Accelerate Central is a program that offers highly motivated and well-qualified Central Connecticut State University undergraduate students the opportunity to complete both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as few as 5 years of full-time study. Accelerate Central allows students to get a jump-start on a graduate degree by taking up to four (4) graduate level courses, for graduate credit, while remaining a matriculated undergraduate student. Depending on the program, two to four courses may count at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Please see the undergraduate program page to determine how many courses may be counted at both levels.
All Central undergraduate students are eligible to apply to Accelerate Central after successful completion of 60 or more credit hours; of which, at least 12 credit hours must be completed at Central. Some programs may require more credits to be completed at Central before a student is eligible to apply to an Accelerate Central program.
For acceptance into Accelerate Central, the standard undergraduate student will need a GPA of 3.3 or higher (for the most recent 60 credit hours of completed study) and meet program-specific admission criteria.
Students who are accepted into Accelerate Central will officially matriculate into the School of Graduate Studies the semester immediately following conferral of their bachelor’s degree, provided the minimum 3.0 GPA is maintained.
Students wishing to defer their graduate studies must notify graduate admissions of this decision prior to the start of the term following the conferral of their bachelor’s degree.
If a student in an Accelerate Central program decides not to pursue the master's degree, they should notify the department and the registrar's office to be placed back into the original major. Courses that were applied to both graduate and undergraduate transcripts as part of the Accelerate Central program will be removed from the graduate transcript and only be applied to the undergraduate transcript. 500-level courses may be substituted for undergraduate degree requirements with departmental approval. Courses completed for only graduate credit will not be affected and will remain listed on the graduate transcript.
Available Pathways
Pathway to an Accounting MSA
Students who complete this pathway will graduate with a Master's degree in Accounting, MSA.
Eligible students can apply to the pathway during their junior year of study. Selected students will be able to complete the undergradaute and graduate program in as few as five years on a full-time basis. The pathway program allows students to “double count” courses in both the undergraduate and graduate degrees; reducing the total number of credits and time required to complete both degrees.
The following program are eligible for the pathway to the graduate program:
Accounting, BS Program Info Catalog Entry Finance BS Program Info Catalog Entry Pathway to an Athletic Training MS
Students who complete this pathway will graduate with a Master's degree in Athletic Training, MS.
Eligible students can apply to the pathway during their junior year of study. Selected students will be able to complete the undergradaute and graduate program in as few as five years on a full-time basis. The pathway program allows students to “double count” courses in both the undergraduate and graduate degrees; reducing the total number of credits and time required to complete both degrees.
The following program are eligible for the pathway to the graduate program:
Exercise Science BS Program Info Catalog Entry Pathway to a Biomolecular Science MS
Students who complete this pathway will graduate with a Master's degree in Biomolecular Science, MS.
Eligible students can apply to the pathway during their junior year of study. Selected students will be able to complete the undergradaute and graduate program in as few as five years on a full-time basis. The pathway program allows students to “double count” courses in both the undergraduate and graduate degrees; reducing the total number of credits and time required to complete both degrees.
The following program are eligible for the pathway to the graduate program:
Biomolecular Science BS Program Info Catalog Entry Pathway to a Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Students who complete this pathway will graduate with a Master's degree in Business Administration, MBA.
Eligible students can apply to the pathway during their junior year of study. Selected students will be able to complete the undergradaute and graduate program in as few as five years on a full-time basis. The pathway program allows students to “double count” courses in both the undergraduate and graduate degrees; reducing the total number of credits and time required to complete both degrees.
The following program are eligible for the pathway to the graduate program:
Accounting BS Program Info Catalog Entry Business BS Program Info Catalog Entry Business Analytics BS Program Info Catalog Entry Finance BS Program Info Catalog Entry Management BS Program Info Catalog Entry Management Information Systems BS Program Info Catalog Entry Marketing BS Program Info Catalog Entry Physics BS Program Info Catalog Entry Pathway to a Computer Information Technology MS
Students who complete this pathway will graduate with a Master's degree in Computer Information Technology, MS.
Eligible students can apply to the pathway during their junior year of study. Selected students will be able to complete the undergradaute and graduate program in as few as five years on a full-time basis. The pathway program allows students to “double count” courses in both the undergraduate and graduate degrees; reducing the total number of credits and time required to complete both degrees.
The following program are eligible for the pathway to the graduate program:
Computer Science BS Program Info Catalog Entry Computer Science BA Program Info Catalog Entry Cybersecurity BS Program Info Catalog Entry Pathway to a Criminal Justice MS
Students who complete this pathway will graduate with a Master's degree in Criminal Justice, MS.
Eligible students can apply to the pathway during their junior year of study. Selected students will be able to complete the undergradaute and graduate program in as few as five years on a full-time basis. The pathway program allows students to “double count” courses in both the undergraduate and graduate degrees; reducing the total number of credits and time required to complete both degrees.
The following program are eligible for the pathway to the graduate program:
Criminology BA Program Info Catalog Entry Pathway to an English MA
Students who complete this pathway will graduate with a Master's degree in English, MA.
Eligible students can apply to the pathway during their junior year of study. Selected students will be able to complete the undergradaute and graduate program in as few as five years on a full-time basis. The pathway program allows students to “double count” courses in both the undergraduate and graduate degrees; reducing the total number of credits and time required to complete both degrees.
The following program are eligible for the pathway to the graduate program:
English BA Program Info Catalog Entry Pathway to a Mechanical Engineering MS
Students who complete this pathway will graduate with a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, MS.
Eligible students can apply to the pathway during their junior year of study. Selected students will be able to complete the undergradaute and graduate program in as few as five years on a full-time basis. The pathway program allows students to “double count” courses in both the undergraduate and graduate degrees; reducing the total number of credits and time required to complete both degrees.
The following program are eligible for the pathway to the graduate program:
Mechanical Engineering BS Program Info Catalog Entry Pathway to a Psychology MA
Students who complete this pathway will graduate with a Master's degree in Psychological Science, MA.
Eligible students can apply to the pathway during their junior year of study. Selected students will be able to complete the undergradaute and graduate program in as few as five years on a full-time basis. The pathway program allows students to “double count” courses in both the undergraduate and graduate degrees; reducing the total number of credits and time required to complete both degrees.
The following program are eligible for the pathway to the graduate program:
Psychological Science Program Info Catalog Entry Pathway to a Software Engineering MS
Students who complete this pathway will graduate with a Master's degree in Software Engineering, MS.
Eligible students can apply to the pathway during their junior year of study. Selected students will be able to complete the undergradaute and graduate program in as few as five years on a full-time basis. The pathway program allows students to “double count” courses in both the undergraduate and graduate degrees; reducing the total number of credits and time required to complete both degrees.
The following program are eligible for the pathway to the graduate program:
Computer Science BS Program Info Catalog Entry Computer Science BA Program Info Catalog Entry Cybersecurity BS Program Info Catalog Entry Pathway to a Special Education MSED
Students who complete this pathway will graduate with a Master's degree in Special Education, MSED.
Eligible students can apply to the pathway during their junior year of study. Selected students will be able to complete the undergradaute and graduate program in as few as five years on a full-time basis. The pathway program allows students to “double count” courses in both the undergraduate and graduate degrees; reducing the total number of credits and time required to complete both degrees.
The following program are eligible for the pathway to the graduate program:
Special Education BSED Program Info Catalog Entry