GTD 4+1

Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's (4+1) Degree Program

Available only to undergraduate students in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and students in the BS in Technological Entrepreneurship and Management in The Polytechnic School

The Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s (4+1) Degree Program allows undergraduate students in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and the BS in Technological Entrepreneurship and Management in The Polytechnic School to start master’s level course work toward their Global Technology and Development MS degree as an undergraduate student, and complete both degrees in five years. They will be able to share 12 hours across both programs. This means that 4+1 students will be able to complete the bachelor's/master’s program with 138 hours as opposed to 150 hours.
In this program, students will earn a bachelor’s degree in one of the programs listed below and a Global Technology and Development MS degree (GTD).

• Bachelor of Arts in Innovation in Society
• Bachelor of Science in Innovation in Society
• BS in Technological Entrepreneurship and Management

Undergraduate students enrolled in the one of the three undergraduate programs listed above may apply for admission to the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s (4+1) Degree Program.

• Students are eligible to apply for admission when they have completed at least 75 semester hours in their undergraduate degree. 
• A cumulative GPA of 3.2 or better on a 4.0 grading scale is required at the time of application to the program.
• Students must also maintain a GPA of 3.2 at the time of admission to the GTD MS program.
• Admitted students are eligible to start the accelerated program after successfully completing 90 credit hours of coursework towards their undergraduate degree program. 
• For official university reporting purposes, students will be considered as undergraduates until the Bachelor’s degree is awarded.

What are the benefits of the 4+1 program?
Students with a master’s degree have a competitive edge in the marketplace and increase their earning potential. Students enrolled in the 4+1 program will also save time because they will be able to earn a master’s degree in just one year, saving on tuition. Finally, students will learn qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate how science and technology have shaped and reflect social values, in preparation for careers in public service, business, policy and academia.

Application process
Students must meet all admission criteria established by the academic unit and the Graduate College, except the completion of the baccalaureate degree.  Graduate admissions will be considered for fall and spring semesters. The Program Chair for the MS in Global Technology and Development and the undergraduate faculty director in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society/BS in Technological Entrepreneurship and Management jointly review students for admission to the accelerated program, based on the recommendations of the GTD admissions committee.

Students interested in applying should consult the Information Sheet specific to their undergraduate major, and submit an Accelerated Program Pre-Application form. (Download the form into Adobe Acrobat Reader to enable the form function.)  Please indicate clearly which accelerated program you are applying for:

• BA in Innovation in Society/GTD MS
• BS in Innovation in Society/GTD MS
• BS in Technological Entrepreneurship and Management/GTD MS

When the Pre-Application is approved, the student is required to complete an on-line Graduate Admissions Application for the Global Technology and Development MS found on the Graduate Admission website. Please answer the question on the application indicating that you are applying for the accelerated 4+1 program and specify your undergraduate program.  The student must apply to Graduate Admissions and pay the application fee for the term and year they plan to start sharing credit hours between the two programs. 
The following supporting documents must be submitted with the online Graduate Admissions application for the GTD MS:

• Resume
• Personal Statement of Interest
• Transcripts for all universities and colleges outside ASU
• Two letters of recommendation – two letters from faculty in the student’s undergraduate program verifying the applicant’s readiness and probable success in completing the program

Once the Graduate Admissions application has been submitted and the application fee paid, the Program Coordinator of the Global Technology and Development MS program notifies Graduate Enrollment Services that the student is an accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s applicant.  Graduate Admissions processes the application normally and once the file is complete, it will be released to the academic unit for a recommendation.  The application then goes through the GTD admissions review.  A personal interview with the Admissions Committee, a member of the Admissions Committee, or the Program Director may be required if additional information is needed to determine eligibility for admissions to the program.  If admitted into the master’s program, the student’s graduate record is put on hold until after undergraduate graduation and the student’s graduate application file is flagged as a Bachelor’s/Master’s file.

Degree requirements

• Start graduate courses after successfully completing 90 undergraduate credit hours
• Students will be considered as undergraduates until the bachelor’s degree is awarded.
• Course requirements are the same as the regular GTD program
• Take up to 12 hours of the GTD degree course work as an undergraduate
• Double-dipping is allowed: Up to 12 credit hours may be shared between the bachelor’s and master’s degrees
• Of the 12 credit hours for the master's taken as an undergraduate, at least six hours must be 500-level or above, and a maximum of six hours may be 400-level
• You must complete the bachelor’s and graduate within 12 months of admission to the GTD 4+1 program
• Once you complete your undergraduate degree, you are considered a regular master’s student and GTD program requirements apply
• An undergraduate honors' thesis may not be substituted for the master’s applied project.
• Satisfactory academic progress requirements for the GTD 4+1 program will follow the ones currently set up for GTD graduate students 

Academic progress
Satisfactory academic progress requirements to remain in the 4+1 Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree Program are outlined below. Students must complete all requirements for the Bachelor’s degree in their major and the requirements for the MS in Global Technology and Development.

Once admitted to the 4+1 Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree Program, continued enrollment is contingent on, but not limited to, the student completing their Undergraduate degree with a minimum GPA of 3.2 within one year of being admitted to the 4+1 (Accelerated) degree program.

After completion of the bachelor’s degree, the student is admitted into the master’s program.  All 4+1 students at the master’s level are expected to make systematic progress towards completion of their degree.  This progress includes meeting the conditions listed below and achieving the benchmarks and requirements set by the individual degree program.  If a student fails to meet the requirements and/or benchmarks of their degree program, the student may be withdrawn from their program based on recommendations submitted by the academic unit to the Graduate College.
To be considered as making satisfactory progress toward the master’s degree objective, a student must:

• Remain continuously enrolled in the degree program.
• Maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher in all classes included in the master’s Program of Study
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in all classes on their transcript numbered 500 or above
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Not have more than two incomplete grades within a 12 month period
• Make timely progress through coursework and the applied project
• Selection of Applied Project Faculty Mentor
• Completion and filing of the Plan of Study
• Completion and submittal of the Applied Project Proposal
• Successful completion of the Applied Project
• Submission of the Report of Final Master’s Culminating Experience form
• Meet the stated time limit for graduation from the degree program as shown on the Graduate College web site.

Contact
If you have questions or would like more information on the 4+1 degree program and/or the application process, please contact:

Dr. Jameson Wetmore
Associate Professor
School for the Future of Innovation in Society

Elisha Thompson
Undergraduate Coordinator
School for the Future of Innovation in Society

Wendi Taylor
Education Programs
School for the Future of Innovation in Society