Application Deadlines
- Fall: August 1
- Spring: December 1
As a qualified UMBC undergraduate student, you may apply to the Accelerated Program in your junior or senior year, earning up to six credits toward a future graduate certificate or nine credits toward a future master’s degree. You will benefit by shortening the time to degree completion, experiencing the cost savings of taking graduate courses at undergraduate tuition rates, having flexible learning options (many courses taught in evening or in hybrid format), and gaining practical knowledge and skills.
At a Glance
Delivery
Hybrid
Online
Locations Offered
- UMBC Campus (Catonsville)
Key Benefits:
- Earn your bachelor’s and master’s or certificate in as little as five years.
- Enhance your career potential.
- Apply in the future to a UMBC graduate program with a $50 graduate fee waiver.
- Pay toward your first graduate semester with UMBC’s $1,000 Alumni Scholarship.
Accelerated Program Admissions Requirements
To be eligible for the accelerated graduate certificate or master’s degree option, you must meet the following requirements:
- Have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0. If less than 3.0, admission consideration is based on the Graduate Program Director’s discretion.
- Be a junior or senior at UMBC, and be admitted at least one semester prior to completion of a bachelor’s degree.
- Be a Mechanical Engineering major.
Accelerated Programs Application Process
- All accelerated program application materials will be submitted through UMBC’s Docusign
- Complete the Graduate School Accelerated Program Application Form.
- List Renee Eisenhuth, reisen@umbc.edu, as the Graduate Program Coordinator, and Toby Gouker, tgouker@umbc.edu, as Graduate Program Director.
- Attach your unofficial undergraduate transcripts to the Docusign form.
- If you are a transfer student, include transcripts from the previous institutions you attended.
- Optional: Obtain and attach recommendation letters. Recommendation letters are not required but may be included to support your application.
After Accelerated Program Admission
Once admitted to the Accelerated Program, review the course schedule and complete the Approval for Undergraduates to Take Courses for Graduate Credit form to request permission to enroll in the graduate-level courses you plan to take in your first semester as an Accelerated Program student. This form must be resubmitted each semester you plan to take graduate-level courses as an undergraduate.
One semester prior to the completion of your bachelor’s degree, submit an application to the Graduate School. The Graduate School application fee is waived for Accelerated Program students (contact the Graduate School if you do not have the fee waiver code).
Once admitted to the Graduate School, complete the Graduate School’s Credit Transfer form to transfer the graduate-level courses you took as an undergraduate to the graduate program. You may transfer up to six credits toward a graduate certificate or up to nine credits toward a master’s degree. Only graduate courses completed with a B or higher are eligible to be transferred.
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Course Selection
- As an undergraduate student in the Accelerated Program, you may take six to nine graduate-level credits that may be double-counted toward your undergraduate degree.
- Review your course selections with your undergraduate advisor to ensure the graduate-level courses will count toward your undergraduate degree.
- The following course is the first course eligible for undergraduates in the Accelerated Program to complete. Consult with the Assistant Graduate Program Director to select additional courses.
The Systems Engineering Principles course provides an introduction to the discipline of Systems Engineering and its specific process framework required to create man-made systems. The course describes how the SE process is implemented in standard life cycle models and through various standard organizational structures. Specifically, this course provides an overview of the systems engineering processes outlined in the International Standard for Systems and Software Engineering (ISO/IEC 15288:2008), the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) Handbook, and the INCOSE Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge. This course will emphasize that Systems Engineering Technical Processes operate within the envelope of the Project as dictated by Contracts as set forth by an Organization. As a part of this course, students will select, research, and report on systems engineering process areas of particular importance to them. Class exercises are designed to provide the opportunity to practice the concepts learned in class.
The coursework from this class has been recognized by INCOSE as having the same content as the INCOSE knowledge exam. Therefore, a student who passes this class (required minimum is 80%) is eligible to bypass the INCOSE knowledge exam on their path to becoming an INCOSE Associate Systems Engineering Professional (ASEP) or Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP).
Accelerated Program Academic Standards
Once admitted to the Accelerated Program, you must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher. If you earn a C or lower in a graduate-level course while in the Accelerated Program, that course cannot be transferred to a master’s degree or graduate certificate. You may be removed from the Accelerated Program if your GPA falls below 3.0, if you receive more than two C grades, or if you receive any D or F grade. Consult your undergraduate advisor to determine if any grades received in graduate-level courses will affect your ability to complete your undergraduate degree.
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