Grad Track Pathways

Some departments offer a Grad Track Pathway to exceptional undergraduate students for early provisional admission to the master’s degree program. This accelerated program is designed for such students to earn coursework credits toward their master’s degree while completing their bachelor’s degree in a discipline as approved by the prospective graduate program. A Grad Track Pathway is defined by a set of graduate-level courses (no more than nine credit hours) that apply towards the bachelor’s degree and then also towards their associated master’s degree. Please consult your (prospective) department for additional information.

Graduate coursework taken for undergraduate credit will be considered advanced level, will be included in the student’s undergraduate GPA, and will be assessed undergraduate tuition rates. Advanced level coursework includes any 5000- or 6000-level lecture courses approved for use in the pathway.

Graduate coursework taken for undergraduate credit as part of the pathway applies to the associated master’s degree when the student has completed the bachelor’s degree, has been admitted to the associated master’s degree program, and the Form 1 (Plan of Study) has been approved
  1. A department must have an established pathway between a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. Usually, the master’s degree will be in the same discipline as the bachelor’s degree the student is pursuing.  Exceptions may be possible but must be justified and approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies.
  2. A student is eligible to apply to the pathway once the following criteria are met:
    1. Must be one year from graduation of their bachelor’s degree (excluding the semester they are currently enrolled).
    2. Must have a 3.0 minimum cumulative GPA. 
    3. Must have a 3.5 minimum GPA in the group of designated courses specified by the department.   
  3. Eligible students must submit the “Admission and Course Approval” form to the graduate advisor, the department chair or designee, and then the dean of graduate studies.  Individual departments may require additional documents such as unofficial copies of transcripts, statements of purpose, letters of recommendation, or standardized test scores.   The signed “Admission and Course Approval” form ensures the pathway courses will satisfy degree requirements for the student’s bachelor’s degree program. 
  4. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 until they receive their bachelor’s degree. 
  5. Students must receive grades of B or better in the graduate courses they enroll in as part of the pathway course sequence. 
  6. Students actively taking pathway courses must formally apply for admission to the master’s program associated with the pathway.  This requires submitting a formal application for admission so that the semester admit term for the master’s degree immediately follows the semester that the bachelor’s degree is awarded.  In the admission application, the student will be able to indicate that they are currently enrolled as a Grad Track Pathway student.
  7. If a student does not satisfy the pathway requirements above, they may still be admitted to the master’s program, but will not be able to apply the courses from the bachelor’s degree towards their master’s program of study.
  8. Grades earned in graduate-level courses while officially registered as an undergraduate student will count towards the student’s cumulative undergraduate GPA, and cannot be factored into the cumulative graduate GPA. 
  9. Credits earned in graduate-level courses will be posted according to established registrar procedures to the undergraduate transcript and will apply towards the student’s undergraduate degree hours as needed to obtain the undergraduate degree and thus ensure all stated degree requirements are met. 
  10. Once the bachelor’s degree is awarded, the student is fully admitted to the associated master’s program, and the Form 1 is approved, the courses from the pathway will be included on the student’s graduate degree audit.    

Aerospace Engineering

Business Administration (MBA)

Ceramic Engineering

Civil Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Computer Science

Engineering Management

Environmental Engineering  

Explosives Engineering

Information Science & Technology

Manufacturing Engineering

Materials Science Engineering

Mathematics and Statistics

Mechanical Engineering

Metallurgical Engineering

Mining Engineering

Nuclear Engineering

Physics

Systems Engineering

Technical Communication

Q:  When applying for admission to the master’s program, what semester should I apply for?

A:  You should submit a graduate application for the semester immediately following your undergraduate degree completion. Example: If you are graduating in the Spring Semester, you should submit an application for Fall.

 

Q:  I want to find out more information about Grad Track Pathways. Who do I contact?

A:  Each department has a specified faculty member overseeing their Grad Track Pathway(s). Please contact the department for more information.   

Q:  I want to take some time off between my undergraduate degree and graduate degree. Can I do that?

A:  No, your enrollment into the master's program must directly follow the semester in which your bachelor's degree is awarded.

 

Q:  Is the Grad Track Pathway the same as dual enrollment?

A:  No, the Grad Track Pathway is an accelerated program that allows you to transfer up to nine hours of designated coursework (as determined by requirements of each program) from your undergraduate degree to a specified master’s program. Dual Enrollment is a separate program that allows enrolled S&T undergraduates to take graduate level coursework for graduate credit at the undergraduate tuition rate. To participate in dual enrollment you must submit an application for admission.  Once admitted, you must designated which courses will be taken for graduate credit by submitting a form to the Registrar’s Office within the first two weeks of class.  Courses taken for graduate credit cannot be applied toward your undergraduate degree.