Accelerated Master's Program (AMP)

Ball State offers departments the opportunity to develop an accelerated master’s program (AMP) degree plan for their undergraduate students.  All such programs must be approved through the normal curriculum approval process.  Students who enroll in these programs may be able to count up to 9 credits to both the undergraduate and graduate degrees and may be able to earn both degrees in five years or less.

Admission Procedures and Program Policies

• Upon earning a minimum of 75 credits and a 3.25 cumulative GPA, students may apply to a combined program by completing the application into the desired graduate program and submitting required materials.  Students must have earned at least 30 credits at Ball State.  Standard master’s application and admission procedures as outlined in the Graduate Catalog apply.  
• Students who are admitted into the program’s AMP must maintain a 3.25 GPA while an undergraduate student to remain in the program, and if their GPA falls below this level, they will be dismissed from the AMP.  While a student maintains undergraduate status, the quality points earned in graduate courses will be used to calculate the undergraduate GPA.  These courses will also transfer into the master’s degree program and will count towards the master’s degree GPA. If a student earns below a B (3.0) grade in a graduate course while enrolled in the AMP, the department has the option of not accepting the course into the master’s degree program of study. 
• As determined by the participating bachelor’s program, graduate courses earned as part of the AMP may be applied to the bachelor’s degree as electives or by substitution of graduate-level courses for required undergraduate courses in the major. 
• The regular six-year time-limit for completing the master’s degree applies to students in a combined program once the student is formally accepted into the AMP.
• Combined bachelor’s/master’s plan students are not eligible for graduate assistantships until their bachelor’s degrees have been awarded and they have achieved graduate student status. 
• Students will remain in undergraduate status and pay undergraduate tuition until they have fulfilled all requirements for their bachelor’s degree.    

For each student enrolled in the accelerated program, the department will fill out the appropriate form and have it approved by the program director and the graduate dean.  This form will outline the master’s level classes that will count towards both the undergraduate and graduate degrees, and the department will update the student’s DegreeWorks audit to reflect the student’s plan.

Students may earn graduate credit both in an AMP and under the Undergraduates Taking Graduate Courses policy.  In circumstances where a Ball State undergraduate student earns credit under both policies, they may count 9 graduate credits toward both their undergraduate and graduate degrees in an AMP.  Additionally, under the Undergraduates Taking Graduate Courses policy, the student may take an additional 3 graduate credits that may be applied to either the undergraduate or graduate degree, but not to both.  Under no circumstances will undergraduate students be permitted to take more than 12 graduate credits.