Accelerated Master’s Program | Get Your MA Degree Faster

The accelerated master’s degree program allows WashU Arts & Sciences day students to count their graduate-level course work (completed as an undergraduate) toward a master’s degree. With careful planning, some of this course work can be incorporated into a student’s undergraduate course of study and be covered by their regular undergraduate tuition. This allows students to earn an A.B. in normal time with an accompanying master’s in an additional one or two extra semesters of study.

Note: School of Continuing & Professional Studies undergraduate students interested in an accelerated master’s should consider the Combined Bachelor’s & Master’s Degree .

Only current WashU Arts & Sciences undergraduates who are earning an A.B. are eligible for this Accelerated Master’s Degree program. The accelerated master’s program option applies to the following master’s degree programs:

Program Requirements

135

Minimum Units of Course Work Completed

Maximum Graduate Units in Research or Independent Study

Program Requirements

Students must apply to the MA program in their senior year and begin the MA no later than the semester (fall or spring) following their graduation. GRE tests are not required. All admissions are provisional until the successful completion of the BA.
Completion of a minimum of 135 units of course work, undergraduate and graduate, including all distribution requirements for the Bachelor’s degree.
Students must complete all requirements of the Master’s program beyond the requirements for their undergraduate major to obtain their BA. Some of this course work can double count as general elective credits toward the undergraduate degree.
Consistent with the College of Arts & Sciences requirement regarding double counting of upper-division courses toward distinct majors, students cannot double count courses toward their undergraduate majors/minors and MA degree. Course work for the undergraduate major and the MA must be distinct.
Course work taken by a daytime undergraduate in a MA curriculum at the School of Continuing & Professional Studies (maximum one course per semester) can count as general elective credit toward the undergraduate degree, with the exception of online courses.
Students may apply up to three courses taken at the 400 level or above (with a maximum of 12 units) in the day program towards MA programs that require fewer than 36 units for completion. For MA programs that require 36 or more units, up to five courses at the 400 level or above (with a maximum of 16 units) from the day program may be applied.
Courses from the day program (at the 400-500 level) must be approved by the department or program offering the Master’s degree.
All courses taken within the relevant CAPS MA curriculum as an undergraduate can count toward the MA degree provided such courses are part of the student’s unrestricted electives.
No more than six of the 30/36 graduate units can be earned in independent study or research.
All courses offered toward the graduate degree must be completed with a grade of B or better.