Jointly Delivered Programs

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Joint and Dual Degree are a collaboration between partners. Students may earn either one or two credentials.

A joint degree program refers to an integrated degree-awarding program, where the curriculum has been jointly developed or where a partner’s program is assessed for equivalency, where the student received a single degree/diploma (i.e., one degree awarded on behalf of both institutions).

A dual degree program refers to overlapping programs, whereby both institutions assess the courses of a specific program for equivalency and where a student is awarded separate degree/diploma documents by both institution (two degrees).

Joint (Articulation) and Dual Degree

  • Definition

  • Units

  • Signatories

  • More

An articulation agreement is a defined, officially approved agreement between educational institutions to facilitate students' academic progress towards a degree. The agreement facilitates the student's transfer of credits between the sending and receiving institutions.

Unit(s) involved in the Review & Approval process include:

  • Western International
  • Office of the Registrar

As applicable

  • School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS)
  • Senate Committee on Academic Policy and Awards (SCAPA)
  • Senate
  • University Legal Counsel

Agreement Signatories:

  • Provost and Vice President (Academic)
  • Secretary of the Board of Governors
  • Vice-Provost, School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (for graduate programs)
  • Faculty Dean

Articulation models include but are not limited to:

2+2 model (undergraduate)

  • Transferring academic credits from the first two years of a four-year program toward a four-year degree (Max. # credits).
  • Students are required to fulfill academic requirements for the remaining two years of the four-year program at the receiving institution.
  • The undergraduate degree is awarded by the receiving institution (joint degree model)
  • The undergraduate degree is awarded by two (both) institutions (dual degree model)

1+3 model (undergraduate)

  • Transferring academic credits from the first year of a four-year program toward a four-year undergraduate degree (max. # credits).
  • Students are required to fulfill academic requirements for the remaining three years of the four-year program at the receiving institution.
  • The undergraduate degree is awarded by the receiving institution.

3+1+1 or 3+1+2 model (undergraduate + graduate)

  • Transferring academic credits from the last year of studies at the receiving institution toward a four-year undergraduate degree at the sending institution. The undergraduate degree is awarded by the sending institution.
  • Students are required to fulfill academic requirements for the remaining year of the four-year program at the receiving institution and if successful shall receive a conditional offer of admission to the receiving institution’s master degree program in accordance with the graduate program admission requirements. The graduate degree is awarded by the receiving institution.

1+1+1 model (graduate)

  • An integrated degree-awarding program of study to facilitate students’ academic progress towards a Master degree awarded by the sending institution. The student takes a break from studies at the sending institution to spend 1-2 years at the receiving institution then returns to the sending institution. Students are required to fulfil academic requirements for the 1-2 years at the receiving institution and if successful, may also receive a Master degree from the receiving institution in accordance with the graduate program admission requirements.

Considerations when developing an articulation agreement

  • Admission requirements
  • English Language Proficiency
  • Credit transfer
  • Degree requirements
  • Financial arrangements/Tuition

Refer to the Guidelines for International Dual-Credential Degree Programs

Cotutelle

  • Definition

  • Units

  • Signatories

  • More

A graduate program involving joint thesis supervision of a student by professors at both Western and an international recognized university. An institutional Cotutelle agreement establishes the general framework between the two institutions, accompanied by an individual student agreement that establishes the bilateral enrolment/co-enrolment for the student to complete all the requirements of the graduate program at both Western and the international partner university.

Unit(s) involved in the Review & Approval process include:

  • Western International
  • Office of the Registrar

*Requests for Cotutelle agreements are submitted to the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Agreement Signatories:

  • Vice-Provost, School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Students completing a Cotutelle will graduate with a single Master’s or Doctoral degree from both Western and the international institution including a notation of the final transcript stating the degree was obtained under a joint Cotutelle agreement.

Students coming to Western from an international university under the parameters of a Cotutelle will also be required to submit an application via Western’s regular procedures and be accepted into the Master’s or Doctoral program at Western.

Normally, students participating in a Cotutelle program pay tuition fees (and related costs such as ancillary fees) only to the institution where they are physically located, according to the periods defined in the Cotutelle agreement. Other financial requirements may apply depending on the partner institution.