University Rejected B.A.M.A. Program Established by Yale

The University is definitely not considering a four-year double degree program similar to that announced by Yale Wednesday.

Under the Yale program, students may earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree within four years. The idea was considered and rejected at Harvard several years ago, according to Edward T. Wilcox, Director of Advanced Standing.

Wilcox said that the major objection to establishing such a program at Harvard had been the feeling that students should go to the College or to graduate school, but the two should not be mixed. University officials felt, as do those at Yale, that the program would mainly appeal to advanced standing students, and at Harvard they can do substantially the same thing anyway.

Harvard, unlike Yale, does allow students entering with sophomore standing to count towards a graduate degree work done in their fourth year at the College, provided it is not also counted for their College diploma.

However, students entering Harvard as freshmen cannot do this even if they are granted advanced placement in one or two subjects and do advanced work while undergraduates.

Wilcox cited as further reasons for rejecting the program two "hidden policy changes" involved in its adoption. It would saddle graduate school admissions committees with "a priori commitments," and it would also necessitate recognizing the M.A. program as a regular course of study. "At present all M.A.'s are legally crumpers from the Ph. D. program," Wilcox said.