An academic planning guide for students pursuing a combined Ivey HBA and second degree at Western University. Map your prerequisites, build your full program schedule, and connect with your program advisors.
Each option combines the full Ivey HBA with a specialized second degree - normally over five years, or six for HBA/JD.
Western treats these as different academic routes: one is a formal integrated Ivey program; the other is a new application assessed by the faculty offering the next degree. The tabs below cover the questions students ask most.
For most options, you complete two years in the home faculty, HBA 1 in year 3, apply to the combined program during HBA 1, then blend both degrees in years 4-5. Most finish in five years; HBA/JD takes six.
After graduating from HBA, you apply to the next faculty. For an eligible Bachelor's degree, Western says a professional-degree holder may receive advance standing, to a maximum of 10.0 courses. The amount, remaining prerequisites, and graduation plan are not automatic.
Getting into HBA, qualifying for the partner degree, and being accepted into the combined program are three different decisions. You must clear all three.
For AEO progression, the published minimum is an 80.0% two-year average. AEO Engineering students carrying the full Engineering load are assessed at 78.0%. Business 2257 normally requires at least 70%.
2026 AEO handbook, pp. 9-10 ↗The first-two-year threshold is program-specific. International Relations and Music publish 78%; Science and Kinesiology publish 80% overall, with Science also requiring at least 70% in the module courses. Complete the exact eligible module and prerequisites shown in your planner.
Choose the official partner program ↗The combined-degree curriculum requires a minimum weighted HBA1 average of 78% for combined-degree acceptance. Partner-faculty eligibility and any capacity limits still apply.
Apply to the combined program during HBA1 and plan the home-faculty requirements early. Missing the application or prerequisite sequence can close the route even when your grades are strong.
This shows how you are normally assessed, not a dollar quote. Western publishes separate domestic, out-of-province, and international schedules and can amend fees.
Open Western's current fee schedules ↗ · Use your Student Center statement for the amount actually billed.
Exchange eligibility depends on when you go and whether the remaining degree requirements fit around the term abroad.
Both regular HBA2 students and combined-degree students may apply. Ivey publishes a 74% minimum HBA1 average. A combined student must be able to finish all graduation requirements before the exchange semester, so some modules cannot accommodate it.
Once the HBA is complete, you are no longer using the HBA2 exchange route. A Western exchange is not automatically available to second-degree students: Science explicitly makes them ineligible, and Social Science excludes second-degree and Special Students from Letters of Permission.
Ivey HBA exchange eligibility ↗ · Science second-degree exchange rule ↗
A program should not be labelled "both paths" or "combined only" without a faculty assessment. Western publishes one formal list of Ivey combined programs, but a later degree follows the receiving faculty's own admission and credit rules.
Ivey's undergraduate combinations normally take five years. Law is the stated exception at six years, with independent admission to HBA and JD.
Ivey combined-degree policy ↗Ivey says professional-degree holders may be granted advance standing for a maximum of 10.0 courses toward an eligible Bachelor's degree.
Ivey sequential-degree policy ↗Western Science reviews eligibility first. A Western graduate must complete at least 5.0 new modular courses after the first degree.
Science second-degree rules ↗| Program family | Official combined HBA route | If pursued after HBA |
|---|---|---|
| Arts, Social Science, FIMS, Science & BMSc | Formal Ivey combinations exist for the eligible degree/module shown in the planner. | A new faculty assessment determines admission, usable credit, prerequisites, module rules, and time remaining. Science/BMSc provides an individual approved outline. |
| Health Sciences, Kinesiology, Nutrition & Dietetics, Music | Formal Ivey combinations exist, subject to the partner faculty's admission and progression requirements. | Apply separately and confirm eligibility with that faculty. Competitive entry, auditions, placements, and progression rules still apply where relevant; do not infer a duration from the 10.0-course maximum. |
| Engineering | Formal five-year BESc/HBA route. This planner separates Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Integrated, Mechanical, Mechatronic Systems, and Software Engineering. | Later entry is an Engineering transfer/admission decision. Acceptance depends on academic standing and space, required first-year Engineering courses remain, and only listed equivalents receive transfer credit. Engineering transfer rules ↗ |
| Law (JD) | Formal six-year HBA/JD. Students apply through OLSAS, write the LSAT, and must be admitted to Law independently. | A regular first-year JD remains a separate route after HBA; the HBA does not create JD advanced standing. JD admission rules ↗ |
Use the planner as a course-tracking guide, then have the receiving faculty confirm the official outline for your calendar year. "May receive up to 10.0" never means that 10.0 courses are automatically awarded.
The HBAA dual degree team - your point of contact for questions about the combined degree experience.
Check your prerequisites, map the complete combined-degree schedule, and assess if the program is right for you.
Search all planners or browse by faculty. Opening one loads its prerequisites and full five-year course map below.
Pick any two programs to see their admission rules, year-by-year course load and full requirement list side by side.
Reach the right office for your dual degree questions - career support, academic advising, and department contacts.
Reach out directly to your advisor - they are your primary point of contact for dual degree planning, course load questions, and academic support.
Contact the relevant Western department for second-degree advising, course registration, and program requirements.
