Double Degree Program
We invite students of exceptional talent, drive, and intellectual zeal to earn degrees from both the college and the conservatory.
Why Double Degree?
We invented it. The Double Degree Program makes the entire campus your intellectual and artistic playground, combining a thorough liberal arts education with world-class, preprofessional music training. About 40 students enter the Double Degree Program each year.
In five years or fewer, you emerge with a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Music, and a wide array of options for life after Oberlin. You’ll also benefit from our collaborative community, supportive advisors, and rich resources—from Steinways to supercomputers.
Whether your majors are complementary, or couldn’t be more distinct, your capacity for intense focus and imagination will flourish.
Some double-degree students in recent years have studied:
- piano performance and history
- viola and comparative literature
- law and society and jazz saxophone performance
- piano performance, vocal accompanying, and politics
- neuroscience and piano
- piano performance and visual art
- composition and computer science
- self-designed major in jazz and classical trumpet and economics
- violin and environmental studies
- trumpet and computer science
Applying to the Double Degree Program
We're thrilled that you're interested in the Double Degree Program! Here's what you need to know about applying:
Application
You need to apply to both the College of Arts & Sciences and the Conservatory of Music. Each application will be evaluated separately.
View the application requirements for the College of Arts and Sciences
View the application requirements for the Conservatory of Music
Timeline
| Conservatory of Music | College of Arts & Sciences | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | December 1 |
November 15 |
January 2 Early Decision II* |
January 15 Regular Decision |
| Notification | April 1 | December 15 | February 1 | April 1 |
| Reply Due | May 1 | January 2 | February 15 | May 1 |
The Conservatory releases admissions decisions in mid-March. If you apply to the College via Regular Decision, you will receive decisions from both divisions at the same time.
*Please note than an Early Decision application is binding: Arts & Sciences applicants who are admitted through Early Decision are expected to enroll, regardless of the outcome of their application to the Conservatory. Prospective students should only apply to the College via Early Decision if they wish to attend Oberlin whether or not they are also admitted to the Conservatory. Please see our Early Decision website for more information.
Financial Aid
The Double Degree Program typically takes 4.5 to 5 years to complete. Your financial aid package stays with you that entire time!
Double Degree applicants only need to submit one financial aid application. See full details on how to apply for aid on our Financial Aid Overview.