UMass Boston

Earn a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in as little as five years.

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The Accelerated Master’s Program (AMP) allows qualified UMass Boston students to earn a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years. Undergraduate students replace general electives with graduate coursework, receive their bachelor's degree, and then matriculate as graduate students to complete their master’s degrees. Pursuing an accelerated master’s degree enables students to graduate with two degrees in as little as five years.

Why participate in an Accelerated Master’s Program?

• Save money. Pay undergraduate tuition rates and apply undergraduate financial aid toward any graduate-level coursework taken while considered an undergraduate. On average, students save more than $10,000 on the cost of earning a master’s degree. AMP applicants pay no application or deposit confirmation fees.
• Save time. Graduate as much as one year sooner than a standard master’s degree program.
• Skip transcripts and test scores. Applicants don’t need to submit UMass Boston transcripts, and many programs don’t require GRE or GMAT scores.

Application & Admission

• Step 1: Submit an AMP Interest Form. The best way to get connected to information and resources is to fill out an AMP Interest Form. It’s never too early to indicate your interest. The interest form is non-binding and does not commit you to applying or participating in an AMP program.
• Step 2: Connect with your advisors. After you have submitted an AMP Interest Form we recommend connecting with your undergraduate advisor and the Graduate Program Director to see if an AMP is a good fit. The most successful students are those that carefully plan their undergraduate coursework leading up to applying for an AMP.
• Step 3: Submit an application. Carefully review the application deadlines and academic requirements for your desired AMP program. Submit a no-cost AMP application when you’re ready to apply.
• Step 4: Confirm Acceptance. If you're accepted, there is no need to pay a deposit. To accept your offer, fill out the Enrollment Confirmation Form in your acceptance letter or in your Beacon Gateway.

Eligibility & Deadlines

Eligibility, application requirements, deadlines and time to completion vary by program. Review individual program requirements and standards below.

Most programs require that students apply when they have earned between 60 and 96 undergraduate credits. Otherwise qualified students who do not apply in the appropriate timeframe may not be eligible to participate.

Contact your program’s Graduate Program Director for more information about admissions criteria, curriculum, and more.

Curriculum

Students in this program must satisfy all requirements for both degrees.

In order to complete the program in five years, students will be expected to complete most, if not all, of the academic requirements for their undergraduate degree by the end of the first semester of the senior or fourth year. Delays to this timeline may impact eligibility for Financial Aid. It is suggested that students begin taking graduate courses toward the master’s degree no earlier than the first semester of the junior or third year. AMP participants may receive up to a maximum of 18 Advanced Standing credits to reflect the graduate coursework successfully completed as an undergraduate, reducing the total number of courses required to complete the master’s degree. A minimum of 12 credits must be completed during the time that the student is registered as a graduate student.

Curriculum plans and courses of study may vary by program. We recommend you consult the Graduate Program Director of your program of interest for more information.

In the semester during which the undergraduate requirements are completed, including the overall 120 credit minimum, AMP students should apply for graduation to earn the bachelor’s degree. When the bachelor’s degree is awarded, students will matriculate as a graduate student.

Financial Aid

• Despite taking some graduate level coursework, AMP students pay undergraduate tuition and fees, as long as at least half of their coursework each semester is at the undergraduate level.
• AMP students will be charged graduate tuition after they matriculate as a graduate student, upon completion of 120 credits and all undergraduate requirements and awarding of the bachelor’s degree.
• AMP students’ undergraduate financial aid eligibility will be determined based on their enrollment and remaining undergraduate degree requirements. To maintain eligibility for undergraduate financial aid, accelerated master’s students must be taking credits that will count toward their undergraduate degree and credit requirements. Students must enroll in at least six credits that count toward their undergraduate degree requirements in order to borrow federal loans.
• Once a student matriculates as a graduate student, they will be eligible for funding opportunities available to traditional master’s students. Though graduate students are not eligible for need-based grants, they may be eligible for federal student loans and other external scholarships. Limited research assistantships and funding opportunities may be granted by individual programs. Contact your program of interest or the Financial Aid office for more information.

Logistics

• Most AMP students begin taking graduate coursework in their final year of undergraduate study. They typically begin the semester after they reach 72-96 credits and are on track to complete 120 credits and all undergraduate requirements within the next academic year. Honors College students typically begin in their junior or third year after they have earned 60-72 credits. Completed credit requirements can vary by program - please reach out to the Graduate Program Director of your program of interest for more information.
• Students move to graduate student status when they have completed all UMass Boston undergraduate degree requirements and the bachelor’s degree has been awarded.
• Undergraduate students who wish to leave the program before matriculating as a graduate student are still eligible to receive their bachelor’s degree once they have earned 120 credits and fulfilled all undergraduate degree requirements as outlined in their degree audit.
• If a student intends to continue with the master’s degree and needs to take time off before beginning the final year of graduate work, they may defer graduate matriculation for up to one year. After this time, students lose their advanced standing in the program and are responsible for earning the full number of credits for the master’s degree, working with the Graduate Program Director to determine appropriate substitutions for the classes taken while an undergraduate student.
• AMP students are awarded two degrees.
  • Students who entered an AMP before Spring 2022 will have both degrees awarded together after all requirements for the master’s degree are complete.
  • Students entering an AMP in Spring 2022 or after will matriculate into the graduate program after the bachelor’s degree is awarded.