Accelerated Master's

Accelerated Master's
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Our Accelerated Master's program provides an opportunity for UNH undergraduate students to begin graduate study while completing a bachelor's degree—making you stand out among other job applicants and increase your earning potential. Qualified students can begin earning graduate credit during their senior year, allowing them to maximize their time on campus and return on their educational investment.  Find an Accelerated Master's-eligible Program that will help you achieve your personal and professional goals and see below for instructions on how to apply.

Qualifications

  • Current UNH undergraduate students with a GPA of 3.2 or higher
  • Acceptance into the accelerated master's program of choice
  • Completed 90 undergraduate credits (to begin taking courses for dual credit).
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  • Bryan Mckenney, Computer Science
    Bryan Mckenney | Computer Science

    Bryan Mckenney is a computer science accelerated master's student. He received his undergraduate degree in computer science here at UNH, and his hometown is in Newmarket, NH.  He chose to stay at UNH for his M.S. degree in computer science as an accelerated masters student.

    Read Bryan’s Full Spotlight Here.

  • Isaah Gray
    Isaah Gray | Cybersecurity Policy and Risk Management

    One thing that I truly value when it comes to this program is the flexibility it allows towards my ability to work full-time while simultaneously earning an advanced degree. My UNH education has prepared me for the next steps in my career by constructing the confidence needed to support any organization’s cybersecurity initiatives. Throughout the CPRM program, I developed understanding and root causes of complex, cybersecurity related issues while also gaining exposure to industry tools and solutions needed to mitigate those issues. In five years, I see myself as a leader within the cybersecurity risk management field. I hope to one day support an organization’s decision-making process at a high level through strategically aligning necessary business objectives with cybersecurity risk.

  • Debarpan Headshot
    Debarpan Bhowmick | Mechanical Engineering.

    “At the beginning of the pandemic I was feeling frustrated by my job search. The accelerated master’s program provided me with the perfect next step while I waited for the world to settle down post-COVID.” 

    Learn how Debarpan changed courses and pursued his Accelerated Masters degree.

  • 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.

  • 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 partnership in my education with faculty that truly care and are invested in my success.

  • 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.

  • Kyle Sanders, Mechanical Engineering
    Kyle Sanders | Mechanical Engineering

    The extra courses that I took as dual credit 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 education in the engineering profession and expose me to cutting edge research topics that I can later apply to my work in industry.

  • 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.

  • Nico Mayo-Pushee | Global Conflict and Human Security
    Nico Mayo-Pushee | Global Conflict and Human Security

    Nico is a Student Ambassador for the Accelerated Master's Program. He came to UNH undeclared and later joined the Geography program for his Bachelor's after taking a few classes he enjoyed. He is in the Global Conflict and Human Security Accelerated Master's Program. With a wide range of interests, Nico is minoring in English, Political Science, Writing, Psychology, and Global Studies. He currently works as a field researcher and SLA (undergrad Teaching Assistant) for the department.

Upcoming Events

Program Details

Schedule an advising appointment with Candice Morey, Educational Program Coordinator for Accelerated Master's Programs.

Morey earned her bachelor's degree in Communications - Public Relations from Susquehanna University and a master's degree in Public Administration from the University of New Hampshire. For the past 20 years she’s worked in a number of different roles for the UNH Graduate School. In her current role, she coordinates the accelerated master’s programs, assists prospective students with program selection, helps current students with policy information, and serves as a resource for faculty on both campuses.

 

  • Application deadlines vary by program. To find the deadline for your program of interest start by finding the Accelerated Master’s-eligible Program tile, go to the department website, and review the application requirements and deadlines.
  • Streamlined Application Process:
    • GRE and GMAT scores will be waived
    • Only 2 Letters of Recommendation are required
    • The Application Fee is waived for all qualified accelerated master’s applications
    • 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.
  • Accelerated Master's students will not be required to pay enrollment deposits for any applicable program.

  • Plan ahead. Request letters of recommendation well before the application deadline. Remind your recommenders of projects you’ve worked on that demonstrate why you are an excellent candidate.
  • Copy edit.  Proof your personal statement as it’s a key component of your graduate application and utilize writing support on campus to review your statement. Make sure you answer all of the questions that are appropriate to the program you are applying to.
  • Allocate time. 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.
  • Apply early. If admitted, you can begin taking dual credit courses once you’ve completed 90 credits (in most programs). Therefore, you can apply during your junior year to being taking courses for dual credit during your senior year. Since graduate courses can be writing intensive; spreading the work over multiple semesters is more manageable than taking all of your graduate courses in one semester.
  • Connect. Meet with the program coordinator or advisor about the graduate program early on to assist you with developing connections for potential research or funding opportunities during your graduate program.
  • Review funding. Explore funding opportunities outside of your graduate program by connecting with the UNH Fellowships Office. If you plan to work while pursuing your graduate program, explore companies that offer tuition reimbursement.

  • Courses must be graduate level (800).
  • Students must pass graduate courses with B-or better*
  • Students must maintain GPA of 3.2+* or better in most programs (some exceptions apply)
  • Students must meet with the Grad School Accelerated Master's Program Coordinator to review details of the program and accept offer of admission
  • If admitted, qualified students are eligible to take dual credit courses if they've completed 90 undergraduate credits
  • Regarding full time federal student aid, 12 credits of coursework must meet undergraduate degree requirements
  • Courses may be taken for dual credit cannot exceed 12 credits prior to beginning the graduate program

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.