The University of Dallas is home to both graduate and undergraduate students. Some undergraduates have chosen to pursue their master’s and bachelor’s degrees simultaneously using the UD’s master’s 4+1 program.
Dr. James Whittington, dean of the Satish and Yasmin Gupta College of Business, said, “The big advantage is that if you plan on going to graduate school, you can actually take 12 hours of graduate level courses while you were still at the undergraduate tuition rate, which would probably be attractive to your parents.”
The College of Business offers five master’s degrees that are eligible for the 4+1 program: MBA, MS in accounting, MS in business analytics, MS in cybersecurity, MS in finance, and the new master’s of leadership degree.
There is a special benefit of pursuing a master’s degree with the College of Business. A cut of 20% is applied to the tuition of all alumni pursuing a master’s degree from the College of Business.
Whittington encourages those who have a desire to pursue a master’s degree to be thoughtful about their decision.
“If a student got a BA in Business at the University of Dallas, I would suggest that they don’t get an MBA,” he said.
Moreover, Whittington advises that undergraduates dedicating four years in a certain field should branch out and pursue a master’s degree in a related but different field.
“There’s probably additional English classes at the graduate level that you wouldn’t be exposed to as an English major,” said Whittington. “But maybe what you do now is take some advanced philosophy classes to complement the English foundation that you have already.”
Similarly, at the Braniff Graduate School, quite a few degrees are eligible for the 4+1 program. Students can pursue a MA in classics, English, philosophy, politics, psychology, teaching or theology.
Dr. Paul Weinhold, assistant dean of the Braniff Graduate School, said, “A 4+1 program complements your UD undergraduate degree, whether by deepening your knowledge of a related field or by broadening your knowledge through an unrelated field. Either approach can better position you to achieve your personal and professional goals.”
The 4+1 program is a great way for undergraduates to get a step ahead of others in their educational or professional goals. It allows students to not only take up to 12 credit hours of graduate level study as an undergraduate, but, if the student maintains a 3.66 GPA or higher, have six of those hours count doubly for master’s and bachelor’s degrees.
“The 4+1 program also saves time because you begin taking graduate-level courses during your undergraduate studies, shortening the time to complete your Master’s degree by 6-12 months compared to regular graduate applicants,” said Weinhold.
It’s important for students to make an informed decision with regard to the masters 4+1 programs.
“You have to work closely with your advisor to figure out what’s best, but I still think that you should open yourself up and challenge yourself and allow yourself the discomfort of taking a course that you didn’t necessarily have on your radar,” said Whittington.
The deans urge all undergraduate students to consider a master’s degree for its many benefits. For those interested, there will be a lunch-and-learn session about the programs on November 18th from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p. in the SB Hall Serafy Room.
Students interested in the masters 4+1 program are also encouraged to reach out to Breonna Collins, the Director of Graduate Admissions.