When the members of Ryan Stowe’s freshman floor graduate on May 18, many of them might not be ready to say goodbye to Wash. U. Stowe, however, won’t even have to do so.

Stowe might be a senior, but that doesn’t mean his college experience is over. He is one of a growing number of students who have chosen to enroll in one of the University’s 3-2 programs. After five years at Wash. U., students in the 3-2 programs exit with both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

When Stowe graduates, his degrees will be a Master’s in Business and a MS in biomedical engineering. The program has allowed him to build upon his undergraduate education and look towards the future.

“I heard that BME and business were pretty big complements, and a lot of BME majors end up in business or running their own businesses,” said Stowe. “So I thought they’d do well together.”

Fifth-year BSMBA candidate Moshe Barach is also pursuing an undergraduate degree in the engineering school and a master’s in the business school. Barach saw the 3-2 program as a way to pursue additional academic interests.

“After my second year of [undergrad] I knew I didn’t want to be an engineer,” said Barach. “I liked the coursework [but] I knew I wanted to go into business.”

BSMBA students take the same courses as normal graduate students and spread them out over the same time period of two years. All BSMBA candidates must spend fall of their senior year taking MBA-specific courses. They then mix and match classes over their remaining three semesters to fulfill the requirements of both degrees. Despite the blending of classes, however, 3-2 students are given definitive titles.

“In terms of administration, you’re a fourth year and still considered undergrad and then you’re a fifth year and a grad [student],” said Barach.

Though Barach has heard stories about younger graduate students facing difficulties from older students, he has never personally experienced any sort of age discrimination. In fact, Barach has served as vice president of his MBA class as well as a member of the graduate business school’s ethics and honor board.

“I think it says something that [older students] would have enough respect in someone who is so much younger than them,” said Barach. “Maybe I just won two votes to one vote, but I’ve never run into a situation here [where] people say, ‘how can you do this [when] you’re so young and inexperienced?’”

There are only a handful of 3-2 students graduating this year. Next year’s class is larger though, and it is probable that the number of participants will continue to increase as the business school strengthens its focus on program.

“The program is being expanded really quickly,” said Barach. “They’ve made a big push in the last two years in hiring big name professors, and administrators and [are] really trying to push the advantages of having a business school connected to undergraduate program. I think that’s a [main] reason why they are putting emphasis on [the 3-2 program].”

Wash. U. has students completing 3-2 programs in a variety of ways. One of Stowe’s roommates, for example, is simultaneously pursuing an undergraduate degree and a graduate degree in engineering. There are some students, however, who design their own plans for an extended stay at Washington University.

Junior Somalee Banerjee decided to create a course plan that would allow her to earn two undergraduate degrees in five years. Banerjee’s majors, painting and biology, require enough classes to make an extra year worthwhile. Unlike BSMBA students, however, Banerjee is not in a specific Wash. U. dual-degree program.

“I’m planning for five years, but I’m trying to do four and a half. The extra time makes it more feasible,” she said.

Banerjee is managing by taking 20 to 21 credits per semester. “I know other people who did [dual-degree programs] in four years, but I didn’t want to spend my summers in school.”

The planned extra semesters here have actually provided time that otherwise wouldn’t exist to devote to other activities. Banerjee finds time to do research at the medical school, intern for a painting professor, teach children at the Botanical Gardens, volunteer at the Children’s Hospital and serve as president of Art School Council.

Simply put, she said, “I decided to do five years to not miss out.”

Unlike Stowe and Barach, however, Banerjee has found that her academic interests do not often overlap. Indeed, contrary to the complementary nature of most 3-2 programs, Banerjee does not wish to combine the two studies.

“Crossover between my majors almost never happens,” she said. “I’ve always decided [it] was just going to be the two at the same time.”

The lack of overlap has in fact created a slight conflict in past years, due especially to the time-consuming nature of biology and chemistry labs and of painting studios. Banerjee sometimes found she had to prioritize her time and choose to do the work for one degree over the other.

“I had to sacrifice [spending time on] art to study for tests and other times I would spend more of my time painting,” she said.

