Accelerated Master's Pathway

The Accelerated Master’s Program (AMP) offers highly qualified UCCS chemistry and biochemistry majors (and biology majors; see below) the opportunity to pursue the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science (BA or BS) in Chemistry or Biochemistry and the Master of Sciences (MSc) in Chemistry or Biochemistry concurrently. The main benefit of the program is that it allows students to register for up to three courses (nine credit hours) that will count toward the credit requirements of both the Bachelor's and Master's programs. The program is designed to be a five-year or five-year+ (less than six) program for currently enrolled UCCS chemistry or biochemistry majors.

The student engages in two rounds of applications as follows: in the junior year, the student files an AMP Intent application with the Graduate School and a Department AMP Application; and in the senior year, the student files a streamlined application with the Graduate School. Details are included below. Students must be admitted to the AMP before they are able to take dual counted CHEM 5000-level courses.

Current UCCS chemistry and biochemistry majors are eligible to apply to the AMP after having:

1. Have a minimum 3.20 overall GPA and at least a 3.20 GPA in the major,
2. Completed the UCCS general education requirements or submitted a plan for completion,
3. Completed at least 75 semester credit hours,
4. Transfer students must have completed at least 24 credit hours of chemistry courses at UCCS and be a declared chemistry or biochemistry major before applying to the Accelerated Program, and
5. Completed the following 24 semester credit hours in chemistry (note that grades of C or higher are required to count towards the chemistry or biochemistry major):
   • CHEM 1401/1402 and either CHEM 1411/1412 or CHEM 1511/1513 – General Chemistry and Lab,
   • CHEM 3101/3102 and CHEM 3111/3112 or CHEM 3201/3203 and CHEM 3211/3213 – Organic Chemistry and Lab, and
   • CHEM 4001/4002 – Analytical Chemistry and Lab.

Current UCCS biology majors must complete the core requirements for a BA in Biochemistry in addition to the requirements for a BS in Biology.

Interested students should make an appointment with the Graduate Program Director to discuss the AMP and to ensure eligibility (see criteria above). In order to be admitted to the program, the Graduate Program Director must be notified during the student's junior year (preferably) or first semester of the senior year at the very latest. The submission deadline is Nov 1st for admission to the following spring semester and April 15th for admission to the following fall semester. The student must submit the following items to the Graduate Program Director in the junior year:

1. Intent Application: This application states that you currently intend, and are eligible, to begin taking dual counting courses during your Bachelor’s degree. This does not admit you to the Graduate School,
2. The AMP application form: This application is for the Department records,
3. A personal Statement of Intent (this is included in the AMP application form, above),
4. Two letters of recommendation from UCCS Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry faculty members, and
5. An unofficial transcript.

Admission to the AMP allows the student to take 5000-level classes that may be counted towards the undergraduate and graduate programs, pending approval of Director. Students must have applied for and completed the process of being accepted as an accelerated student prior to the semester they plan to take their first 5000-level course. See the Accelerated Master's Process document.

Undergraduate AMP students in their senior year are required to file an official Graduate School application, with the $60 application fee, to be admitted to the MSc program.

Admission to the AMP program is competitive. Applicants will be evaluated on the following:

1. Grade point average (cumulative and major GPA)
2. Grade trend (improving, consistent, or declining)
3. Likelihood of success and persistence based on the Statement of Intent
4. Recommendation letters

Students who are not initially admitted to the AMP can reapply after completing an additional twelve semester credit hours. Students can apply and be considered for admission to the program a maximum of two times. The Graduate Program Director will be responsible for admissions procedures and decisions.

The AMP allows students to count up to nine semester credits towards both the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Chemistry or Biochemistry and Master of Sciences programs. In order for credit to be double-counted, the following conditions must be met:

1. Dual credit courses are approved by the Graduate Director of Chemistry and Biochemistry,
2. Dual credit courses must be completed with a B+ (GPA 3.20) or better,
3. Dual credit courses must be taken for graduate credit (5000-level), and
4. Dual credit courses must be offered by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCCS.

