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The School of Geographical Sciences & Urban Planning’s fast track approach allows highly qualified students who are finishing their Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Geography degree, or Bachelor of Science in Geography (Meteorology-Climatology) to be enrolled simultaneously in the Master of Arts Geography degree program. These students are permitted to take up to 12 credits of graduate courses as undergraduates after admission to the fast track. The graduate coursework can be applied toward the undergraduate degree and toward the MA Geography plan of study. In order to share coursework, students must be formally admitted to the MA Geography program in the fall semester of their senior year.
This accelerated degree is intended for high performing undergraduate students. All candidates must have:
Online Students: The MA Geography program is offered on campus only. To pursue the accelerated master’s degree, you must change your program from online to on campus prior to starting your senior year. You can still submit a preliminary application as an online student, and make the campus change after your application is evaluated. Please contact your undergraduate advisor for more information on campus changes. Do not make any campus changes before talking with your undergraduate advisor and discussing the application process with graduate advisors.
These worksheets outline courses to be taken during each year of the accelerated degree program:
BA/MA plan of study
BS/MA plan of study
BS(Meteorology-Climatology)/MA plan of study
The preliminary online application must be completed by March 15 (spring semester of junior year) for admission to the program the following fall semester.
The application requirements include:
The admissions committee will review the preliminary online application and instruct you regarding Step 2.
The Graduate Admissions Application must be completed by June 1 (summer before senior year) for admission to the program the following fall semester.
You must have already completed the preliminary online application (Step 1) and received approval from the admissions committee to submit the Graduate Admissions Application.
You must have completed 90 credit hours of coursework before fall of senior year. The GRE requirement is waived for 4+1 applicants.
After Step 2 is completed, the admissions committee will review the Graduate Admissions Application and the final grades earned in the Spring of the junior year. The Spring term GPA must be 3.0 or higher to be considered for admission. Applicants with an Incomplete on the transcript will not be admitted to the 4+1 program. Incomplete work must be resolved no later than the grad posting deadline for Summer B session prior to the start of the senior year.
Student progress toward completing both degrees will be monitored at the end of each academic year by both the undergraduate and graduate program coordinators. Written progress reports on work for the two degrees must be added to the student’s file at the end of each academic year.
Students in the Accelerated Program must maintain an overall ASU cumulative 3.0 GPA at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Students will officially be considered undergraduates until all work for the BA or BS degree is completed and the student’s bachelor’s degree has been awarded and posted to the student’s transcripts. They will NOT be eligible for teaching and research assistantships and related health insurance, financial aid, or graduate award programs until the undergraduate degree is completed.
Students must complete the bachelors’ degree within one academic year of the initiation of the joint degree program. A student will be removed from participation in the accelerated program if he or she does not complete the undergraduate program within one academic year after starting the joint program, or if their cumulative undergraduate GPA drops below 3.0, or if the student fails to register for classes in all successive spring-fall semesters. If removed from the accelerated program the student would be removed from the MA degree program, but would be permitted to continue in the BA or BS program. Such a student could later apply for regular admission to the MA program, but he or she would NOT be able to count any shared courses toward their MA program.