On successful completion of the programme students will be awarded a BPhil or PG Diploma in Special Education: Visual Impairment.
Those who pass the BPhil are thereby approved to proceed to write a DPhil in Philosophy.
The fourth failing candidate, who had previously failed the BPhil, failed in all parts of the examination.
The BPhil is the degree title and not related to the academic discipline of philosophy.
The question was raised by the Chairman of the BPhil whether he should be given twelve weeks to do this.
The BPhil IAS degree is awarded jointly by the student's home school and the University Honors College and is the first undergraduate degree in international studies at Pitt.
There are over 100 graduate students, of whom roughly 40 are completing the two-year BPhil course and 60 are engaged in doctoral research.
However, the more prestigious BD, BCL, BM BCh, BMus and philosophy BPhil degrees have seen no need to change.