Learning Sciences & Technologies BS/MS

1. Program Description

Students enrolled in the BS/MS program must satisfy all the program requirements of their respective BS degree and all the program requirements of the MS degree in Learning Sciences & Technologies. WPI allows BS/MS students to double-count courses toward both their undergraduate and graduate degrees whose credit hours total no more than 40 percent of the 33 graduate credit hours required for the MS degree in Learning Sciences & Technologies (i.e., up to 13 graduate credits or equivalently 2 undergraduate units), and that meet all other requirements for each degree. These courses can include graduate courses as well as certain undergraduate 4000-level courses (listed below) that are acceptable for satisfying Learning Sciences & Technologies MS requirements.

In consultation with the student’s major Academic Advisor and the Learning Sciences & Technologies Program Director, the student prepares a Plan of Study outlining the selections made to satisfy the BS/MS degree requirements, including the courses that will be double-counted. This Plan of Study must then be approved by the Learning Sciences & Technologies Faculty Steering Committee.

2. Admissions Requirements

Any WPI undergraduate student may apply to the BS/MS program in Learning Sciences & Technologies. Students are expected to apply for admission to the BS/MS program during their junior year so that they have sufficient time to plan their course selection with their major Academic Advisor and the Learning Sciences & Technologies Program Director.

3. Double-Counting Rules

4000-level Courses and Projects That Can Be Double-counted

For the 4000-level courses listed below, two graduate credits will be earned toward the BS/MS degree if the student achieves a grade of B or higher

• Computer Science courses:
  • CS 4341. Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
  • CS 4342. Machine Learning
  • CS 4432. Database Systems II
  • CS 4445. Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery in Databases
  • CS 4518. Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing
    
     
• Data Science courses:
  • DS 4635/MA 4635. Data Analytics and Statistical Learning
  • DS 4433 Big Data Management and Analytics
    
     
• Mathematics courses:
  • MA 4631. Probability and Mathematical Statistics I
  • MA 4632. Probability and Mathematical Statistics II
  • MA 4635/DS 4635. Data Analytics and Statistical Learning
    
     
• Psychological Science courses:
  • PSY 4800. Special Topics in Psychological Science
  • PSY 4900. Advanced Research in Psychological Science
    
     
• Business courses:
  • MIS 4741 User Experience and Design (Business)
  • Other Business Courses could be double counters where the project work has a substantial overlap with Learning Science issues (like a final project that relates to student learning issues). Students who are interested in being able to double count a class are encouraged to petition the LS&T director explaining how their project work relates. Some such classes that might qualify:
    • MIS 4720. Systems Analysis and Design
    • MIS 4084. Business Intelligence
      
       
• Neuroscience Courses:
  • Currently Neuroscience does not have a 4000 class listed but we imagine that over time such classes could be approved, so we list Neuroscience as one of the departments whose classes could count toward this.
    
     
• Major Qualifying Project (MQP):  
  • Up to 3 graduate credits (equal to 1/2 undergraduate unit) can be earned toward fulfillment of the Learning Sciences & Technologies thesis requirement by double counting a Major Qualifying Project, provided that:
    • the MQP involves substantial use of Learning Sciences & Technologies at an advanced level;
    • the thesis research is a continuation or extension of the MQP work;
    • the student satisfies the thesis requirement by completing at least 6 additional credits of PSY 599 Thesis Research, and the MS thesis advisor and the Learning Sciences & Technologies Faculty Steering Committee approve the double-counting.
  • MQP work may not be double-counted toward the non-thesis option.

Other 4000-level courses and independent studies not on this list but that could be used to satisfy Learning Sciences & Technologies MS requirements may be petitioned to double-count. Such petitions need to be approved by the Learning Sciences & Technologies Faculty Program director.

Graduate courses that can be double-counted

A student in the BS/MS Program in Learning Sciences & Technologies can double-count any of the graduate courses listed in the Learning Sciences & Technologies WPI Graduate Catalog. Special topics courses or independent study classes need to be approved by the LST Program director before they can be used for double counting. 

Restricted Undergraduate and Graduate Course Pairs

Some undergraduate and graduate courses have significant overlap in their content. The following table lists these courses. A student can receive credit toward their MS degree for one of the two courses in any row of this table.