
The university allows the opportunity for high-achieving students to count a select number of graduate credits toward their undergraduate degree and thereby obtain a graduate degree at an accelerated pace. Students interested in the Fast Track in Biology must meet the following application criteria:
Students accepted into the Fast Track program will be given permission to enroll in up to six hours of prescribed graduate courses during their last semester of undergraduate studies. The hours for these graduate courses will “double-count” toward both the (120-hour) undergraduate and (36-hour) graduate programs. The BS and MS degrees will be awarded sequentially (i.e., upon completion of each degree) and not simultaneously. Students will be allowed to continue enrollment in the graduate program upon successful completion of the 120-hour undergraduate degree.
Applicants must provide the following at the time of application:
No criterion is weighted more heavily than any other criterion. Applications received or completed after the deadline for admission during one semester may be considered for admission in the following semester at the applicant’s request. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by email.
A degree candidate who lacks adequate academic preparation may be required by his or her Graduate Advisory Committee to complete undergraduate course work prior to the completion of the MS degree. Such course work (4000-sequence or lower) will be regarded as foundation or prerequisite work and will not count as credit towards the total required for completion of the degree.