In January, the University of Oregon Senate approved a program proposal that would allow departments across UO  to allow “high-achieving” students a chance to obtain a higher degree with a portion of graduate classes taken during undergrad. 

The program, called an accelerated master’s, would take place over a five-year period: traditional undergraduate classes in the first three years, graduate-level courses in the fourth year and then one year with the appropriate graduate school. 
Students would apply to begin taking classes that count for the graduate degree in their third year. The students would then have to apply during their fourth year to the graduate school from which they intend to get their master’s degree. This is subject to change from program to program as departments can make their own schedules as long as it is eventually approved by the right committees, according to Karduna.

Andrew Karduna, associate dean of the Graduate School and sponsor of the proposal, said students would probably benefit from deciding they want to participate in one of these programs early in their college career so they can begin to plan their schedules.

Some departments across UO have already begun to develop their own accelerated master’s programs to propose to the Graduate and Undergraduate Councils of the Senate. The departments for economics and math and the College of Education showed particular interest early on. 

According to Karduna, the accelerated master’s program has multiple benefits: It serves as a recruiting tool and lowers the price of earning multiple degrees. 

“If high school students knew that they could come to the University of Oregon and in, say, a five-year period, get both an undergraduate and graduate degree through this program, then it could potentially help the university in terms of recruitment at the undergraduate level,” Karduna said. 

The Office of Student Financial Aid & Scholarships will still offer aid to students participating during the undergraduate portion of the program, Karduna said. While students are taking graduate-level courses in undergrad, they will be paying the normal undergraduate tuition rate, according to Karduna. 

“Basically as long as a student is working toward their undergraduate degree, a graduate class can count towards undergraduate financial aid,” Karduna said.

Lillian Durán, associate dean of the College of Education, said the college is planning to develop an accelerated program within the special education program. She added that they are only in the “infancy of this discussion” as more kinks need to be worked out. The College of Education intends to create a brand new special education undergraduate major soon with the creation of the accelerated master’s to go along with it, according to Durán.
“We need to be creative at this point to have a program that would entice students to stay for their master’s degree from UO and also make our master’s degree program continue to be relevant,” Durán said.
Karduna said UO could begin these accelerated master’s programs as early as Fall 2020, with undergraduate students having the opportunity to apply in the spring for such a program.

The development of the accelerated master’s program was started in April 2019 after Janet Woodruff-Borden, then dean of the Graduate School, called a gathering of deans from across almost every department at UO to discuss master’s programs. According to Karduna, there was a strong support for the implementation of an accelerated master’s option. Karduna said he has never seen such a consensus than on this particular project.