Undergraduate students at Southern can complete their bachelor's and master's degrees in less time by taking advantage of our accelerated pathway options. These pathways save students time and expense by allowing them to take up to 12 credits of graduate coursework during their undergraduate degree.
Students with a 3.0 GPA and 90+ credits may be eligible to take up to 12 credits of graduate-level coursework; this coursework would apply to both their undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Individual programs may have higher GPA requirements or other restrictions. See the full catalog policy.
See Benefits and Example Degree Maps
Sample Pathway Options
Contact your academic advisor if your program is not listed.
| Graduate Program | Accelerated Pathway Open To | Graduate Coordinator | Which Courses are Eligible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athletic Training, MAT | Students in the corresponding undergraduate major only | Dr. Kelly Coleman | ATH 510, ATH 520, ATH 540, ATH 542, ATH 543, and ATH 546 |
| Bilingual/Multicultural Education/TESOL, MS | Any undergraduate student, irrespective of major | Dr. Elena Schmitt | TSL 502, TSL 521, TSL 515, and TSL 563 |
| Computer Science, MS | Any undergraduate student, irrespective of major | Dr. Herv Podnar | CSC 540, CSC 543, CSC 563, CSC 550, CSC 535, CSC 521, CSC 555, and CSC 568 |
| History, MA | Students in the corresponding undergraduate major only | Dr. Darcy Kern | All graduate courses |
| Integrative Biological Diversity, MS | Students in the corresponding undergraduate major only | Dr. Emma Cross | All graduate courses |
| Political Science, MS | Any undergraduate student, irrespective of major | Dr. Minnie Hoang | All graduate courses |
| Public Administration, MPA | Any undergraduate student, irrespective of major | Dr. Minnie Hoang | PSC 501, MPA 500, MPA 510, PSC 527, PSC 512, and MPA 597 |
| Recreation and Leisure, Recreation Administration, MS | Students in the corresponding undergraduate major only | Dr. Joe Milone | REC 574, REC 575, REC 577, REC 533, REC 557, REC 561, REC 570, REC 571, REC 572, REC 573, REC 576, REC 579, REC 599, and SMT 515 |
| Recreation and Leisure, Recreation Therapy, MS | Any undergraduate student, irrespective of major | Dr. Tarah Loy-Ashe | REC 509, REC 533, REC 584 |
| Social Work, MSW | Any undergraduate student, irrespective of major | Dr. Lorrie Gardella | SWK 510, SWK 550, SWK 551 |
| Special Education, MS | Any undergraduate student, irrespective of major | Dr. Judy Terpstra | SED 560, SED 514, SED 517, and SED 531 |
| Sport and Entertainment Management, MS | Students in the corresponding undergraduate major only | Dr. Kevin McGinniss | SMT 512, SMT 514, SMT 515, REC 575 |
Undergraduate matriculated students must be a senior with at least 90 earned credits and have a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA), or higher as determined by the department, to be eligible to enroll in graduate coursework (500-level or above). Graduate courses must fulfill a student’s current undergraduate program requirements to be eligible for financial aid. Approval to start graduate coursework during an undergraduate program does not guarantee future admission to the graduate program.
Graduate course grades will be recorded on the undergraduate transcript, computed in the undergraduate GPA, and credit may be earned towards completion of the bachelor’s degree. If the student earns a ‘C’ or better in a graduate course, the grade will also be recorded on the graduate transcript, computed in the graduate GPA, and credit may be earned towards completion of the master’s degree. Some programs may have higher grade requirements in place for certain courses which will require the student to retake the course for a higher grade later.
Students will meet with their faculty advisor to prepare a Graduate Course Plan based on their intended graduate program of study for accelerated pathways. Students may take up to 6 graduate credits per semester and up to 12 graduate credits overall (the specific number of credits may vary by program and student). The Department Chairperson for the student’s undergraduate program must approve the graduate courses to be applied to the bachelor’s degree requirements. The Graduate Coordinator for the student’s intended graduate program of study must approve the plan to authorize registration in the graduate courses. The ability for undergraduate students to take graduate-level courses may be limited by seat availability.
Interested in an Accelerated Pathway?
Ask your advisor about adding an accelerated pathway attribute to your degree evaluation and start your planning today!