Accelerated Master's Program

Thompson Hall
Accelerated Master's Program

A graduate degree can impact your career in many ways, whether it’s moving your job application to the top of the interview pile, helping you attain a position that would have otherwise been out of reach or providing you with a more robust knowledge base and tailored skill set to help you achieve your career aspirations. In short, a master’s degree can accelerate the trajectory of your career and jumpstart your earning potential upon graduation. Find an Accelerated Masters-eligible Program that will help you acheive your personal and professional goals.

The Accelerated Master’s program is an optimal way for qualified UNH undergraduate students to begin earning graduate credit during their senior year. Students in most programs are able to take up to 12 credits that will count for both undergraduate and graduate credit, allowing them to maximize their time on campus and the return on their educational investment, as they seek to increase their marketability after graduation.

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  • Rebekah Alpert, Statistics
    Rebekah Alpert | Statistics

    I plan to join the environmental science industry when I am finished with my master's degree. I hope to specialize in experimental design and data analysis with applications to the environment. The Accelerated Master's Program allows me to further my knowledge of statistics in order to expand my career options in the future and continue applying my statistics skills to projects within the environmental science department.

    If you are considering earning your master's degree in the future, then you may want to think about the Accelerated Master's Program. It helps you save money and finish your degree sooner. Joining the program is a great opportunity to further your knowledge and allow you to stand out when entering the job market.

  • Michelle Ryan, Clinical Nurse Leadership
    Michelle Ryan | Clinical Nurse Leadership

    I chose to apply to the program to complete my master's degree early in my career as a professional nurse. It allowed me to start my degree while I was still a bachelor's student and finish the program in a year. I would like to eventually get my Doctorate of Nursing Practice and specialize in oncology. Getting my master's sets me up to be able to apply straight into a DNP program when I am ready to make the jump from a registered nurse to a nurse practitioner. Until then, it allows me to work bedside and in a leadership position as a nurse before moving to more of a provider role. Even though a Master's degree isn't necessary to practice bedside nursing, it gives me an opportunity to further my research experience and increase my knowledge base to provide the best possible care to my patients. You can never be overeducated when lives are in your hands.

  • Kyle Sanders, Mechanical Engineering
    Kyle Sanders | Mechanical Engineering

    The extra courses that I took as dual credt during my undergraduate degree helped relieve some of the financial burden of graduate school and gave me a head start on graduate work so that I could work in the industry and gain experience without significantly delaying my Master's degree completion.

    While continuing through the master's program, I will be working as a manufacturing engineer for Pratt and Whitney in North Berwick, Maine. The Accelerated Master's program will help me achieve my goals by allowing me to further my eduction in the engineering profession and expose me to cutting edge research topics that I can later apply to my work in industry.

  • Isabel Judware, Nutritional Sciences
    Isabel Judware | Nutritional Sciences

    I want to make sure that as a future clinician my recommendations and courses of treatment are deeply connected to scientific research. The Accelerated Master's program in Nutritional Sciences gives me the opportunity to refine my knowledge and skills. The nutrition faculty at the University of New Hampshire are truly inspiring and have pushed me to be a better student. I am very excited to continue this partnertship in my education with faculty that truly care and are invested in my success.

  • Danielle Johnson, Secondary Education
    Danielle Johnson | Secondary Education

    I have always been passionate about Social studies education. However, the Accelerated Master's program expanded my career interests to include teaching multilingual learners. In taking an elective on ELL education for dual credit, I became inspired by this subject area. Due to the time efficiency of the Accelerated Master's I can earn dual certifications and a graduate degree one year earlier than a typical graduate student. This program was financially beneficial to begin graduate courses early, but it also provided additional rewarding and enriching academic opportunities I would not have had. This also makes me a more competitive applicant when I begin applying to schools.

  • Brendan McGuirk, Computer Science
    Brendan McGuirk | Computer Science

    While my career path does not require a master's degree, it did earn me an instant promotion, that came with higher pay. Many of my coworkers right now are doing their master's degree online, which is taking them years to do. The accelerated master's program gave me a jump start on my coworkers that have been there for years.

    Really think about the program, what it could do for you, and what your motivation is for doing it. A master's degree is much harder to obtain than a bachelor's degree, especially if you are trying to do it at an accelerated pace. That being said, if your motivations are right and you have the desire to do it, the accelerated master's program is the absolute best way to obtain your master's degree.

Upcoming Events

Aug
11

Accelerated Masters Information Session 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM

Sep
16

Manchester Graduate Programs Webinar 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM

Sep
16

Manchester Graduate Programs Webinar 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM

Upcoming Accelerated Master's Events

Program Details

  • Accelerated Masters-eligible Programs
  • Streamlined Application Process:
    • GRE and GMAT scores will be waived
    • Only 2 Letters of Recommendation are required
    • Application Fee Waiver code will be provided in the online application
    • Current in-state students do not need to submit proof of residency again
  • If admitted, students will not be able to accept their offer through the online application portal. To formally accept their offer, students will be required to attend a mandatory advising session. During the session, students will complete the necessary acceptance form to fully enroll and will receive additional paperwork required for registration.
  • Courses must be graduate level (800/900).
  • Students must pass graduate courses with B-or better*
  • Students must maintain GPA of 3.2 or better*
  • Students must meet with Grad School Academic Advisor to review details of the program and accept offer of admission.
  • If admitted, students can take dual credit courses if they've completed 90 credits
  • Regarding full time federal student aid, 12 credits of coursework must meet undergraduate degree requirements
  • Courses taken for grad credit only will be factored into overall billing hours; anything over 20 does carry a surcharge
  • Courses may be taken for graduate-only or dual credit

Once the undergraduate degree is received, the student will become a regular graduate student and must follow all Graduate School regulations and policies, such as being aware that full-time graduate status requires 9 or more credits and graduate tuition may be different than undergraduate tuition. For more information on our policies and the responsibilities of being a UNH graduate student, please visit our online graduate student catalog.

*Note: If a 3.2 undergraduate GPA is not maintained, if the bachelor’s degree is not awarded or if the required grades are not received, the offer of admission will be withdrawn and the student will no longer qualify for the Accelerated Master's program.

  • Plan ahead and solicit letters of recommendation well before the application deadline. Help your recommenders by reminding them of projects you’ve worked on or other ways that you are an excellent candidate for the program.
  • Proof, edit and have someone else review your personal statement as it’s a key component of the graduate application. Make sure you answer all of the questions that are appropriate to the program you are applying to. Utilize the appropriate writing support team for your campus.
  • Save room in your academic course schedule to take electives during your senior year that can count for both your bachelor’s and your master’s degrees.
  • If admitted to the program, you can begin taking dual credit courses once you’ve completed 90 credits (in most programs) – apply early to make best use of dual credit courses. As graduate courses can be writing intensive, spreading the work out over 2-3 semesters might be more manageable than taking all of your graduate courses in one semester.
  • Connect with the program coordinator or other advisor about the program early on; developing connections may provide you with research or funding opportunities during your graduate program.
  • Explore funding opportunities outside of your graduate program. Start by connecting with the UNH Fellowships Office: https://www.unh.edu/fellowships-office/
  • If you plan to work while pursuing your graduate program, explore companies that offer tuition reimbursement.