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Accelerated Graduation

Brown undergraduate students who have passed thirty courses and who wish to graduate in fewer than four years must petition the Committee on Academic Standing for approval.  Such petitions are granted only in very exceptional cases.  The Committee considers the following factors when hearing such petitions:

  • Academic performance
    The student must be in good academic standing and have a strong academic record (one in which courses are passed with a preponderance of A's and/or S grades with distinction).
  • Breadth of study
    The student’s program of study at Brown includes courses that are consistent with the goals of a liberal education.  In particular, the student has taken courses that range across the humanities, social sciences, and physical and life sciences.  At least 14 courses should be completed outside of the concentration area.
  • Depth of study
    The student has taken a number of courses beyond the introductory level.  In particular, the student’s record includes a sequence of courses or several courses exploring a particular subject or subjects from multiple perspectives.

Meeting these stipulations is not necessarily sufficient for the granting of a petition for early graduation; each petition is judged on its own merits.  Students who are given permission for accelerated graduation are still required to pay the remaining tuition units.