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Opinion | Dual degree program requires promotion

Editorial Editors, The Miami Student

Miami University plans to revamp its dual bachelor's and master's program after reviewing the low participation numbers in the program since its introduction in 2003.

Members of Miami's graduate council met to discuss the future of the program and identify possible alterations.

According to Ann Frymier, associate dean of Miami's graduate school, student involvement has been low, prompting the university to investigate a redesign of the current plan.

The editorial board of The Miami Student is excited about possible changes to the program and hopes that overall students will take advantage of the opportunity to participate.

For many students who enter Miami with Advanced Placement or post-secondary credit, having the opportunity to take graduate courses before officially graduating with a bachelor's degree can save time and money.

The concept of graduating with a dual degree could also be very appealing to prospective students and prompt ambitious, hardworking individuals to attend Miami.

In addition, having more students in graduate courses could be economical for the university and possibly save some of the departments currently facing cuts.

By encouraging students to take graduate courses, those courses are more cost efficient and faculty time is maximized.

Although in place since 2003, the dual degree program has had relatively little promotion and many students simply do not even know it exists.

Therefore, advisers and departments should work to educate students about the benefits of the program and encourage them to always look for options to benefit the most from their time at Miami.

The program can help make graduate education relevant and achievable and should be encouraged by the university.

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