BS/MS Accelerated Program, College of Engineering

Applicant Criteria

• At least 75 credits toward bachelor’s degree completed
• Basic science courses completed
• At least 30 credits of engineering science or design coursework completed (minimum of 24 of these at the University of Nevada, Reno)
• Minimum 3.2 GPA

Timeline for Accelerated Program

• Select a graduate advisor prior to submitting the Accelerated BS/MS program application.
• Submit program application, after completing 75 credits toward your B.S. (typically, spring of junior year).
  • The application is due one month prior to course registration (Oct. 1 for Spring and March 1 for Fall).
• Take the GRE one or two semesters before the graduate program application deadline
• Apply to Graduate School

Accelerated BS/MS Process

Although the deadlines can be flexible, it is strongly recommended that forms are submitted prior to October 1st for Spring acceptance and March 1st for Fall acceptance.

Step 1 - Students must meet with undergraduate AND graduate advisors, choose classes, and get signatures from both advisors (reserve at least 1 day per advisor). This step can take multiple days if the student chooses two different faculty members.

Note:  Though students usually list two semesters of classes on the application, the Graduate School can give enrollment permissions only for the first semester classes. Students must contact the College of Engineering Advising Center prior to the opening of registration for the second semester to get enrollment permissions for the second semester classes. For example, if the student has Spring 2020 and Fall 2020 classes listed on the form, once approved, the Graduate School will give permissions to enroll for Spring 2020 classes. The student must contact the College Advising Center and the Graduate School in March 2020 to request enrollment permissions for the Fall 2020 graduate classes.

Step 2 - Students bring the signed application to the College of Engineering Advising Center front desk where staff will place the application in the advisor’s mailbox.

Step 3 - Advisors determine if the student has met the criteria for admission and then sends the form to the Associate Dean for signature (3-5 business days).

Step 4 - The application is returned to a College Advisor for further processing (1-2 business days). College Advisors email the Graduate School requesting that the student be given permission to enroll in the specific graduate courses listed on the form. The advisor will include the student in the email requesting course permissions so that the student will be notified when the Graduate School staff responds.

Step 5 - Grad School response (2-5 business days).

Step 6 - The student enrolls in the approved classes when their MyNevada registration appointment time arrives.

For any questions, please contact coenadvising@unr.edu.

Note: To make changes to their approved course list, students must resubmit the application form, which will require them to start from Step 1.

Note: All times are approximate.

Graduate Application Deadline

View program-specific admission requirements, deadlines and directors.

I. Program Requirements

The accelerated BS/MS program is typically five years total. Students ordinarily apply and are admitted to the accelerated BS/MS program at the end of their junior year and enroll in graduate courses (more detail below) starting their senior year. To enable students to earn both degrees in five years, the accelerated BS/MS program allows students to apply up to nine units (exceptions include: (i) twelve units for Materials Science and Engineering and (ii) three units for Civil and Environmental Engineering) of 600- or 700-level coursework to their bachelor’s degree requirements. An important note is that 700-level courses may not be suitable for everyone, and not every department allows undergraduates to enroll in 700-level courses; students must get approval from their faculty advisor to enroll in 700-level courses. These 600- or 700-level courses may also be applied to the master’s degree, provided the student passes each of these courses with a “B” or better. The courses that students select for this purpose must be approved by their undergraduate faculty advisor, graduate academic advisor, the College of Engineering Advising Office, the College of Engineering Dean’s Office, and the Graduate School.

IV. Financial Impact

Students admitted to the accelerated programs may use their approved 600-level classes towards their full-time undergraduate status.

However, students must pay graduate credit tuition and the associated differential fees for the graduate-level courses. Not all scholarships can be used for graduate credit, but some financial support may be available through the graduate program. Students should consult with the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships regarding financial aid eligibility.