4+1 Accelerated Bachelor’s and Master’s
The 4+1 (5-year) accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program is designed for UTK undergraduates who are pursuing a public affairs major and wish to earn both their bachelor’s degree and the MPP or MPA degrees within approximately five years. Beginning graduate coursework in their senior year, admitted students are able to take up to 9 credit hours counting toward both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Tennessee. For questions regarding the accelerated program, please contact the Student Success team at [email protected].
Admissions Requirements
To be considered for conditional admission to the 4+1 Program applicants must:
- Be a declared Public Affairs major
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.40 or higher
- Have earned 90 credit hours or be finishing 90 hours in semester they apply
Please note that admission to the 4+1 program does not guarantee a student’s admission to the MPP/MPA program or the Graduate School. Admission to the 4+1 Program must be obtained before taking graduate coursework that is to be used to satisfy the requirements of both the bachelor’s degree and a graduate degree.
Admissions Timeline
To take full advantage of the 4+1 program, students should apply for admission after completion of 90 credit hours and/or with at least 2 full semesters of undergraduate coursework remaining. Once admitted, students will work closely with their academic advisor to plan their 9 hours of graduate coursework and obtain appropriate approval from the Department Head (or designee) and the Graduate School.
Students who have been admitted to the 4+1 Program must apply for admission to the Graduate School and to the MPP/MPA program, following the standard application process and timeline. Students will be fully admitted to a graduate program after they have been accepted by both the Graduate School and by the MPP/MPA program. Once fully admitted, accelerated students are required to complete the standard curriculum for their chosen program.
