Accelerated Bachelor's / Master's Degrees

How to Earn Accelerated Bachelor's / Master's Degrees 

The combined bachelor's/master’s or “accelerated master’s" degree programs are designed to allow qualified students to earn both a bachelor's and master's degree through an integrated program in a cost-effective, academically rigorous and timely manner. Requirements for the available majors are found in the Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Programs list section.

Benefits to Students

  • Time to completion of the graduate degree can be reduced;

  • Cost of completion of the combined undergraduate and graduate degrees can be reduced;

  • Undergraduate and graduate courses may be chosen with greater flexibility;

  • Graduate courses may be taken after entering the accelerated degree program;

  • Work on a thesis/project or research may begin upon acceptance to the accelerated degree program; and

  • Continuity with facilities, faculty and colleagues is maintained.

Admission Requirements

Students are required to apply for admission to an accelerated master’s degree program. Minimum admissions requirements include:

  • Current admission into a bachelor's degree program;
  • A 3.0 cumulative GPA;
  • Completing 24 credits in the undergraduate major program requirements; and
  • Junior standing

Individual degree programs or departments may establish different admission criteria while meeting these minimum requirements (e.g., a higher GPA, standing, etc.).

After Admission

Students must maintain a cumulative GPA established by the accelerated degree program, or the university minimum of 3.0, while in the accelerated degree program. Students accepted into an accelerated master’s degree program must complete all degree requirements within seven years from admission to the program and comply with all other graduate school policies and requirements. Students admitted to an accelerated master’s program may be eligible for graduate research assistantships.

A student admitted to an accelerated program may switch back to the original bachelor's program. This action will result in removal from the accelerated program. Students wishing to return to complete a master's at a later date must reapply to the standard master's program, complete the new requirements and follow program rules for graduate-level degrees.

A student who graduates from the accelerated master’s program will receive both their bachelor's and master’s degrees in the same semester.

Degree Requirements

  • An accelerated master's program requires a minimum of 138 credits as opposed to the minimum of 150 credits required for separate bachelor's (120 credits) and master’s programs (30 credits).
  • All general requirements for bachelor's degrees including general education, ethics, degree-specific requirements are maintained, but departments may have different choices of major requirements for the accelerated bachelor's and master’s degree.
  • Minors are allowed but not required for either the accelerated Bachelor of Science or the accelerated Bachelor of Arts.
  • At least 30 credits, with a minimum of 21 credits at the F600 level, must be applied to the master’s degree.
  • Students in accelerated programs will still be expected to complete a Graduate Study Plan, including all other requirements for a master’s degree.

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate students receive graduate assistantship stipends on a semester or academic year basis. Graduate assistantships may include tuition, stipend, graduate student health insurance and fees. Graduate assistants can be paid for a maximum of 20 hours per week while school is in session. Students with assistantships must be registered for at least 6 credits during both the fall and spring semesters (with the exception of foreign nationals on temporary student visas who must be registered full-time). Audited credits do not apply. Graduate students must maintain a 3.0 minimum GPA to receive a graduate assistantship and may lose the assistantship if they do not maintain their GPA.

Any request by an assistant to work more than 20 hours per week must be approved by the student’s committee chair, department head and unit dean. Complete a Graduate Student Employee Workload Exception Request to request approval of more than 20 hours per week. Foreign nationals on temporary student visas are not permitted to work more than 20 hours a week while classes are in session and are not eligible for an overload waiver.

Teaching assistantships include a tuition payment by the university for no more than 10 to 20 hours per week. If the workload is 10 to 14 hours per week, no more than 5 credits will be included. No tuition will be included if the workload is less than 10 hours per week.

Research assistantships include a tuition payment by grants or contracts for no more than 10 credits each semester if the workload is 15 to 20 hours per week. If the workload is 10 to 14 hours per week, no more than 5 credits will be included. No tuition will be included if the workload is less than 10 hours per week.

Tuition payments should be used for courses directly related to the student’s degree program. All fees are the responsibility of the student unless the department or institute makes other arrangements with the UAF Graduate School prior to registration.

A graduate student with a GPA of less than 3.0 for one semester will need to apply for an appeal with Financial Aid to continue with the assistantship. Please see the Financial Aid forms page for more information. 

Accelerated Bachelor's / Master's Programs

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