Program description, goals, and benefits
The Fast Track program at DSU provides a unique opportunity for high achieving undergraduate students to obtain both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in five years. This is accomplished by allowing these students to take selected graduate courses during their senior year. These courses will also count towards their undergraduate course requirements thereby accelerating completion of a graduate program. In effect, students will be able to:
- Leverage their presence on campus to complete some of the requirements of the graduate program during the last semesters of their undergraduate degree, thus reducing completion time by at least one semester. In effect, obtaining a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in five years.
- Save on tuition cost by taking up to 9 credits of graduate course work that will count towards undergraduate and graduate program requirements.
Specific Undergraduate and Graduate Programs for Fast Track Requirements
The Fast Track programs are specifically for the Masters of Science in Cyber Defense (MSCD), Information Systems (MSIS), Analytics (MSA), Computer Science (MSCS) and Health Informatics and Information Management (MSHIIM) graduate programs.
Undergraduate students in:
- Information Systems (CIS) would select the MS in Information Systems or MS in Analytics program;
- Network and Security Administration (NSA) would select the MS Cyber Defense program;
- Cyber Operations (CyOp) would select either the MS Cyber Defense or MS Computer Science programs;
- Computer Science (CSC) would select either the MS Cyber Defense or MS Computer Science programs;
- Health Information Administration (HIA) would select the MS Health Informatics and Information Management program.
Admission requirements
Students with a major in Computer Information Systems, Network and Security Administration, Cyber Operations, Computer Science or Health Information Administration may be admitted to the Fast Track program upon completion of their junior year. Accordingly, they can apply to the program in the last semester of their junior year. To be considered, the student will have to meet the following requirements:
- Have senior status by the time they commence their joint undergraduate/graduate program.
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher after grades have been posted from their junior year.
Application requirements
A Fast Track application form can be found in the Beacom College of Computer and Cyber Sciences, or the College of Business and Information Systems or the Graduate office. A completed application package is required once a student has earned his/her bachelor’s degree. See program information for specific application requirements.