graduate programs. This course must be an elective MBDS course. The double-counted course must be approved by both your undergraduate and MBDS associate director. The final 8 c.u. for the MBDS program are taken after undergraduate graduation.
