IBE Five-Year Dual Degree Plan

IBE Five-Year Dual Degree Plan

After four years, students in the IBE Honors Program will receive the degree "Bachelors of Science in Integrated Business and Engineering with a major in XXX"  where XXX is one of the many business or engineering majors available to IBE students.  Even if the major field is in engineering, the BSIBE degree is an AACSB accredited business degree (AACSB is The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the organization that accredits business degrees).  Students majoring in engineering essentially get 4 years of business and 3 years of engineering compressed into a 4 year curriculum.  Students planning to work as engineers after graduation should obtain an ABET accredited engineering degree (ABET is the organization that accredits engineering degrees).  To obtain a Professional Engineering (PE) License, one must hold an ABET accredited engineering degree.

The IBE five-year, dual-degree plan is designed for students seeking an engineering degree in addition to the BSIBE.  IBE students majoring in an engineering field may obtain a second B.S. degree in their engineering major field by completing roughly 30 additional credits.  These 30 credits are essentially the senior year curriculum for the student's engineering major field.  Roughly two-thirds of current IBE students who are majoring in an engineering field are following the dual degree option.  Also note the you may subtract your AP and other advanced credits you have earned from the extra 30 credits required for both degrees.  Thus many of our students can complete both degrees in 9 semesters, or 8 semesters and a summer.

IBE Major

To pursue the dual degree program, you must choose an IBE major that is consistent with your second degree.  For example, if you want a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, then your IBE major should also be Chemical Engineering.  You could not do your IBE major in, say, finance or civil engineering and then complete the B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 5 years.  Many IBE students achieve a "full" engineering degree and an IBE degree with a business major (e.g. a BS in Chemical Engineering and a BS-IBE in Finance).  However, students typically require AP or other advanced credits to do this in five years.

30 Credit Rule

It is university policy that to obtain a second B.S. degree, you must take at least 30 credit hours beyond the lower credited degree.  The IBE degree requires a minimum of 136 credit hours. Engineering degrees require fewer than 136. For example, an ISE degree requires a minimum of 130 credit hours so to receive both your degrees then will need a minimum of 160 credits (130+30=160). This does not necessarily mean that 160 credits will satisfy all requirements, that is just the university policy of minimum additional credits to earn a dual degree.

Curriculum Details

For detailed curriculum descriptions, please go to the curriculum page.