Accelerated degrees in the Arts & Sciences with 4+1
Accelerated Degrees (4+1 Programs)
For those looking to fast-track their careers, an accelerated 4+1 program may be the perfect solution.
The University of Delaware (UD) offers a unique program for students looking to enter their careers with a master’s degree at a faster pace -- one that continues to expand across the UD College of Arts and Sciences.
4+1 means exactly what it sounds like. Undergraduate UD students have the opportunity to complete a traditional four-year bachelor's program plus a master's program in one additional (+1) year. Students must apply no later than their junior year, allowing for overlap of graduate and undergraduate coursework during their senior year.
To Get Started
The application and processing instructions can be found at the Graduate College website. Once you start the application, click the 4 + 1 program option.
CAS 4+1 Accelerated Degree Programs by Department
Africana Studies offers a five-year BA/MA pathway that lets qualified UD undergrads double-count select graduate credits and finish a master’s faster and at lower cost. The program builds high-level analytical and research skills with options tailored to teaching, graduate study, and public-facing work.
4+1 program
- Africana Studies (BA/MA) — Complete a BA and MA in Africana Studies in five years; select advanced coursework aligned to careers in education, public humanities, and community justice.
Art History offers two accelerated MA routes—one focused on museum careers and one that pairs art history with urban/public policy—so students can move quickly into professional or policy-adjacent roles.
4+1 programs
Art History for Museum Professionals (BA/MA) — Five-year option emphasizing museum studies and professional practice in art history.
Art History/Urban Affairs & Public Policy (BA/MA) — Combine art-historical training with policy and administration in a 4+1 BA/MA.
While the department’s research MS/PhD are traditional, Biology majors can still fast-track to graduate credentials through partnered 4+1s in Secondary STEM Education, Materials Science & Engineering, and Bioinformatics Data Science.
4+1 programs
- Biological Sciences/Secondary STEM Education (BS/MS) — Earn a Biology BS and an MS in Secondary STEM Education in five years to prepare for teacher certification with advanced pedagogy.
- Biological Sciences/Materials Science & Engineering (BS/MMSE) — Add a master’s in Materials Science & Engineering to your Biology BS for cross-training in biomaterials.
- Bioinformatics Data Science — Center-hosted 4+1 that lets qualified UD undergrads start graduate bioinformatics coursework and finish the MS roughly one year post-BS.
Students can accelerate into teaching via the Chem + Secondary STEM Education 4+1; the department also offers stand-alone MA/MS/PhD research degrees for students pursuing advanced chemistry training.
4+1 program
- Chemistry/Secondary STEM Education (BS/MS) — Pair a Chemistry BS with an MS in Secondary STEM Education in a five-year plan geared to teaching careers.
The 4+1 BA/MA streamlines the path to strategic communication careers by blending advanced messaging, analytics, and campaign work with an accelerated timeline.
4+1 Program
- Communication/Strategic Communication (BA/MA) — Earn a BA in Communication and an online MA in Strategic Communication in five years; up to 6 graduate credits can apply to both degrees.
English offers multiple accelerated pathways into policy and language-education master’s programs—ideal for students eyeing public service, nonprofits, or TESL—without adding extra years.
4+1 programs
- English/Public Administration (BA/MPA) — Combine the BA in English with the Biden School’s MPA in five years for policy, nonprofit, or public-sector roles.
- English/Urban Affairs & Public Policy (BA/MA) — Pair literary/communication training with applied urban policy in a 4+1.
- English/Teaching English as a Second Language (BA/MA TESL) — Move from the English BA into the MA in TESL in five years, starting grad TESL courses as a senior.
High-achieving FMM and FDPI majors can fast-track to the MS in Fashion & Apparel Studies, gaining graduate-level research and leadership skills with minimal extra time.
4+1 programs
- Fashion Merchandising & Management (BS/MS) — Complete the MS in as little as one year after the BS.
- Fashion Design & Product Innovation (BS/MS) — Accelerated master’s with opportunities for advanced research and industry preparation.
Through collaboration with teacher-prep majors, LLC offers a 4+1 that advances cultural-linguistic pedagogy and accelerates completion of an MA centered on language and literature.
4+1 programs
- Italian Studies (4+1) — The program allows students to complete a master’s degree in Italian Studies in three semesters while attaining effective written communication skills in Italian, learning to think critically and engaging in interdisciplinary study.
- Early Childhood Education/Childhood Education in Languages, Literature, and Cultures 4+1 (BS/MA)
- Elementary Teacher Education/Childhood Education in Languages, Literature, and Cultures 4+1 (BSeD/MA)
Linguistics & Cognitive Science offers two 4+1 routes—via the BA in Linguistics or the BS in Cognitive Science—so students can earn a research-oriented MA in one extra year.
4+1 programs
- Linguistics/Linguistics & Cognitive Science 4+1 (BA/MA) — Five-year BA/MA with advanced training in linguistic theory and methods.
- Cognitive Science/Linguistics and Cognitive Science 4+1 (BS/MA) — Accelerated BS/MA option for students pursuing language, cognition, or NLP-adjacent study.
Mathematical Sciences 4+1 programs enable strong undergraduates to accelerate into either Mathematics or Applied Mathematics at the MS level, building depth for data, finance, and technical careers.
4+1 programs
- Applied Mathematics 4+1 (BS/MS) — this program that allows students to complete both the bachelor of science degree in any undergraduate major administered by the department and the M.S. degree in a total of five years of full-time study.
- Mathematics 4+1 (BS/MS) — A department-administered 4+1 that lets qualified students complete the MS with 30 graduate credits beyond the BS.
Physics & Astronomy offers one of CAS’s broadest 4+1 menus—spanning data science, quantum science, and materials—so majors can pair core physics/astronomy with fast, industry-relevant graduate credentials.
4+1 programs
- Applied Physics/Quantum Science and Engineering 4+1 (BS/MS)
- Astronomy/Data Science 4+1 (BA/MS)
- Physics Education/Data Science 4+1 (BA/MS)
- Physics/Data Science 4+1 (BA/MS)
- Physics/Data Science 4+1 (BS/MS)
- Physics/Materials Science and Engineering 4+1 (BS/MMSE)
- Physics/Quantum Science and Engineering 4+1 (BS/MS)
- Physics/Secondary STEM Education 4+1 (BA/MS)
- Physics/Secondary STEM Education 4+1 (BS/MS)
Political Science and International Relations partners with the Biden School to offer an accelerated BA/MPA that blends political analysis with management, budgeting, and capstone practice for public-service careers.
4+1 program
- Political Science/Public Administration (BA/MPA) — Combine the BA in Political Science with the Biden School’s 36-credit MPA in a five-year plan.
Psychological & Brain Sciences offers a 4+1 in Neuroscience that immerses students in graduate seminars and lab research, positioning them for PhD study or research-oriented roles after an accelerated MS.
4+1 program
- Neuroscience (BS/MS) — A five-year research-intensive master’s culminating in a thesis, designed around the biological bases of behavior.
Women & Gender Studies students can accelerate into the policy sphere with a BA/MPP 4+1 that couples gender studies with applied public-policy training and an efficient credit plan.
4+1 program
- Women & Gender Studies/Public Policy (BA/MPP) — Earn the BA in WGS and a Master of Public Policy in five years; up to 15 credits may count toward both degrees.
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