Accelerated Degree Programs

UCM Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees

Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s degree programs at the University of Central Missouri provide well-prepared advanced students the opportunity to substitute graduate courses for required or elective courses in an undergraduate degree program and then subsequently count those same courses as fulfilling graduate requirements in a related graduate program.

The program will begin after a student is admitted. Students can enroll in graduate courses only after the junior year (90 earned hours).

A minimum of 30 graduate credit hours must be earned to complete the master’s degree while the undergraduate program will require a minimum of 120 credit hours of both undergraduate and graduate courses.

Depending on the program, up to 12 hours of graduate coursework may be taken during the senior year and counted to meet both the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree requirements. Students complete the remaining graduate coursework in the fifth year. Students may not enroll in additional graduate courses until the undergraduate degree is completed.

Students will take a maximum of 6 hours of graduate credit per semester during the senior year, and 3 hours over the summer if available, with no more than 16 total credit hours total of both undergraduate and graduate coursework in a single semester.

Upon completion of the undergraduate portion, the student will then be classified as a graduate student. Students are awarded a Bachelor’s degree as soon as those degree requirements are completed and are then admitted as candidates for the Master’s degree. Students are awarded the master’s degree when all graduate requirements are completed. If a student withdraws from the university and stops enrolling in coursework following completion of the Bachelor’s degree and later wants to return, they will have to apply to the regular graduate program and no prior coursework may be applied.

Please note: enrollment may affect eligibility for financial aid and scholarships, please contact the Student Financial Services office at 660-543-8266 if you have any questions. For the purposes of financial aid and scholarships, students are considered to be at the undergraduate level until the Bachelor’s degree is awarded. Students will be considered graduate level after the Bachelor’s degree is awarded and the student is only taking graduate level courses. Students are eligible for graduate assistantships after receiving a Bachelor’s degree.

Programs that are offered in the Accelerated model are as follows:

Actuarial Science and Statistics, BS (43-576) - Actuarial Science Option (AS01) (120 hours)

Actuarial Science and Statistics, BS (43-576) - Statistics Option (AS02) (120 hours)

Computer Science, BS (43-281) - Computer Networking Option (CS08) (120 hours)

Computer Science, BS (43-281) - Computer Science Option (CS02) (120 hours)

Computer Science, BS (43-281) - Data Science Option (CS09) (120 hours)

Computer Science, BS (43-281) - Game Development Option (CS04) (120 hours)

Computer Science, BS (43-281) - Software Development Option (CS07) (120 hours)

Cybersecurity, BS (43-892) (120 hours)

Mathematics, BS (43-454) (120 hours)

Occupational Safety, BS (43-873) - Environmental Management Option (OS01) (120 hours)

Occupational Safety, BS (43-873) - Occupational Health Management Option (OS03) (120 hours)