Accelerated Master’s Option

Accelerated Master’s Option

All Prescott College undergraduate students are able to apply to accelerate into a Prescott College master’s degree. The process of “accelerating” essentially means as an undergraduate, students apply for a master’s program of their interest. If accepted, the student begins to take graduate classes that help finish their undergraduate degree and begin their master’s degree, saving time and money while completing two degrees.

 

Accelerated students are accepted into a master’s program but are not yet admitted. Some programs, such as the MBA program, may have prerequisite undergraduate coursework required for acceptance into the master’s program. For accelerated students, admission into the master’s program is contingent upon the completion/conferral of their bachelor’s degree. Upon completion of the bachelor’s degree, the student officially becomes a graduate student and is now admitted into their master’s program. The student will stay assigned to their undergraduate faculty adviser and continue to pay undergraduate tuition until their bachelor’s degree is conferred.  At this point, they will be assigned a graduate faculty adviser and begin to pay graduate tuition.

 

Most master’s programs, with the exception of the MS Counseling program, allow accelerated students to take up to 67% (⅔’s) of the master’s credits while still an undergraduate student and apply those credits to the master’s program once their bachelor’s degree is conferred. Undergraduate students will pay undergraduate tuition until the bachelor’s degree is conferred.  At that time, they begin paying the tuition of their master’s program.  Students must work with financial aid to determine aid for each program.

 

To Apply:

  1. Get in touch with the Director of Undergraduate Advising to learn more about the process, timelines, available master’s degree options, and how accelerating would fit into their undergraduate degree plan. 
  2. Meet with the Graduate Program Director and Admissions Counselor for the master’s degree that they are interested in to answer any program-specific questions that the student has prior to applying. 
  3. Apply for admission. The application will be reviewed, and if approved, the student may begin to take classes in their graduate program.
  4. Work with both the undergraduate faculty adviser and graduate program director to ensure the graduate courses are applicable to both degrees. The student will stay assigned to their undergraduate faculty adviser until their bachelor’s degree is conferred, at which point they will be assigned a graduate faculty adviser. 

 

 

For accelerated students, admission into the master’s program is contingent upon the completion/conferral of their bachelor’s degree. Upon completion of the bachelor’s degree, the student is now officially a graduate student. For more information and to get started on accelerating, reach out to the Director of Undergraduate Advising to learn more.

Non-Matriculated Graduate Students

Students who are not formally admitted to a Prescott College program may seek to enroll on a course by course basis, if the following conditions are met​​​​​

  • Space is available in the course
  • Graduate courses require approval from the Program Director

This policy does not apply to visiting students from partner schools or universities (EcoLeague, CIEL, etc.), which has its own enrollment process.

Non-Matriculated Credit Limits

The following limits apply towards non-matriculated credits that a student may take before or without formal enrollment in a program:

  • Graduate credit limit: 9 credits or typically 3 classes

If a non-matriculating student is interested in continuing their studies as a degree-seeking student, they must complete the admissions process for their program of interest. Courses taken as a non-matriculated student are not guaranteed to transfer to a degree program. Formal admission to a program are subject to all admissions requirements and admissions committee evaluations.

Tuition is charged at a per credit rate that is equal to the program credit rate.

To apply as a non-matriculated student, use the following form:

https://join-us.prescott.edu/register/credit-only

Upon application receipt, an admissions representative will reach out to the student to assist them through the process. The following is required before the student may enroll in the course:

  • Program Director Approval
  • Transcripts (unofficial are accepted) Student would need to submit official transcripts if they decide to apply for a graduate program at a later date:
    • Master's courses: Transcripts showing bachelor's degree conferral
    • Doctoral courses: Transcripts showing master’s degree conferral

Upon completion of application and all requirements, the student will be permitted to register for courses.

Non-matriculated students are not eligible for Federal Financial Aid.