Learn about your options when you don鈥檛 have a bachelor鈥檚 and would like to earn your master鈥檚.
Yes, it is possible to earn your master鈥檚 degree without previously having earned your bachelor鈥檚 degree. However, it is not the traditional pathway. Typically, master鈥檚 programs require proof of a bachelor鈥檚 degree as part of the admission requirements.听
Applying to a master鈥檚 degree without a bachelor鈥檚 degree will likely limit the types of programs you can apply to and what you can study. That being said, it is still possible to move forward with graduate school without completing an undergraduate education first.听
A master鈥檚 degree builds on what you learn in a bachelor鈥檚 degree, even if you end up studying a different subject. The coursework tends to be more challenging and the subject matter tends to be more advanced, which is why most graduate programs expect you to go through the rigor of a bachelor鈥檚 degree and get the academic training you鈥檒l need to continue progressing in your education.听
Still, there are ways to earn your master鈥檚 degree when you don鈥檛 have a bachelor鈥檚.听
Some universities offer combined bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 programs. Technically, this option still requires you to earn your bachelor鈥檚 degree, but you鈥檒l do so much more quickly than if you pursued both separately. These programs accelerate the process of gaining both degrees typically into five years, rather than the traditional five years for a bachelor鈥檚 degree and two or three years for a master鈥檚.听
Not all schools offer combined degree programs, however, and many programs will be limited to certain subject areas. Examples of combined degree subjects include:聽
Business: BA/MBA
Computer science: BS/MS
Public health: BPH/MPH
Social work: BSW/MSW聽
Nursing: BSN/MSN
If you鈥檙e interested in this option, conduct an internet search for combined degree programs available online or in-person in your area to see if any could be a good subject matter fit.听
Some schools will take your professional experience into consideration if you鈥檝e acquired a good deal of it but haven鈥檛 earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree. Your experience can translate to skills earned, especially in fields like business and computer science.听
Advanced standing is the process of using professional experience in lieu of a bachelor鈥檚 degree, allowing you to receive college credit for your work experience. Every university examines advanced standing differently, but many use five years of managerial experience as a benchmark. Some universities may require additional credits鈥攐r even an associate degree鈥攂efore admitting you into a master鈥檚 degree.听
Using experience to gain admission to a master鈥檚 works well for fields like nursing. For instance, some programs allow registered nurses with enough professional work experience and some coursework to obtain their Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) without possessing a bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing.听
If you鈥檙e interested in this option, conduct an internet search for available programs in your area or online, or reach out to the schools that you鈥檙e interested in attending to see if they might consider a professional applicant.听
Some university partners on 糖心vlog官网观看, like the , do not require a bachelor鈥檚 degree to enroll in one of their online master鈥檚 degree programs. Instead, Boulder uses performance-based admission, which allows applicants to prove their knowledge by taking and passing a certain number of required courses鈥攗sually around three鈥攊n order to gain full admission into the program.听
Explore the university鈥檚 Master of Science in Computer Science, Master of Science in Data Science, Master of Engineering in Engineering Management, and Master of Science in Electrical Engineering.
Learn more: How This Self-Taught Web Developer Went Straight to a Master's Degree
Knowing that a bachelor鈥檚 degree can open up the number of master鈥檚 programs you can apply to鈥攏ot to mention the variety of subjects you can study鈥攊t may be worthwhile to first earn your bachelor鈥檚 degree to meet that requirement.听
In that case, it鈥檚 possible to accelerate the time it takes to earn your bachelor鈥檚 degree.听
Accelerated degrees: Some universities offer accelerated bachelor鈥檚 degrees in certain majors, which usually means you can earn your undergraduate degree in three years. These programs tend to be quite rigorous, however, because you will take more coursework each session or semester than the average student.听
Online degrees: Online bachelor鈥檚 degrees often feature asynchronous, self-paced learning, so you can plan your studies around your other responsibilities. In that case, you may be able to sign up for a higher number of courses per session to accelerate the time it takes to finish your degree.听
Transfer your previous learning: If you鈥檝e previously earned some college credit or have completed other kinds of learning, such as certifications or Professional Certificates, you may be able to transfer them and lessen the coursework you need to complete to earn your bachelor鈥檚.
Bachelor鈥檚 completion programs: These transfer-friendly completion degrees are designed for returning learners who want to finish their bachelor鈥檚 without starting over again.听
Explore master鈥檚 degrees available through 糖心vlog官网观看 that do not require a bachelor鈥檚 degree. The University of Colorado Boulder has four master鈥檚 programs in technical fields that allow performance-based admission, so you can show what you know in order to gain full admission. Get started with an open course, such as Project Management: Foundations and Initiation for the Master of Engineering in Engineering Management or Algorithms for Searching, Sorting, and Indexing for the Master of Science in Data Science, to see whether the curriculum is a good fit.听
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This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.