Columbia Combined Plan

The Combined-Plan program with Columbia University is a 3-2 program in which students study for three years at Middlebury and then study for two years at Columbia. At the end of the fifth year of study, students receive a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Middlebury and a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) from Columbia.

This handout provides a summary of the Columbia 3-2 dual-degree program. See Columbia’s admission page and FAQ for more information.

Application

Applications are submitted in the winter of a student’s junior year using Columbia’s Application. Exact due dates are published in the “Dates and Deadlines” section of the Combined Plan Program page. Please note that students declare an intended major in the application.

Requirements

  • Complete all Middlebury distribution requirements during the first three years at Middlebury.
  • Complete most of the major requirements during the first three years at Middlebury. Some departments allow courses at Columbia to be transferred back to Middlebury as credit towards the Middlebury major. Consult with the department chair and academic advisor of your Middlebury major about this.
  • Complete all foundational Combined Plan Program prerequisite courses during the first three years at Middlebury. The foundational courses translate into Middlebury courses as follows:
    • Calculus 1 (MATH 0121) and Calculus 2 (MATH 0122).
    • Multivariable Calculus (MATH 0223). Note that MATH 0200 is recommended but not a required prerequisite.
    • Physics I (PHYS 0108 or PHYS 0109).
    • Physics II (PHYS 0110 or PHYS 0114).
    • Physics III (PHYS 0111).
    • General Chemistry (CHEM 0103 or CHEM 0105). Note that CHEM 0105 has CHEM 0102 as a prerequisite.
    • Computer Science (CSCI 0145 or CSCI 0146 or CSCI 0150).
    • Intro Macroeconomics (ECON 0150) or Intro Microeconomics (ECON 0155).
  • Complete all major-specific Combined Plan Program prerequisite courses for your intended major at Columbia. The specific prerequisites can be found in the “Curriculum Guide” for your matriculation year in Columbia’s “Important Documents”. See a translation of the major-specific courses into Middlebury courses (not fully up to date).
  • Submit an application for domestic off-campus study with the Study Abroad office, due February 1.

You are expected to complete an equivalent number of prerequisite courses. If you have placed out of any of these courses, consult with the pre-engineering advisors about alternative courses. Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) coursework can be used as credit for the prerequisites above, but you must document your AP/IB coursework when you submit the application.

Columbia also requires 27 non-technical credit hours (including the Economics requirement above). Typically you will satisfy this requirement as part of completing your Middlebury distribution requirements, but not always (for example, Middlebury courses count as 3.3 hours, but AP/IB coursework only counts as 1.65 hours). Consult with the advisors if you are unsure that you satisfy this requirement.

Financial Aid

Middlebury financial aid is not transferable to Columbia. Need-based financial aid is available from Columbia; however, only limited financial aid is available for international students.