Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Program
The Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s (ABM) program gives you the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. Four graduate courses (12 credit hours) can be taken while you are an undergraduate student and can be double-counted towards both your bachelor’s and master’s degree. This allows you to get a non-thesis Master of Materials Science and Engineering (MR) degree or a thesis-based Master of Science (MS) – Materials Science and Engineering degree within a year of completing your B.S. degree.
Degree Options
| MS Degree Requirements | MMSE Degree Requirements | |
|---|---|---|
| Degree Title in Application | Master of Science (MS) – Materials Science and Engineering | Master of Materials Science and Engineering (MR) – On-Campus |
| MSE Coursework | 15 hrs of MSE graduate-level courses | 18 hrs of MSE graduate-level courses |
| Additional Coursework | 9 hrs of graduate-level courses from technical disciplines | 12 hrs of graduate-level courses from any combination of MSE, chemistry, physics, math, or other engineering courses** |
| Research | 6 hrs of MS thesis research* | Not required. Research projects cannot be used to fulfill MMSE degree requirements. |
| Thesis | Required | Not required |
| Total Hours | 30 | 30 |
*ABM students choosing the MS degree must identify a faculty member willing to provide and supervise a suitable master’s research project. This faculty member will become the chair of the student’s MS thesis committee and will serve as the student’s academic advisor.
**subject to approval by the student’s academic advisor
Application Eligibility
- Students may apply once they have completed a minimum of 75 credit hours in their undergraduate programs, including credits earned from advanced placement, but prior to the completion of their bachelor’s. Students typically apply the fall of their junior year.
- Transfer students must have completed a minimum of 24 hours as a full-time student at NC State.
- Students must have a minimum overall undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.500 at NC State at the time of admission into the ABM program.
Typical ABM Program Schedule
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| B.S. Junior Year | Apply to Graduate School* | 1 double-counted course |
| B.S. Senior Year | 1 double-counted course | MSE 580 + 1 double-counted course |
| Master’s Year (MS) | 3 hrs of MSE 695 thesis research + 6 hrs of graduate-level courses | 3 hrs of MSE 695 thesis research + 6 hrs of graduate-level courses |
| Master’s Year (MMSE) | 9 hrs of graduate-level courses | 9 hrs of graduate-level courses |
*Application Procedure
Interested students who meet the GPA requirement should schedule a meeting with the Undergraduate Academic Advisor and Director of Graduate Programs to discuss eligibility, graduate program options, and to develop tentative academic plans for the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs (this is called the ABM Plan of Work).
While still an undergraduate, students must submit the standard application for admission to the Graduate School including a $75 application fee, three letters of recommendation, and any other documents/standardized test scores required by individual programs. An approved ABM Plan of Work form is required to admit a student into the ABM program.
There are three steps to the admission process:
- Admission into the ABM program with a planned graduate program track (MS or MMSE) while an undergraduate student.
- Receive a grade of B or better in the double-counted graduate-level courses while maintaining a 3.500 GPA. Courses with a grade of B- or below cannot be double counted between the two degrees.
- After completion of the bachelor’s degree, ABM students are formally accepted and matriculate into the graduate program.
Notes:
- Be careful to select the correct master’s degree program in your application:
- Non-thesis: Master of Materials Science & Engineering (MR) – On-Campus
- Thesis-based: Master of Science (MS) – Materials Science and Engineering
- All double-counted courses must be completed before the undergraduate graduation date.
- Students in the ABM must receive the bachelor’s degree prior to entering graduate status.
- Any deviations from the approved ABM Plan of Work form, require that the updates be approved by the Directors of Undergraduate and Graduate Programs as well as the Graduate School.
- A minimum of 18 credit hours must be taken within the MSE Department.
Allowable Course Substitutions
Students admitted to the program may substitute up to four 400-level undergraduate courses (12 credits) for graduate-level courses:
| Course Title | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|---|---|
| B.S. Required Course | ||
| Materials Forensics | MSE 480 | MSE 580 |
| Electives* | ||
| Nuclear Materials | MSE/NE 409 | MSE/NE 509 |
| Processing of Metallic Materials | MSE 440 | MSE 540 |
| Ceramic Processing | MSE 445 | MSE 545 |
| Polymer Technology and Engineering | MSE 455 | MSE 555 |
| Composite Materials | MSE 456 | MSE 556 |
| Microelectronic Materials Science and Technology | MSE 460 | MSE 560 |
| Introduction to Nanomaterials | MSE 465 | MSE 565 |
*Depending on the concentration chosen, MSE curricula also include three or four elective slots that can be used to complete the other two double-counted courses. These can be chosen from the list above, other MSE graduate-level courses, or from graduate courses in other disciplines that also satisfy the MS or MMSE degree requirements.
Application Procedure, Requirements, Continuing Eligibility, and Withdrawal
Download the ABM Plan of Work: NC State ABM Plan of Work (PDF) | NC State ABM Plan of Work (DOCX)
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