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Prepare For Your Future Faster

The Department of Computer Science offers a combined  (integrated)  graduate degree  program (BS/MS) for undergraduate students with outstanding academic records to encourage them to pursue advanced degrees. This allows well-qualified undergraduate students in the Computer Science program at Kent State to start graduate study before completing their undergraduate degree. Enrolling in a combined BS/MS program can shorten the total time to get both bachelor's and master's degrees. By enrolling in a combined BS/MS program, students are eligible to count up  9 credit hours of courses may be applied simultaneously ("double-counted") for credit toward both their bachelor's degree - and these credit-hours also count toward the master's degree.  This can shorten the total time to get a BS degree plus an MS degree by 1 semester. The goal of the combined program is to encourage undergraduates to obtain an advanced degree. Application to the CS Department's combined BS/MS program is open to currently enrolled CS  undergraduate majors with outstanding academic records.

Steps involved

• Contact the CS Graduate Coordinator to set up an appointment to discuss your plans, to check eligibility, and to decide which semester should be your "double-count" semester.
• If you are eligible, apply for admission to the CS graduate program.
• Fill out the and a schedule projection provided by the undergraduate advisor and approved by both a CS undergraduate advisor and the CS graduate program coordinator.
• Register for courses in your double-count term as an undergraduate student. Registration Exception Form may be needed and that can be issued by the department graduate office.
• Make sure to follow all requirements for graduating with your BS degree, including applying for graduation.
• After graduating with your undergraduate degree, continue with your Master's coursework.

Eligibility

• You must meet all requirements for admission to the MS-CS graduate program.
• You are currently an  undergraduate CS major student in Computer Science at Kent State  University.
• You have at least a grade point average of  3.0   in all previous undergraduate work at the time of application.
• You have completed at least 60 undergraduate credit hours toward the BS degree.

Important Notes

• Only courses you take during the double-count semester will count toward both degrees. Courses taken before then will not count toward the MS degree.
• Only 50000- and 6000-level courses will count toward the MS degree.  If you wish to take a 60000-level course as a double-count course, you will have to work with a CS undergraduate advisor and the graduate coordinator to add the course.
• A maximum of 9 hours of double-count courses are allowed (no splitting of of hours)

More Information for Combined Degree Programs

For more information regarding combined BS/MS degrees programs, please see the Graduate College  .