Duplication of Higher Degrees
It is the policy of UC Santa Cruz campus to prohibit the pursuit of duplicate advanced degrees. However, applicants may petition the graduate dean for an exception to this policy if the degree sought is in a field of study distinctly different from the field in which the original advanced degree was attained.
In order for a student who already holds the doctorate to be admitted or readmitted to work toward a second Ph.D.—or toward an academic master’s degree—each of the following conditions must be met:
- The applicant must petition the graduate dean in writing prior to the application deadline for the program in question.
- The department sponsoring the program to which admission is sought must support the applicant’s petition.
- The department must present the graduate dean with a clear and complete outline of the program required for the degree sought, and must explain the intellectual separateness of the proposed program from that completed by the applicant in attaining the earlier degree.
- The graduate dean will review all materials submitted and decide whether or not to admit the applicant, consulting with the Graduate Council when appropriate.
Admission to a professional master’s program after a Ph.D., or to an academic master’s program after a professional doctorate, is not subject to these restrictions.