Accelerated degree in computer science

Accelerated degrees in computer science

An accelerated 4+1 program is available for students currently admitted in the Bachelor of Science in computer science program. This allows students to graduate with a B.S. in computer science and a M.S. in computer science in five years of full-time course work.

Students interested in this program must meet the following eligibility requirements:

1. Have at least 75 credits completed.
2. Have a cumulative ASU GPA of 3.50 or higher.
3. Have two semesters left in undergraduate program at time of admission to the M.S. program (senior year course work).

Students earning a B.S. in computer science can use nine credits of graduate course work toward undergraduate degree requirements and graduate degree requirements.

Application Procedure

Students must apply for admission to the program through the School of Computing, Informatics, and Decision Systems Engineering (CIDSE) and the ASU Graduate College by submitting an application form for the 4+1 accelerated program in computer science. Interested students should meet with their academic advisor to learn more about the program and how to apply. 

Applications must be accompanied by:

1. An official transcript from all universities attended, except ASU.
2. Three letters of recommendation (with at least two from ASU faculty members).

If you are an international student, please review the admission requirements to learn which additional documents need to be submitted.

Please contact an undergraduate advisor with questions about the 4+1 accelerated program, or before you apply to the program. You can set up an appointment by calling 480-965-3199 or e-mailing cidse.advising@asu.edu.

Course Plan

2006-2007 and later catalog years (senior year and master's degree)
Computer Science

*M.S. students are allowed to take a maximum of 12 hours of CSE 598 course work.

Admitted Students

Students will be considered undergraduates until all B.S. or B.S.E. program requirements have been completed. Undergraduate students accepted into the integrated program will be eligible for graduate-level courses and seminars. Students must petition the Graduate College to be approved to reserve graduate courses for the integrated program. Students must fill out the petition to Graduate College form. On the form, students must state, "I was admitted to the B.S.(E.)/M.S. program in xxx semester/year and am requesting permission to share xx credits between the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. The course I will be sharing for both degree programs are CSE XXX: Title Sem. Yr." The form can then be turned into the CIDSE Advising Center for processing. Upon approval by the Graduate College, the graduate advisor will issue a prerequisite override to enroll in the course(s).

Upon receipt of the B.S. or the B.S.E. degree, the status of the student will change from undergraduate to graduate, which means the student will be eligible for graduate research assistantships and related health insurance and tuition waivers. Students must notify the graduate advisor regarding their graduation.

Upon admission to the 4+1 program, the student should identify a faculty member as advisor, if they have not done so already. In consultation with the faculty advisor, the student will develop an integrated plan of study (iPOS) leading to the dual degrees.  By the end of the second semester in the program, the student should also form a supervisory committee that will serve as the master’s thesis committee.

Maintaining Good Academic Standing

Satisfactory progress in the integrated program is achieved if the student maintains a 3.00 GPA both in overall undergraduate course work and in the student’s approved master's program of study AND a grade of "C" (2.00) or above in each course.

A student may be recommended for dismissal to the Graduate College from the master's portion of the 4+1 accelerated program and be returned to the undergraduate-only status in the B.S. or B.S.E. if the student does not complete all requirements for the bachelor’s (B.S./B.S.E.) degree within one year of being admitted to the 4+1 accelerated program (without prior approval of his/her faculty advisor and supervisory committee) or does not maintain a 3.00 GPA. Students must maintain continuous enrollment.

The student may drop out of the 4+1 accelerated program and return to a regular B.S. or B.S.E. program at any point of time. Students who are dismissed, or voluntarily withdraw, from the 4+1 accelerated program and return to undergraduate status, are eligible to apply for admission to the stand-alone M.S. program.