Accelerated Bachelor's and Master's of Science
Accelerate your education when you pursue a BS/MS program.
The School of Life Sciences has various accelerated BS/MS programs, which allow students to share up to 12 credits between their bachelor's and master's degrees during their senior undergraduate year. This allows them to complete the 120 credit undergraduate degree and 30 credit graduate degree in 138 total credit hours, instead of 150. Students are considered undergraduate students and pay undergraduate tuition prices until their BS degree is awarded, at which point they move into their plus one year to fulfill the remaining 18 credits needed for the MS degree.
Eligibility Requirements
- Student must be in an eligible undergraduate degree and select an eligible master's degree as indicated here: Accelerated Masters Degrees
- Must have at least 75 credit hours completed toward their undergraduate degree
- Must have at least a 3.0 GPA
- Must have at least 2 full semesters or 30 credit hours left before graduating with undergraduate degree
- Must have identified a faculty advisor willing to host research (MS Biology - Coursework & Capstone and MS Computational Life Sciences applicants exempt from this requirement)
Application process
Phase
01
Students that meet the above criteria and wish to apply should meet with their undergraduate advisor to confirm progress and discuss room for sharing credits. Then, proceed with the appropriate accelerated BS/MS application linked below.
Online Accelerated BS/MS Phase 1 Application
On Campus Accelerated BS/MS Phase 1 Application
*Applicants must be in an eligible ASU online undergraduate degree to do the online accelerated BS/MS.
Phase
02
Students approved in Phase 1 of the accelerated BS/MS application process will receive confirmation from the SOLS Graduate Office with details about next steps. They will then be required to complete an ASU Graduate Admissions Application for the master's degree they were approved to complete in an accelerated capacity during Phase 1. They must apply for the start of their plus one year, selecting the admit term that follows their expected bachelor's graduation. This must be submitted by the end of their first shared semester to allow sufficient time for review.
The following components are required in the online application:
Personal statement of interest
Résumé
Transcripts for all universities and colleges outside ASU
Three letters of recommendation, including one letter of recommendation from the faculty member who will advise you for your master's thesis (if applicable)
Academic record form
Writing sample (biology and society concentration only)
Note: A GRE is not required
After the Phase 2 application is submitted, the application will be reviewed and an official decision made within 4-6 weeks of receiving all three letters of recommendation.
Degree requirements
Accelerated BS/MS students are required to complete the same requirements as a traditionally admitted MS student. They should refer to the SOLS Handbook to ensure they understand the 30 credits required within their chosen and approved accelerated MS degree. The difference, however, is they may begin to complete up to 12 credit hours of the 30 credits required in their senior undergraduate year. These 12 credit hours are chosen in consultation with their undergraduate and graduate advisors.
Sharing credits
Accelerated BS/MS students may share up to 12 credit hours between degrees during their last 2 semesters or 30 credit hours. Up to 6 of the 12 credits can be 400-level coursework, while the other 6 must be 500-level coursework or higher. Due to differences in MS degree requirements and the space students may have remaining in their BS degree, there is no blanket map for completing 12 shareable credits. Students should meet with their undergraduate and graduate advisors to create a plan.
It is best if students have 400-level required courses to complete still during their last 2 semesters or 30 credit hours, because those may be shareable as is, or the course may be combined with a 500-level equivalent the student could switch to. Students that need certain 400-level major requirements, more upper division hours, and elective credits are situated well to share credits. They will need overrides for any 500-level+ course they want to take during their shared year and should use the course permission request form linked below.
Additional resources
Accelerated BS/MS program
information sessions
The SOLS Graduate Office hosts information sessions each semester for students interested in our accelerated BS/MS programs. To inquire about the next information session date, please reach out to [email protected]. You can also access the presentation slides from a previous information session by clicking the button below.
Advising appointments
For individualized support as you explore accelerated BS/MS program options, you may schedule an advising appointment with our staff in the SOLS Graduate Office. Please click one of the buttons below to schedule an appointment.
Book appointment (on-campus students)
Book appointment (online students)
Graduate student
success site
The SOLS Graduate Office has created an internal site designed to help students access the information they may need to be successful in their programs. The site has a wide array of helpful information, including course offering lists on each of the master's degree pages which may support coursework planning for accelerated BS/MS students choosing shared coursework.