Higher Education MEd Accelerated Master's Degree
The Bachelor of Educational Studies and Master’s in Education (B.E.S./M.Ed.) accelerated program in Higher Education allows students to complete the requirements for both degrees within five years of full-time study. The number of credit hours that are normally required to pursue the undergraduate Bachelor of Educational Studies and the Master of Education degrees separately will be reduced from 150 credit hours to a total of 138 credit hours if the accelerated option is selected.
Admission Requirements
Provisional Admission
Applicants will be considered for provisional admission if they have a minimum GPA of 3.00.
After provisional admission to the Accelerated Master's degree program in Higher Education, undergraduate students who pursue the Bachelor of Educational Studies degree program, Youth and Adult development emphasis, can apply two internship courses, EDUC 4990 (Internship II) and EDUC 4991 (Internship III), twelve (12) credit hours total, toward the Higher Education master's program. Students must apply for the Accelerated Master's degree program prior to enrolling in these internship courses in order to count these courses towards the graduate degree. Students will be charged the undergraduate tuition rate for EDUC 4990 and EDUC 4991.
Students should apply for provisional status no later than the first semester of their senior year.
Graduate Admission
Students are considered for formal admission to the Graduate School each semester after being granted provisional status. Applicants are considered for formal admission if they meet the following criteria.
- Enrolled in the final semester of their undergraduate degree program and applied to graduate with the B.E.S. degree in MyView
- Received provisional admission to the Accelerated M.Ed. in Higher Education;
- Consulted with their academic advisor to develop an academic plan for the Accelerated M.Ed.
Final graduate admissions decisions are made by the Graduate School in consultation with the College of Education Graduate Program Director. Students admitted to the graduate program must take graduate courses until the completion of the master’s degree.
Applicable Coursework
Twelve (12) credit hours of internship coursework, EDUC 4990 (Internship II) and EDUC 4991 (Internship III), as shown under the section “Program Requirements” below, may be applied toward the credit hour requirements for both the B.E.S. and Higher Education degree programs. An additional 18 credit hours of graduate coursework, also outlined in the "Program Requirements" section, must be completed for conferral of the Accelerated Master's degree.
The courses that will count toward both degrees must be approved by both the Undergraduate and Graduate Program Directors. All other requirements for the B.E.S. degree remain in effect.
Program Requirements
Candidates for the Accelerated Master’s Degree in Higher Education must complete the following courses, for a total of 30 credit hours:
| Internship Courses | ||
| EDUC 4990 | Internship II | 6 |
| EDUC 4991 | Internship III | 6 |
| Graduate Courses | ||
| HIGHERED 6430 | The Community College | 3 |
| HIGHERED 6473 | Curriculum in Higher Education | 3 |
| ED PSY/HIGHERED 6474 | Understanding the Psychosocial Development of Emerging Adults | 3 |
| HIGHERED 6475 | College Access and Career Preparation for the Emerging Adult | 3 |
| HIGHERED 6476 | Organization and Administration of Higher Education | 3 |
| HIGHERED 6478 | Enrollment Management and Student Retention | 3 |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Awarding of Degrees
The student may apply for and receive the bachelor’s degree in the semester when all the undergraduate requirements are completed. In their final semester in undergraduate status, the student must apply and be admitted to the graduate program, to begin the following semester. The student will apply to receive the master’s degree in the semester that the requirements for the graduate degree will be completed.
If the student fails to enroll for more than one year after receiving the bachelor's degree, the student can still earn the master’s degree, but the graduate-level credits earned as an undergraduate cannot be used for the graduate degree.