How to Apply

Our 4+1 Master’s Programs are available to eligible current Wheaton undergraduate students who wish to complete a graduate degree at Wheaton College. You are eligible to apply during the spring semester of your junior year at Wheaton, with a priority application deadline of March 31. To apply to one of the 4+1 Master’s Programs, please submit your application here. Applications are considered complete with the following:

  1. Submission of the online application form
  2. One letter of recommendation from a Wheaton faculty member (see application form)
  3. A Personal Statement (see application form)
  4. Your undergraduate student record

If you are a prospective student interested in applying to Wheaton College’s undergraduate program, please apply here.

Program Credits and Cost

The 4+1 Master’s Programs allow you to enroll in two graduate courses during your senior year at Wheaton, with the courses counting toward both your undergraduate and graduate degrees. Over the next year (summer, fall, and spring terms) you will complete six more graduate courses to earn your master’s degree. There are currently three different graduate degrees offered:

All three programs consist of 32 credits (eight 4-credit courses). Two of the courses (eight credits total) are taken during your senior year and your cost is covered by your undergraduate tuition. You’ll pay for the additional six graduate courses (24 credits) taken after you complete your bachelor’s degree. Graduate courses cost $885 per credit for the 2025-2026 school year. The full cost of the exclusively graduate coursework component of the program is $21,240 in 2025-26 (24 credits x $885).

Creative Industries students: Courses will begin with a three-week in-person intensive study in the first summer after completing your undergraduate degree. You have the option to live on campus at a cost of $150 per week for housing (not inclusive of meals) or commute.

Environmental Science students: During the summer after you earn your bachelor’s degree, you will spend the first four weeks conducting research on campus or at a field station to prepare for your capstone research project. If you choose to conduct research on campus, you have the option to live on campus at a cost of $150 per week for housing (not inclusive of meals) or commute.

Questions about the program can be directed to [email protected].