Despite this problem, Banerjee has found an appreciation for focusing on two widely different subjects, and Wash. U. made that experience possible.

“Before I came to Wash. U., I didn’t know if I wanted to be an artist.coming here I realized this is feasible-I can do art and biology part time,” she said. “Wash. U. allows me to do both.”

In Banerjee’s case, the opportunity to double-major drew her to Wash. U. For many other students, the University’s programs for continued study right after graduation are especially appealing. The business school also attracts students who wish to pursue their MBA immediately after completing four years of undergraduate study rather than taking a couple of years off for a job.

When he leaves Wash. U. this year, Barach will be moving to Chicago to work in a financial consulting firm. Stowe hopes to combine his undergraduate and graduate experiences and work in the business side of a biotech firm. Stowe and Barach both mentioned that one of the BSMBA program’s most attractive assets is that students can enter business graduate school without spending time in the work force. Such a trait means that students can jump right into their interest in business without having to spend some time away from school. Unfortunately, however, this aspect of the program can make students’ lives a little more difficult after graduation. Even though the MBA program includes a class specifically tailored to helping students plan for the years ahead, BSMBA students read slightly differently as job candidates than typical grad students.

“When I get a job as a MBA, everyone else in my class [will have had] work experience whereas I don’t really have the same kind of work experience,” said Stowe. “I’ve only had summer jobs.”

Indeed, Barach did run into some complications this year as he searched for jobs. He wasn’t able to even apply for some of the jobs he was interested in because he had more schooling experience than an undergrad but didn’t have the same kind of work experience as other MBAs.

“You get caught in a little bit of a trap because a lot of the jobs you apply for don’t even talk to you because they don’t want to pay a MBA salary,” said Barach. “But then a lot of the jobs that are looking for MBAs want to see people with three to five years work experience.The Career Center does a lot for MBAs but they haven’t gotten a handle yet on how to deal with people like us.”

Still, both BSMBA candidates agreed that the advantages of the program make it worthwhile and both recommend 3-2 programs to younger undergraduates. Students apply in their junior year of undergrad, but requirements differ depending on the graduate-level interest the student wishes to pursue. Logistically, the transition from undergraduate to graduate school for 3-2 participants is a little simpler than it is for most other students.

“I don’t have to worry about getting into another grad school or moving,” said Stowe. “It’s just kind of easier to do everything at once.”

Doing everything at once means having a fresher memory of background courses. Yet, it also means spending a year on campus after your freshman floormates and many of your closest friends have continued on to other places and pursuits.

Banerjee knows several other students studying for more than four years in the art and engineering schools. There is still, however, a desire to remain connected with her fellow undergrads.

“I’m taking at least an extra semester, but I’m trying to walk with my graduating class,” she said.

Barach’s two best friends happen to be a year younger, but he has still found the fifth-year experience to be noticeably different from his years as an undergrad.

“You start looking a lot more at Wash. U. as a school and a lot less as a life,” said Barach. “You have your life and then Wash. U. is just your school. You can’t just show up at Whispers and know half the people in there.it becomes more about just going to class.”

Both BSMBA candidates have noticed a distinction between the graduate and undergraduate social scenes. For starters, Barach and Stowe mentioned that graduate students visit more expensive bars. Barach added that, in general, graduate students also seem to visit bars more often than many undergrads.

“I think a lot of undergraduates don’t realize that a lot of business is done over drinks,” said Barach. “It’s kind of that culture that [the MBA students] bring back to school.”

Stowe has found the best of both worlds by hanging out with friends from both of his degree programs. A good number of his undergraduate friends come from the Ultimate Frisbee team, but he has also found close friends in the MBA program. Though he usually goes out with fellow undergrads, from time to time he will head to places like the Central West End with graduate students.

The business school engages students in a comprehensive orientation program and networking events to promote a social atmosphere. As Barach pointed out, saying goodbye to a bunch of undergraduate friends is not abnormal-it’s just that the BSMBA students don’t move anywhere.

“You’re making a decision that will impact the rest of your life,” said Barach. “And odds are if you were to graduate you probably wouldn’t be with the rest of your friends [anyway].”

-Additional reporting by Indu Chandrasekhar

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