Accelerated 5-Year Programs

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Description

University of Detroit Mercy's College of Liberal Arts & Education offers several programs that allow you to save time and tuition by earning a bachelor's degree and a master's degree within five years.

Summary

  • Enroll as a freshman.
  • Pay full-time undergraduate tuition during the first four years.
  • Pay regular graduate tuition for the fifth year.

You realize a substantial savings because the first 12 credits of your graduate program are covered at the undergraduate tuition rate. In addition, the graduate program is reduced by the four courses taken while an undergraduate. This accelerates your schedule and completes both programs five years which culminates in a huge savings!

In order to complete both the bachelor's and master's degrees in five years, you must:

  • Be very well prepared as an incoming freshman or transfer student;
  • Satisfy all the admission criteria (see below); and
  • Maintain a cumulative 3.25 GPA at Detroit Mercy, in order to take graduate level courses while still an undergraduate.

This program allows incoming freshmen to complete both the bachelor's and master's degrees by being a full-time student for 5 academic years (10 consecutive semesters). Juniors at UDM and transfer students may be admitted into the program with the permission of the department and Dean’s Office.

Cybersecurity

Criminal Justice

Economics/Financial Economics

Industrial/Organizational Psychology

 Admission into the Program

Qualifications for the accelerated programs for new freshmen are:
• Enter the accelerated/5-year option as a full-time incoming freshman;
• Have a high school ACT composite score of 24, with a minimum of 22 in each section;
• Have a high school grade point average of 3.4 overall on a 4.0 point scale; and
• Place into appropriate-level freshmen math and writing courses at Detroit Mercy.

Qualifications for the accelerated programs for juniors and transfer students are:
• Receive program and Dean's Office approval;
• Can transfer in up to first term as a junior;
• Have a minimum GPA of 3.25; and
• Have a minimum of 72 credits.

Program Requirements
• Must maintain full-time status throughout undergraduate and graduate segments
• All undergraduate and graduate requirements must be met
• May take up to four graduate classes in the senior year
• May experience different financial aid packages for onsite and online graduate programs

How It Works—Save Time and Money
The student pays full-time undergraduate tuition during the first four years and regular graduate tuition for the fifth year. One economic benefit to the student is that the cost of the first 12 graduate credits (2 courses in the Fall and 2 courses in the Winter) has been covered by the normal undergraduate tuition meaning that no additional costs are incurred in the fourth-year-full-time tuition rate. Since the graduate program will be reduced by the 4 graduate courses taken while an undergraduate student, the graduate program can be done faster and more economically. Certain financial aid benefits are also applied to the entire 5-year program usually resulting in more cost-savings.

The student MUST maintain full-time status during the first three years. Depending on the program and the student’s incoming record such as AP Credits, full-time status usually means 15-18 credit-hours per semester. This will result in the student having 102-108 credits entering the senior year. During the senior year, the student must remain full-time, finishing their undergraduate degree while taking up to 12 credits of graduate work. A maximum of 12 graduate credits are allowed in the undergraduate portion of the program (6 credits in Fall and 6 in Winter). For freshmen, this program MUST be completed in five years from start to finish. If the student does not finish within the five years, then the program reverts to the costs associated with earning a master's degree outside of the five-year program and other financial aid benefits may be lost. Students who transfer into the program MUST maintain full-time status until the completion of the program.

A SAMPLE 5-YEAR PROGRAM

(Note: Full-Time Status Must Be Maintained In All Semesters)

  First Year 36 undergraduate credits
  Second Year 36 undergraduate credits
  Third Year 36 undergraduate credits
  Fourth Year  
  First Semester: 9-12 undergraduate credits
  6 graduate credits
  Second Semester: 9-12 undergraduate credits
  6 graduate credits
  Fifth Year
  First Semester: 9-12 graduate credits (depending on program)
      Second Semester: 9-12 graduate credits (depending on program)