BA/MA Accelerated Program, English

I. Contact Information

James Mardock, Director of Graduate Studies
jmardock@unr.edu

Alissa Surges, Undergraduate Advisor
asurges@unr.edu

Website: https://www.unr.edu/english

II. Admission Requirements

APPLICANT CRITERIA 

Applicants to the Accelerated BA/MA Program in English must have:

• Completed at least 75 units toward the BA.
• Completed all general education and additional college requirements.
• Completed at least 18 undergraduate units in English with at least 6 units in upper-division (300 or above).
• Earned at least 12 units of English at UNR at the time of application.
• Maintained a minimum 3.0 GPA.
• Completed the Application to Pursue an Accelerated Degree Program before completing the BA degree.

GUIDELINES AND TIMELINE FOR ACCELERATED PROGRAM

• Students typically apply in the second semester of their junior year, but it is also possible to apply in their senior year.
• Prior to submitting their program application, the student must meet with the English Department’s Director of Graduate Studeis and/or Director of Undergraduate Studies to discuss their interest in the program.
• Students should submit the BA/MA accelerated program application via Docusign and arrange to have two letters of recommendation emailed to the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of English from faculty familiar with their potential for graduate studies.
• If accepted to the BA/MA accelerated program, students should apply to the English MA program in the semester in which they are graduating with their BA degree.
• Apply to the English MA program online via the Graduate School.

III. Program Requirements

To enable students to earn both degrees on an accelerated timeframe, the BA/MA program allows students to take up to twelve units of 600-level or 700-level courses that apply towards the requirements of both their BA and MA degrees. Students typically apply and are admitted to accelerated programs at the end of their junior year and enroll in graduate courses (as stated above) during their senior year.

Should the student be accepted to the MA program, these 600-level or 700-level courses may also be applied to the English MA degree, provided the student passes each of these courses with a “B” or better. The 600-level and/or 700-level courses that students select for this purpose must be approved by their undergraduate advisor and by the Director of Graduate Studies.

View Program Requirements for the English BA in this catalog:

• English (Language and Linguistics Specialization), B.A.  
• English (Literature Specialization), B.A.  
• English (Writing Specialization), B.A.  

View Program Requirements for the English, M.A.  in this catalog.

CONTINUATION REQUIREMENTS

The Graduate School requires students to maintain an average GPA of 3.0 in all courses applied to the Master’s degree. The Department of English requires that students maintain a GPA of 3.0 to remain in good standing in the accelerated program.

Students accepted into the BA/MA program whose overall GPA drops below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation for the accelerated program for one semester. If they raise their GPA to at least 3.0, they will be removed from probation and returned to good standing. If after one semester, students are not able to raise their GPA sufficiently, they will be removed from the accelerated program. Students who are removed from the accelerated program may continue to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees under the normal requirements.

IV. Financial Impact

Students admitted to the accelerated programs may use approved 600-level or 700-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.