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
In-person
Locations Offered
- UMBC Campus (Catonsville)
Programs Offered
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 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 in a science or engineering undergraduate degree program.
Accelerated Program Application Process
All accelerated program application materials will be submitted through UMBC’s Docusign platform. Complete the following steps to submit your application through 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 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 courses are eligible for undergraduates in the Accelerated Program to complete:
Students learn the fundamentals of managing projects in a systematic way. These fundamentals can be applied within any industry and work environment and will serve as the foundation for more specialized project management study. Principles and techniques are further reinforced through practical case studies and team projects in which students simulate project management processes and techniques.
Students learn effective management and communication skills through case study-analysis, reading, class discussion and role-playing. The course covers topics such as effective listening, setting expectations, delegation, coaching, performance, evaluations, conflict management, and negotiation with senior management and managing with integrity.
This course provides a comprehensive overview of important legal principles affecting engineers, engineering sciences and corporate management, with a focus on the intersection of these legal principles with business ethics. The student learns how to think through and process legal problems consistent with ethical norms, and how to analyze business risks in light of operative legal constructs, taking into consideration ethical issues, to arrive at a range of correct business decisions. Throughout the course, the student will learn substantive legal principles. Students will engage in weekly discussion board postings, completing quizzes and three individual papers.
This course focuses on analysis and interpretation of financial statements with an emphasis on the measurement of results of operations and financial position of business organizations. The course covers the fundamentals of reading and analyzing financial statements and reports and applying to a business or work setting. The course will cover budgeting, profit planning, return on investment, risk and return, strategy and other financial information used in business decision-making. Students will discuss various types of contracts based on cost structure and prepare budgets as used in grant funding proposals.
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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