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December 2023 Update: Removed an outdated reference and added Animal Science in the pre-health requirements section.

Who says it has to take four years to earn an undergraduate degree? And why spend six years earning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree when it can be done in five? Or why not start a law degree early, or prepare for medical school while completing an undergraduate degree?

With any number of accelerated pathways, Â鶹¹ÙÍø undergraduate students can do just this — saving money and time — and gaining a competitive edge upon entering the workforce.

“First-year students increasingly see earning a graduate degree in a professional field as a part of their pathway to success,” says Michael Fein, dean of the John Hazen White College of Arts and Sciences. “We responded by creating a variety of accelerated graduate programs that allow students to earn these degrees as part of a continuous path of study.”

In addition to saving some serious time and money, Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s partnerships with industry-leading programs and renowned universities offer an instant step-up in a student’s field of choice.

Legal Studies

Earning a law degree can be extremely challenging, but, with Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s 3+3 Law Program, it doesn’t have to be so arduous. Students can complete three years of undergraduate work in one of three eligible majors — Criminal Justice, Liberal Studies or Political Science — and, in their fourth year, begin dedicated work on a law degree through a partnership with . Rhode Island’s only law school, RWU enjoys undivided attention from the state bench and bar, and offers networks into a selective legal market.

“This program is a win-win for RWU and Â鶹¹ÙÍø,” says RWU’s Assistant Dean of Admissions, Michael Donnelly-Boylen. “We get great students who are laser-focused on a career as an attorney. And Â鶹¹ÙÍø students get to save a year’s worth of both tuition and time by expediting their entry into the legal profession.”

Myrsha Frejuste ’21, a Criminal Justice major, came to Â鶹¹ÙÍø in search of a different environment from her hometown in New Jersey. “Law school was always the dream after Â鶹¹ÙÍø & Wales,” she says. “With this program, the dream becomes a reachable reality.”

After law school, Frejuste plans to work as a prosecutor and eventually work her way up to district attorney.

"With this program, the dream [of law school] becomes a reachable reality."

Opportunities in Healthcare

Demand for qualified health care professionals is growing in direct proportion to patient populations, especially in the Ocean State. Interested in becoming a Physician Assistant in the growing field? Undergraduates who enter Â鶹¹ÙÍø as Biology or Health Science majors, provided they meet the requirements, are guaranteed an admissions interview at Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s Center for Physician Assistant Studies — Rhode Island’s first physician assistant program.

On another side of healthcare, undergraduate students can apply to Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate program as a student in Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s Biology or Health Science bachelor’s degree programs. As with the PA program, students who meet the requirements are guaranteed an admissions interview — and will also qualify to have the GRE test requirement waved as further savings.

Growing Field of Mental Health

Earning a master’s in counseling can also be achieved faster at Â鶹¹ÙÍø with three years toward a bachelor’s in Psychology and the fourth year spent beginning work on a master’s degree in either Clinical Mental Health Counseling or Addiction Counseling. The accelerated program saves a year of study and graduates students into the field earlier.

Medical School, Dentistry or Veterinary Medicine

Students in the Biology, Health Sciences or Animal Science programs can fulfill pre-health requirements by selecting appropriate electives. Through personalized pre-health advising at Â鶹¹ÙÍø, students can avoid the need for enrolling in a post-baccalaureate program before applying to a pre-health graduate program.

College of Business Opportunities

Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s MBA options are myriad and catered toward the student and their career goals. Each MBA program is developed — and updated — in collaboration with leading companies and have flexible options: earn an MBA in 12 months in a program of day courses; earn an MBA and sit for all sections of the CPA exam; or specialize your MBA with a concentration in one of over ten specializations, such as accounting, organizational leadership, project management, information technology, sport leadership and more.

Find out if one of these is right for you by taking a look at all of Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s accelerated program options. Save time, save money, and stand out.