Concurrent BS/MS Program
This fast-track program allows eligible USU Biological Engineering BS students to take graduate-level courses during senior year, reducing the time to complete the MS degree.
How it works
If a student is admitted to the Concurrent BS/MS program, they take classes their senior year like normal, fulfilling all the BS requirements. Towards the end of the senior year, two of the BENG 5000 level classes taken (generally two of the BENG electives) get split to fulfill both the BS and MS program requirements. The requirements for the BS degree are fulfilled and the student receives the BS degree at the end of the senior year. Then the student is declared an MS student and already has two classes fulfilled (the two classes split from the BS degree), making the MS degree only 24 credits.
The graduation requirements of the BS program in Biological Engineering is the completion of 126 semester credit hours. The requirements for the Concurrent BS/MS degree program is the completion of 150 semester credit hours, i.e., 24 additional hours beyond the requirement for the BS degree. The usual requirement for the MS degree is 30 semester hours.
Program Benefits
- Apply 6 credits* from your BS degree towards your MS degree.
- Greater selection of graduate courses (many graduate courses instructed alternate years).
- MS research projects can be started during the senior year of the BS degree.
- Graduate research or project experience can lead to better career opportunities.
- Faculty research supervision and professional career advisement.
- MS graduates typically earn higher starting salaries compared to BS graduates.
- Potential to receive tuition waivers at the MS level.
*If the student has extra room in their schedule when finishing the BS degree, the student can take one extra MS level class (3 credits) that is credited to the MS degree only, then the student only needs to take 21 credits as a full MS student. This class cannot be used to fulfill any BS requirements.
Tuition and Transcript
After being admitted, students are concurrently matriculated in the BS and MS degree programs and can take both undergraduate and graduate level courses in any semester of the program. Until the BS degree is complete, students will:
- Pay undergraduate tuition.
- BS is primary degree program; courses 5000-level and under post to BS transcript.
- MS is secondary degree program; courses 6000-level and above post to MS transcript.
- Split forms submitted as needed to move 5000-level courses to MS transcript.
Once students have completed their BS degree, students are:
- Matriculated as a graduate student, and start paying graduate tuition.
- For students receiving financial aid, grant and scholarship eligibility changes this semester. Contact the Financial Aid Office for more information.
- MS becomes primary degree program; courses 5000-level and above post to MS transcript.
- BS becomes secondary degree program; courses 4000-level and below post to BS transcript.
Program Guidelines
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
Eligibility Requirements:
- Apply for the concurrent program 1-year prior to graduation.
- As part of the application:
- You must submit a 2-year plan and a MS check sheet with the application. This plan will include the courses that will finish the requirements for the BS degree and the courses to fill the requirements for the MS degree. The MS check sheet outlines the courses you will take to fill the requirements for the MS degree.
- You must have a Faculty Advisor whose laboratory you will be working in, as a MS Student.
- You must have a 3.2 cumulative overall GPA. Acceptance to Step 1 with “incomplete grades” will be at the discretion of the BE Graduate Committee and BE Department Head.
- You should have completed approximately 95-105 credits for your BS by the end of your junior year to be considered for the concurrent program.
- Your application will be reviewed by the BE Graduate Committee and you will be notified of the decision via email. Acceptance into the concurrent program DOES NOT mean automatic acceptance into the Graduate Program.
- You are required to apply for BS graduation. You need to apply for graduate school the first semester of your senior year (or the semester BEFORE you would graduate with your BS degree).
Apply
Admissions
Students who are notified they are eligible need to complete the following before the start of your second semester of senior year.
- Submit proof of successful completion of FE to Department Grad Advisor.
- Apply online for admission to USU’s School of Graduate Studies.
- Request admission for first semester (fall or spring) immediately following senior year.
- USU BE concurrent students do not need letters of recommendation; enter Department Grad Advisor where prompted.
- Clearly state that you are applying for the Concurrent BS/MS program.
- Prepare to do your best!
MS Credit Requirements
Graduate degrees in Biological Engineering (BE) require 15 credits of core mandatory graduate BE coursework (see chart below), and an additional 15 credits of elctive courses for a total of 30 credits. The balance of graduate courses (electives) are determined by the student, major professor, and committee. Elective courses must follow the guidelines of the School of Graduate Studies for inclusion on a student’s Program of Study, and must be approved by the student’s committee.
Elective graduate courses can be chosen outside the BE department.
| Biological Engineering Required Graduate Core Courses (15 credits) | ||
|---|---|---|
| BENG 6810 | Biochemical Engineering | 3 |
| BENG 6600 | Downstream Processing | 3 |
| BENG 6630 | Synthetic Biological Engineering | 3 |
| BENG 6860/7860 | Research Orientation & Planning | 2 |
| BENG 6510/7510 | Graduate Seminar | 1 |
| STAT 6200 or CEE 6660 |
Design of Experiments or Environmental and Hydrologic Data Analysis and Experimentation |
3 3 |
| Possible Graduate Elective BE Courses could be: | ||
|---|---|---|
| BENG 6910 | Biosensors | 3 |
| BENG 6890 | Tissue Engineering | 3 |
| BENG 6620 | Metabolic Engineering | 3 |
| BENG 6850 | Advanced Biomaterials | 3 |
| BENG 6880 | BioMEMS: Microtechnology for BioMedical Research | 3 |
| BENG 6930 | Biological Engineering Special Topics | 3 |
| Other Related Coursework Credit | ||
| Graduate student’s committee to choose other related graduate coursework as needed to complete the student’s program of study and support the research project. | ||
| Dissertation/Thesis Research Credits per degree program | ||