The School of Medicine, the School of Dentistry, the McKinney School of Law, the Maurer School of Law, and the University Graduate School offer selected students an opportunity to pursue the M.S. or Ph.D. degrees, concurrently or sequentially, with a coordinated and flexible program leading also to the M.D., D.D.S., or J.D. degree. Com­bined degree programs are available in anatomy, biochemistry, dental science, medical biophysics, medical genetics, medi­cal neurobiology, microbiology and immunology, pathology, pharmacology, physiology, and toxicology. At Bloomington, the combined degree is available not only in these basic medical, biological, and physical sciences but also in the humanities and social studies. The combined degree program is designed to meet the student’s particular objectives and needs and is planned by the student and an advisory committee of faculty representing the School of Medicine, the McKinney School of Law, the Maurer School of Law, or the School of Dentistry and the respective department or program.

Entry into a combined degree program requires approval of the University Graduate School and the relevant school (the School of Medicine, the School of Dentistry, the McKinney School of Law, the Maurer School of Law). Two applications are necessary: one to the Indiana University School of Medicine, of Dentistry, or of Law, and another to the Indiana University Graduate School via the sponsoring department or program.

Indiana University School of Medicine has established an Indiana Medical Scientist Program for fellowship and tuition support of students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program. A faculty committee nominates students for the program based on commitment to a career as a physician scientist, research experience, undergraduate grade point average, and MCAT scores. A flexible entry program allows students up to one year to identify a research laboratory and degree program. Informa­tion can be obtained from the Graduate Division of the School of Medicine.

Completion of the program entails meeting all requirements for both degrees. Many nonclinical courses of the curriculum of the School of Medicine satisfy course requirements for both degrees, and credit given for graduate study may fulfill some of the School of Medicine requirements. The combined degrees may thus be acquired in less time than would be required if both were taken separately.

As well as fulfilling requirements for the M.D. program, a minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate study is required for the combined M.S./M.D. degree. Of these, 10 credit hours may be transferred from exclusively School of Medicine courses with the approval of the student’s advisory committee and the University Graduate School. Similarly, a minimum of 90 credit hours of graduate study is required for the combined Ph.D./M.D. degree. A maximum of 30 credit hours of exclu­sively School of Medicine courses may count toward the Ph.D. degree.

On the Bloomington campus there is a combined M.A. in Telecommunications and J.D. in Law; see the entry in Telecom­munications for details.

Within the University Graduate School, combined degrees are available in American Studies and Cognitive Science. Students in these programs must be accepted both by a Ph.D.-granting department and by either the American Studies or the Cogni­tive Science Program, and must satisfy the requirements for both chosen fields. Requirements are the same as those for the Ph.D. degree with a double major (see above).