Academic Catalog

Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Program

Northern Arizona University’s accelerated bachelor and master’s degree program provides the opportunity for academically qualified students to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in an accelerated manner. Typically, a bachelor’s degree requires four years to complete and a master’s degree requires an additional two years. However, the accelerated degree programs may allow students the opportunity to complete both their undergraduate and graduate degree in as few as five years. 

For a complete list of accelerated degree programs offered at Northern Arizona University, visit the Graduate College website:

Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Programs

All student admissions into an accelerated master’s degree program is conditional based on performance at the undergraduate level and until completion and posting of their eligible bachelor’s degree. 

Depending on the academic program, students can be conditionally admitted to an accelerated master’s degree program in one of two ways:

• As a Current NAU student
• As a Freshman or transfer admission 

Admission Requirements to Accelerated Programs for Current NAU Students

Current undergraduate students may apply for conditional admission to an accelerated program available at Northern Arizona University after completing 60 semester hours of undergraduate coursework with a minimum NAU cumulative grade point average of 3.0 out of a 4.0 scale. Of these 60 semester hours, a minimum of 24-30 semester hours  must be completed at Northern Arizona University (These credit hours may be considered NAU credit if the curriculum was developed by NAU faculty and taught by NAU faculty at a different institution. Please contact the department to verify if your credits qualify for this stipulation). Students must also complete a minimum of 12 undergraduate credits in their major with a grade point average of 3.0 out of a 4.0 scale at Northern Arizona University prior to seeking admission into an accelerated program. Receiving an Incomplete or completing a class graded as Pass/Fail or Audit will not count towards this 12-unit requirement. Please note that some accelerated programs have specific admission requirements above the minimum ones. See Accelerated Bachelor to Master's Program.

In addition, applicants to accelerated programs must meet any additional requirements specified by their accelerated program. Some accelerated programs may have requirements that exceed these minimum standards. 

Applicants must apply online at the Graduate College and pay the required graduate application fee. Applicants must also submit all other materials required by the department. If admission is recommended, the Graduate College is informed by the department and a conditional offer of acceptance is issued by the Graduate College. Full admission will be granted upon completion and posting of the eligible undergraduate degree and meeting any other requirements as specified by the program at the time of admission. 

Ideally, the undergraduate degree should be completed at the end of the fourth year and no later than one semester before the student is eligible to have the master’s degree awarded. 

All programs that allow admission into a master’s degree program as a freshman/transfer applicant may also consider applications from current NAU students to their accelerated master’s program. 

Admission Requirements to Accelerated Programs for Freshman/Transfer Applicants

Prospective freshmen/transfer students who meet the requirements set by Undergraduate Admissions may apply for conditional admission to an accelerated degree program. Programs will work with Undergraduate Admissions to specify additional program requirements, process, and any supplementary admission materials (if any) for freshman/transfer applicants. 

To maintain eligibility for the accelerated bachelor and master’s degree, the student must maintain an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of a 3.25 out of a 4.0 scale and a major grade point average of 3.5 out of a 4.0 scale. 

The Graduate College will seek confirmation from the student admitted as a freshman to an accelerated program regarding their intent to continue in the accelerated bachelor and master’s degree program after they earn at least 90 credits, but no more than 120 credits. 

Applicants must apply online at the Graduate College and pay the required graduate application fee. Applicants must also submit all other materials required by the department. If admission is recommended, the Graduate College is informed by the department and a conditional offer of acceptance is issued by the Graduate College. Full admission will be granted upon completion and posting of the eligible undergraduate degree and meeting any other requirements as specified by the program at the time of admission. 

Academic Requirements for All Accelerated Programs

Requirements for both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in an accelerated program will remain the same as the existing individual bachelor and master’s programs. A graduate program has the discretion to use up to 12 units of NAU coursework credit to apply towards both degrees to satisfy academic requirements. Of these 12 units, only 6 may be 400-level. Students must receive a grade of “B” or higher in this coursework used towards both degrees. 

The work required for the master’s degree program must be completed within six years from the time of first enrollment in courses included in the graduate program of studies. 

Tuition and Financial Aid/Scholarships

For tuition purposes, students will be considered undergraduates until they complete their undergraduate requirements and their bachelor degree is posted. Ideally, this should be no later than the end of their fourth year of enrollment. 

Once admitted to an accelerated program in their junior or senior year, students will continue to be charged tuition at the undergraduate rate and retain eligibility for undergraduate scholarships, grants, and fellowships. 

After completing all bachelor degree requirements, students must complete graduation paperwork so that their degree can be posted. Once the degree is posted, they will be granted regular admission and full graduate status which makes them eligible for Graduate Assistantships and other graduate financial awards. 

Withdrawal/Ineligibility

Students may be ineligible to participate in the accelerated program if their grade point average in either their undergraduate or graduate coursework drops below a 3.0 or if they fail to demonstrate adequate academic progress as defined by the academic program. 

A student may withdraw at any point from an approved accelerated program by informing (in writing) the respective unit administrators of undergraduate and graduate programs, with a copy to the Associate Dean of the Graduate College. 

Other

All other policies/regulations related to undergraduate or graduate degree programs apply to the accelerated degree programs except as specifically differentiated in this document.