Accelerated master’s programs allow students to make a smooth transition from a participating UMSL undergraduate program into a master’s program and to complete both degrees with fewer total credit hours than would be required if they completed the two degrees separately. These programs represent a cooperative agreement between the Graduate School and the student’s undergraduate college.
Dual Degree 2+3 Program
The 2+3 programs are dual degree programs that allow students to earn a combination of a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree with fewer total credit hours than would be required to complete each degree independently. Currently 2+3 programs are available in accounting, biochemistry and biotechnology, biology, business, communication, computer science, economics, history, information systems and technology, math, philosophy, political science, and public policy administration.
The general structure of the 2+3 programs involves two stages. Students who have reached “junior-level” courses in their major with at least a 3.00 GPA may apply for provisional status by completing the top portion of the 2+3 Application for Undergraduates and submitting it to their advisor program director. When the student is academically ready, he/she will be recommended by the department for Formal Admission to the 2+3 program, which involves admission to the graduate school. Depending on the department, between 12 and 15 hours of graduate coursework may be counted both to meet the 120 credit hours required for the Bachelor’s degree and to meet the requirements of the Master’s degree.Both the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees will be awarded at the end of the 2+3 program. Students may resign from the 2+3 Program and apply for the Bachelor’s degree. However, once the Bachelor’s degree is awarded, the benefit of “double counting” courses will be lost. Any course used to meet a degree requirement for an undergraduate degree cannot be applied to a subsequent Master’s degree.
