Preparation for Post-Baccalaureate Study

Students who are interested in post-baccalaureate study should, as early as possible in their academic career, take advantage of two valuable sources of information: (1) the graduate catalog which describes in detail the various graduate and post graduate programs and; (2) an academic advisor in their area of interest. The catalog outlines specific entrance requirements and necessary prerequisites. The advisor can provide assistance with curricular decisions at KSU. Students should be aware that graduate programs do not necessarily require an undergraduate degree in that specific discipline and that prerequisites may often be completed as elective courses in another major.

Some students are interested in applying to graduate or post-baccalaureate professional programs not offered at KSU (dentistry, engineering, law, and medicine for example). Although KSU does not offer pre-professional programs, many of our major programs of study and course offerings provide students with the opportunity to obtain recommended course work that will satisfy the entrance requirements for professional programs. These students are encouraged to see their advisor or contact a pre-professional program advisor as early as possible in their degree. These advisors can assist students in selecting appropriate course work, suggest strategies for including the course work into a specific program of study, and provide guidance on applying to professional programs. Information and advisement about pre-professional preparation can be obtained from the departments listed below.

The Accelerated Bachelor’s Master’s Degree Option provides qualified KSU undergraduate students the opportunity to begin graduate studies at KSU in their senior year and to simultaneously satisfy some remaining requirements for the bachelor ’s degree and the beginning requirements of an advanced degree.

A student may use up to nine credit hours of graduate-level courses offered within a single degree program in meeting the requirements of both a bachelor’s degree and a master ’s degree. Students applying for this program must:

1. Have completed at least 18 hours of coursework at Kennesaw State.
2. Have a KSU GPA of 3.5 or better.
3. Be within 21 semester hours of graduation.
4. Have written permission of the chair of the department of the undergraduate major to use the graduate level courses as acceptable substitutes to fulfill related requirements of the bachelor ’s degree (students must satisfy all prerequisites for those graduate courses).
5. Meet all requirements for admission into the specified graduate program (except for receipt of the undergraduate degree); and
6. Submit an application for admission to the Accelerated Bachelor’s-Master’s Degree Program, along with all necessary admissions documentation to the Dean of Graduate Studies by the deadline dates listed below.

No more than nine semester hours of graduate credit may be completed prior to the completion of the baccalaureate degree and admission to a graduate degree program. An undergraduate student enrolled in graduate classes is limited to six semester hours of graduate course work per term and a total academic course load of 12 semester hours per semester.

For students who work closely with their advisors in planning their course of study at KSU, this option offers the opportunity of simultaneously satisfying partial degree requirements for a bachelor ’s and a master’s degree in an accelerated program of study. Upon completion of the undergraduate degree, with a satisfactory undergraduate grade point average, and a grade of “B ” or better in all graduate courses completed, the student may move to full graduate status in the same graduate program, and the courses taken as an undergraduate can be applied toward the graduate degree.

Many combinations of undergraduate and graduate programs are possible and are not restricted to the confines of a single discipline or major. For example, integrated undergraduate/graduate programs have been developed for a Bachelor of Science in Psychology leading to a Master ’s Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in English leading to a Master of Arts in Professional Writing. Students interested in this option must meet with the department chair responsible for the undergraduate major.

For application materials, contact the Dean of the Graduate College at 770-423-6738 or http://www.kennesaw.edu/graduate/admissions/. Students may not apply online for this program. Submit applications materials to the Dean of the Graduate College no later than the following dates: 

The accelerated option is not available for students wishing to take courses in the MSN program. It is also not available for those wishing to take courses in the M.Ed. program unless the student has the required certification for admission to that program. Contact the Bagwell College of Education for more information at 770-423-6043 or http://www.kennesaw.edu/education/grad

Kennesaw State University offers a number of Master’s degrees, which are described under Programs of Study. Complete descriptions of the admission and degree requirements are detailed in the Kennesaw State University Graduate Catalog. Additional information can be obtained from the Graduate Admissions Office, the Graduate Program Directors, and on-line at: http://www.kennesaw.edu/graduate/

Most graduate programs require graduate entrance examinations similar to the undergraduate SAT tests. Although KSU does not actually administer these tests, students may obtain registration information about the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT in the CAPS Center.