Can I Skip My Bachelor’s And Get A Masters?
When it comes to higher education such as Master’s and Doctorate, many people believe it can come only after completing a bachelor’s studies. However, while it often goes that way, some exceptions depend on a major, educational program, and the educational institution that the students study at.
Surprisingly, some schools offer master’s programs for students who have either completed most of their education and dropped out or people who have gone through various side courses and completed them for the sake of their career path. Whichever is the case, those people may access graduate-level education at some educational institutions.
But, this privilege doesn’t apply to everyone and not everywhere. Before trying to apply to a Master’s program and skipping your Bachelor’s you should talk to your school advisors, while also contacting the university itself.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at programs that don’t require a bachelor’s and allow you to proceed straight to Masters’s. We’ll also look under which conditions you can skip the bachelor’s and finally, we’ll list the universities that have Master’s programs ready after skipping the Bachelor’s.
About one-third of Americans holds bachelor’s degree. That number is small when you compare people who are unemployed and don’t have any form of higher education. This number is lower when it comes to Master degree graduates and extremely low for people that hold the Ph. D from some program.
This huge gap in the educational system that doesn’t seem to be getting patched up any time soon has left various colleges and universities offering Master’s degree plans for people who weren’t able to complete bachelor’s for different reasons.
However, this opportunity is not free of charge, especially for people who couldn’t get a Bachelor’s because of a lack of financial aid when studying. Still, different educational institutions will have a look at your certifications and work experience which may suffice your enrollment into the graduate studies.
Master’s Programs That Won’t Ask For Your Bachelor’s
There are several Master’s programs that won’t require the presence of your Bachelor’s diploma. Let’s take a look at them below.
Combined Programs
This is not the best option for students who want to skip the bachelor’s program and study master’s because several options include the undergraduate and graduate program at the same time, while some options see students partake in the Master’s educational program only when they’re 4 courses away from getting their Bachelor’s degree.
In this option, one implies the other. That said, you will have to complete your bachelor’s studies as part of your master’s degree, but it will be packaged into a program that will make it look like you’re taking only a Master’s degree.
Integrated Bachelor’s
Integrated Bachelor’s program offers more flexibility for students who haven’t gotten their Bachelor’s degree yet. However, that means that everything is combined into one large program that will last longer and cost more in the process.
Nevertheless, it comes with several perks like getting two qualifications at the same time, and the ability to work in multiple career fields. Another bad side of Integrated Bachelor studies is that it may be more difficult to get into the doctorate program after completing the integrated studies.
Accelerated Degree Programs
Accelerated degree programs are great for people who want to skip as much as possible from the undergraduate studies and jump onto a Master’s program. Accelerated degree programs consist of completing a speed bachelor’s degree which is just enough to cover up the requirements for the Master’s programs.
This is a great option for people who have already worked in the industry and just need the degree formally or have already acquired certain certification. It’s pretty much the same material taught at Bachelors. However, it’s accelerated and made so that students would obtain the knowledge in a shorter period. That’s also what makes it more difficult than other programs.
Dual Bachelor And Master’s Degrees
This option is pretty similar to the combined programs. The only difference is that the dual bachelor’s and master’s degree focuses on completing both studies at the same time, although you must obtain the bachelor’s degree before master’s.
This option is not as practical as other options because not only it’s a more tedious task and can potentially last longer, there’s no option to just skip the Bachelor’s program. Instead, you have to focus on both simultaneously.
Majors That Allow Dual Bachelor’s And Master’s Degree
Universities that allow the dual bachelor’s or master’s degree, or skipping the Bachelor’s degree to take on a Master’s program contain programs from the following majors. Although there may be some options that are outside this list, these are the most popular majors where skipping the Bachelor’s is possible.
Engineering
Engineering is a broad term, there are many types of engineering majors and minors, but only some will allow you to take on a Master’s without completing Bachelors. Alternatively, many accelerated degree programs are available in engineering, especially when it comes to completing some key courses like math and physics.
Humanities
Humanities are also a broad major, so students who have completed a related studying program can either take on the accelerated degree program, dual bachelor’s and master’s program, or take onto the Master’s from humanities immediately.
Education
If you’re looking for a career in some of the childhood education career paths, taking a dual degree or accelerated degree programs from the Education major could be worth it. Keep in mind that not all colleges will allow this transition, which is why it’s important to do your research with universities that you’re interested in studying at.
Finance
Taking an accelerated or integrated Bachelor’s degree to study a Master’s program in business and finance is more than possible. However, not all universities offer this program. You may also be required to have some prerequisites from business math, as well as economics and some other subjects.
Universities That Offer Master’s Without Bachelor’s Programs
Finally, let’s take a look at the educational institutions that will allow you to study a Master’s program without previously completing a Bachelor’s program. There may be some additional requirements, which you can check with the university you’re applying to.
South University: This university offers a Nursing degree with online programs available to Registered Nurses to take on a Master’s degree after completing their associate’s degree.
https://www.southuniversity.edu/online/degrees-programs/nursing/family-nurse-practitioner-rn-to-msn
Penn State University: This university offers five years long integrated and combined programs for Bachelor’s of Science and an MBA program for Accounting. It also comes with a lot of internships that will allow you to earn some money, but they’re only available in the final year of studies.
https://www.smeal.psu.edu/macc/integrated
Roger Williams University: Roger Williams University offers an integrated 4+1 program which offers an online Master of Science degree for people interested in criminal justice. The entire syllabus focuses on the justice system and enabling students to enter the legal waters once they graduate.
Boston University: Students who want to pass on the Bachelor’s program and leap into the Master’s program have that opportunity at the Boston University master’s program from mechanical engineering.
All you need to do is complete some undergraduate coursework to give you the prerequisites to join the Master’s program. The program focuses on some key concepts like fluid dynamics and aerodynamics. However, some part of the curriculum is also dedicated to mechatronics and robotics.
http://www.bu.edu/eng/programs/ms-in-mechanical-engineering/
Brandeis University: Brandeis University offers multiple Master’s programs without a Bachelor’s degree. One of them includes a Master of Arts in comparative humanities, as well as a Master’s in biotechnology and computer science. However, you might have to fill in some additional requirements to be suitable for the engineering courses.