An example program plan is included below that maintains full-time (≥ 5 credit hours per semester) status. This example program plan is meant to provide general guidance for the program, but please plan to meet with the Graduate Program Director once per semester to ensure your timely progress through your chosen degree track.

Additionally, research students are expected to give two seminars during their time in the program, one in the first fall of the program, Project Introduction, and one seminar in the final semester, Plan to Finish. Details of these seminars are available from the Department Seminar coordinators: Drs. Tvrdy, Klocko, and Vander Zanden.

Junior Year

• File the AMP Intent Application and Department Application (see above for forms and instructions).

Senior Year

Fall

• Take one course at the 5000-level that will count for both the Bachelor’s and MSc degrees credit requirements (3 credits)
• Begin preparing application to be submitted to the Graduate School at UCCS for MSc program in Chemistry or Biochemistry

Spring

• Take two courses at the 5000-level that will be dual counted (6 credits)
• Submit application to the Graduate School and pay $60 application fee by April 15th
• Submit materials, as requested, for financial support to Graduate Program Director (these opportunities may include the GTA program or Graduate School funding) by April 15th
• Enjoy your graduation accomplishments! You’ve finished your BS or BA! You have now completed 9 credits of your MSc program with 21 credits to complete.

First Year of the MSc Program

Second Year of the MSc Program

An example program plan is included below that maintains full-time (≥ 5 credit hours per semester) status. This example program plan is meant to provide general guidance for the program, but please plan to meet with the Graduate Program Director once per semester to ensure your timely progress through your chosen degree track.

Additionally, course track students are expected to give one seminar during their time in the program in the Department Seminar series. This seminar should cover the topic of the library research paper, which is the final project of CHEM 7050. The coordinators of the Department Seminar series (Drs. Tvrdy, Klocko, and Vander Zanden) will have more information.

Junior Year

• File the AMP Intent Application and Department Application (see above for forms and instructions).

Senior Year

Fall

• Take one course at the 5000-level that will count for both the Bachelor’s and MSc degrees credit requirements (3 credits)
• Begin preparing application to be submitted to the Graduate School at UCCS for MSc program in Chemistry or Biochemistry

Spring

• Take two courses at the 5000-level that will be dual counted (6 credits)
• Submit application to the Graduate School and pay $60 application fee by April 15th
• Submit materials, as requested, for financial support to Graduate Program Director (these opportunities may include the GTA program or Graduate School funding) by April 15th
• Enjoy your graduation accomplishments! You’ve finished your BS or BA! You have now completed 9 credits of your MSc program with 21 credits to complete.

First Year of the MSc Program

Second Year of the MSc Program

1. Once admitted into the AMP, students are required to complete at least one and up to three 5000-level graduate courses as undergraduates with a minimum grade of 3.20 (B+) in each course, while maintaining a minimum overall GPA of 3.20.
2. Issues of satisfactory academic progress, petition/appeal, transfer credit, and grievance will be the responsibility of the Graduate Program Director, with participation by the Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Dean of the Graduate School, as appropriate. The Graduate Program Director will be responsible for dismissing or placing on probation those students who do not maintain the minimum requirements stated above.
3. Students who drop out or are dismissed from the AMP will be eligible to complete their bachelor’s degree, subject to the normal rules of that program. They will be eligible to apply to the master’s program and transfer credits, subject to normal limitations, that were not used toward the BA or BS degree. They will not be allowed to double count 5000-level courses that were taken at the undergraduate level.
4. Within two weeks of being accepted in the AMP, the student will complete a Plan of Study indicating how the student intends to complete the MSc part of the program, based on projected MSc courses offered in the next years, along with the BA/BS degree program.

The AMP tuition and fee structure and financial aid follows the campus rules currently in place. The AMP is subject to future change in campus fee structure and campus financial aid rules. The AMP will abide by all revisions.

Students graduate with a Bachelor's degree with the nine credits of dual-counting (CHEM 5000-level) courses. Students must apply to the Graduate School to be admitted to the MSc program. The MSc degree is awarded upon completion of all program requirements for the graduate degree.

Dr. Janel Owens
Graduate Program Director
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Phone: 719-255-3207
Email: jowens2@uccs.edu