{"id":3800,"date":"2025-05-27T17:55:24","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T17:55:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stmarytx.edu\/policies\/?post_type=academic-affairs&#038;p=3800"},"modified":"2026-08-17T16:26:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T16:26:38","slug":"accelerated-combined-graduate-degree-program-policy","status":"publish","type":"academic-affairs","link":"https:\/\/www.stmarytx.edu\/policies\/academic-affairs\/accelerated-combined-graduate-degree-program-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Accelerated &#8220;Combined&#8221; Graduate Degree Program Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I. Purpose<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\">St. Mary\u2019s University offers combined undergraduate-graduate degree programs to provide qualified students with the opportunity to complete both degrees in a streamlined, cost- effective manner. This policy outlines the structure, eligibility requirements, credit guidelines, and administrative procedures to ensure program integrity, compliance with accreditation standards, and a positive student experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">II.\u00a0Definitions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Accelerated Graduate Degree Program: <\/strong>A structured academic pathway allowing undergraduate students to begin graduate coursework while completing their undergraduate degree.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Double-Counted Credits: <\/strong>Graduate-level credit hours that fulfill both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Graduate Standing: <\/strong>Status granted upon conferral of the undergraduate degree, allowing continued enrollment in the graduate program.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">III.\u00a0\u00a0Policy Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol style=\"list-style-type:upper-alpha\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Accelerated graduate degree programs must maintain the academic integrity of both degrees and ensure compliance with SACSCOC Standard 9.2, which requires at least 30 semester credit hours for a master&#8217;s degree.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>No more than <strong>one-third of a graduate program&#8217;s required credit hours <\/strong>may be double- counted toward undergraduate degree requirements.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For a 30-hour graduate program: up to <strong>10 hours <\/strong>may be double-counted.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For a 36-hour graduate program: up to <strong>12 hours <\/strong>may be double-counted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">     C.   Double-counted credit hours must:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Be 5000-level or higher.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Be approved in advance by both the undergraduate academic advisor and the graduate program director.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Typically apply toward undergraduate electives. Courses that fulfill core undergraduate competencies may be used with written justification.<sup>1<\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">     D. Undergraduate courses <strong>cannot <\/strong>be applied toward graduate program requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><sup>1<\/sup> Please note that \u201ccore requirements\u201d refers to required courses for a major and not the University\u2019s Core curriculum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">IV.\u00a0Eligibility Requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">          To be admitted into an accelerated graduate degree program, a student must:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Be a full-time undergraduate student with a minimum of <strong>75 completed credit hours<\/strong>.<sup>2<\/sup><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Be formally accepted into the graduate program.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><sup>2<\/sup> Students may apply to an accelerated graduate program when the combination of completed undergraduate credit hours and currently enrolled undergraduate credit hours equal or exceed 75 credit hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">V. Application and Advising Process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Students must submit an <strong>Accelerated Graduate Degree Program Application <\/strong>by the end of their penultimate semester as an undergraduate student.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Required materials include current academic transcripts and program-specific documentation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Students must meet with both their <strong>undergraduate academic advisor <\/strong>and the <strong>graduate program director <\/strong>to:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Review degree plans.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Identify double-counted courses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Complete a written justification for any graduate courses applied to undergraduate core requirements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">VI. Academic Requirements and Monitoring<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Students must maintain a minimum <strong>3.0 GPA <\/strong>in all graduate-level coursework.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Students who complete all undergraduate requirements before reaching the limit of double- counted credits will graduate with the undergraduate degree and transition to full graduate status.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Students enrolled in an accelerated graduate degree program will be coded accordingly in Banner.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Progress reviews <\/strong>will occur each semester, coordinated by the undergraduate advisor and graduate program director.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">VII. Financial Aid and Tuition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Students in accelerated graduate programs remain eligible for <strong>undergraduate financial aid <\/strong>if they:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Take no more than 6 graduate hours in a given semester,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do not exceed 15 total graduate hours while classified as undergraduates, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have not yet earned their undergraduate degree.<sup>3<\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Upon conferral of the undergraduate degree, students are classified as graduate students and will be charged <strong>graduate<\/strong> <strong>tuition rates.<\/strong> They may then apply for<strong> graduate-level financial aid.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><sup>3<\/sup> To maintain undergraduate classification, a student enrolled in an accelerated graduate degree program must register in each semester for at least 12 credit hours that satisfy undergraduate degree requirements. This requirement may be met in part through the double-counting of registered graduate credit hours toward both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements in a given semester. Students should consult Section III.B of this policy to determine the maximum number of graduate credit hours in their program that may be double-counted to satisfy undergraduate degree requirements, and Section V.3 for advising requirements related to double-counted coursework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">VIII.\u00a0Program Oversight and Review<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Each accelerated graduate degree plan must be approved by the <strong>Academic Council <\/strong>and reviewed regularly according to the program\u2019s scheduled graduate program review.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Provost\u2019s Office will:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Monitor enrollment in accelerated graduate degree programs,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Track student success (retention, time-to-degree, post-graduation outcomes),<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Report findings to university leadership.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">IX. Exceptions and Appeals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Requests for <strong>exceptions <\/strong>to the accelerated graduate degree policy must be submitted in writing and will be reviewed by the academic dean of the relevant graduate program.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Students may <strong>appeal decisions <\/strong>related to combined degree eligibility, course approval, or credit application to the academic dean.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">X. Roles and Responsibilities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Role<\/th><th><strong>Responsibilities<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Undergraduate Advisor<\/td><td>Guide students on undergrad requirements; vet and approve double- counted credits<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Graduate Program Director<\/td><td>Approve graduate coursework and ensure program academic standards are met<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Student<\/td><td>Meet academic standards; apply and follow through with advising requirements<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Provost\u2019s Office<\/td><td>Monitor and report program metrics and effectiveness<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">XI.\u00a0Resources and Contacts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Forms:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Accelerated Graduate Degree Program Application (available in Gateway)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Policies Referenced:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Graduate Transfer Credit Policy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Undergraduate and Graduate Academic Policies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Contacts:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Office of Undergraduate Advising: <a href=\"tel:+12104313736\">210-431-3736<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Graduate Admissions: <a href=\"tel:+12104363126\">210-436-3126<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Appendix<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sample Credit Structure for Accelerated Graduate Degrees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Graduate Program Total Hours<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Maximum Double-Counted Hours<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Minimum In-Residence Hours (per policy)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">30<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">10<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">21<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">36<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">12<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">24<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Effective Date: <\/strong>This policy is effective on the date of Executive Council approval June 10, 2026 and applies to all new and currently enrolled students who meet the eligibility criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-3800","academic-affairs","type-academic-affairs","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Accelerated &quot;Combined&quot; Graduate Degree Program Policy - Policy Library<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stmarytx.edu\/policies\/academic-affairs\/accelerated-combined-graduate-degree-program-policy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Accelerated &quot;Combined&quot; Graduate Degree Program Policy - Policy Library\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I. 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