An accelerated master's degree program allows students to achieve a bachelor's and master's degree at the same time. A degree program of this kind allows students to complete their degrees in less time than in comparison to the traditional route. An accelerated master's degree program will typically last around five years duration while a traditional joint bachelor's and master's degree program lasts around seven years. The accelerated degree program is also known as the 4+1 program or the combined bachelor's and master's degree program. This program is offered by a range of universities, both on campus and online.
How does an accelerated master's degree program work?
An accelerated master's degree allows the completion of both the bachelor's and master's degrees at the same time. Students begin to work towards the master's degree on commencement of the second or third year of bachelor's degree study. Accelerated master's degree programs are available for study either online or on campus. Certain accelerated master's degree programs combine both on campus and online learning. Students who choose to study for the program on campus will be required to attend regular classes while those who choose to take the degree online will require regular only computer access.
How long does an accelerated master's degree program take to complete?
An accelerated master's degree takes around five years to complete. It is therefore completed in less time than if the bachelor's and master's degrees are obtained separately. Some accelerated master's degree programs can be completed in three to four years.
While the accelerated master's degree program can be completed in less time, the program is associated with the same volume of work as the traditional bachelor's and master's degree programs. For this reason, the accelerated master's degree program is considered a more rigorous course of study in comparison to traditional methods of acquiring the bachelor's and master's degree, since the student must compress the same amount of coursework into a shorter period of time. Furthermore, the credits earned for the required courses can be put towards only one degree, not both.
Accelerated master's degree program fields of study
The accelerated master's degree program is available in a range of different disciplines including: computer science, health sciences, social sciences, political science, education, physical sciences, public administration, business studies, humanities and languages.
It is typical for students to choose the same field of study for both their master's and bachelor's degree programs. However, it may be possible for students to choose different fields of study for their master's and bachelor's degree programs. In this instance, the electives of the bachelor's degree program must usually support the field of study chosen for the master's degree program.
Accelerated master's degree program eligibility
Students must have a high GPA in order to be accepted onto an accelerated master's degree program. Further, they must show that they are able to successfully complete first and second year bachelor's degree program modules before they are able to move on to the master's degree program, while in their third year of bachelor's degree study. The bachelor's degree program and master's degree program are treated as separate entities.
