Sociology, Accelerated Master's Program

The Sociology Department at UCCS offers an Accelerated Master’s Degree Program for students majoring in Sociology.

This program allows students to earn both a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Sociology. The program is specifically designed for highly-qualified UCCS Sociology majors and is intended to be completed in five years. One of the main benefits of the program is that up to nine credit hours can be applied toward both degrees.

To participate, students must submit an "intent application" in their junior year, which will be approved by the Sociology Department and routed to Undergraduate Advising.

If a student is currently eligible and continues to be eligible, they will be able to apply for the Accelerated Master’s program during their final year in their Bachelor’s degree program.

This program is designed to help students earn their graduate degree in a faster and more efficient manner.

The Accelerated MA in Sociology program allows students to count 9-semester credits toward both the Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Master in Sociology programs. In order for credit to be double-counted, the following conditions must be met, for dual credit courses:

• Are approved by the Graduate Director of Sociology
• Must be completed with a B+ or better
• Must be taken for graduate credit (5000 level)
• Must be offered by the UCCS Department of Sociology

Once admitted into the Accelerated MA in Sociology program, (while an undergraduate student), accelerated students complete three graduate courses with a minimum grade of 3.25 in each course. They must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.25 in all coursework and in coursework applied to their major.

After completion of the 9 graduate credits (which count toward both their BA and MA) and 111 undergraduate credits, students will be considered graduate students. They must meet all master’s degree requirements except for the three courses (9 credits) they completed as undergraduates. If a student took a combined 4000/5000 course at the 4000 level, they cannot take the same combined course at the 5000 level.

Issues of satisfactory academic progress, petition/appeal, transfer credit and grievance will be the responsibility of the Accelerated program administrator with participation by the Sociology Chair and Graduate Dean as appropriate. The Accelerated program administrator will be responsible for dismissing or placing on probation those students who do not maintain the minimum requirements stated above.

Students who drop out or are dismissed from the Accelerated program and have not yet had their mid-program review will be eligible to complete their Bachelor’s degree, subject to the normal rules of that program. Students who drop out or are dismissed from the Accelerated program after having had a successful mid-program review will be awarded the BA. They will be eligible to apply to the Sociology Master’s program and transfer credits (subject to normal limitations) that were not used toward the Bachelor of Arts.

Within two weeks of being accepted in the Accelerated MA program, the student will complete a Plan of Study form indicating how the student intends to complete the 30 credit hours based on projected MA courses in the next 2-3 years along with the BA degree program.

General Requirements

Current UCCS sociology majors are eligible to apply after meeting the following: ·

• Completed UCCS lower-division core courses.
• Completed 90 credit hours, which include SOC 1110 Introduction to Sociology and SOC 3070 Research Methods.
• Minimum 3.25 overall cumulative GPA.
• Minimum 3.33 cumulative GPA in sociology courses.

To apply, please follow the step-by-step guide.

To get details on program coursework, please visit the Academic Catalog, or contact the Sociology Graduate Director.

Requirements for Transfer Students

Sociology majors transferring from other institutions are eligible to apply after meeting the following:

• Transfer and complete 90 credit hours, which include:
  • Introduction to Sociology and Research Methods (or equivalent courses).
  • 12 credit hours of sociology courses completed at UCCS.
• Minimum 3.25 overall cumulative GPA.
• Minimum 3.33 cumulative GPA in sociology courses.

To apply, please follow the step-by-step guide.

To get details on program coursework, please visit the Academic Catalog, or contact the Sociology Graduate Director.

Exemptions may be possible on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the Graduate Director, Lei (Frank) Zhang, to determine if you are eligible.

To learn more about admission requirements and the application process, please visit the UCCS Admissions page.

Additional resources for Admissions:

• Tuition Rate
• Cost of Tuition Estimator
• Financial Aid
• Scholarships