Master of Science in Earth Science (Accelerated)

The accelerated graduate degree program in Earth Science allows undergraduate students in the Geological and Environmental Sciences Department at Western Michigan University to begin accumulating credits toward the completion of a Master of Science (non-thesis, Accelerated) in Earth Science degree while completing a bachelor’s degree.When admitted to the accelerated program with senior standing, a student may take up to 12 credit hours of designated coursework that is applied toward both the bachelor’s degree and the master’s degree. Coursework must be counted from designated classes taken at the 5000-level. Students must earn a grade of “B” or better in order to receive graduate credit for these classes.An undergraduate degree in geosciences requires a total of 122 credit hours. The Master of Science (Non-thesis, Accelerated) in Earth Science requires a total of 35 credit hours, with 24 credits in Geosciences and 18 credits at the 6000 level. When enrolling in the accelerated program for the maximum 12 graduate credits, a student will earn 145 total undergraduate and graduate credits in contrast to the typical combined 157 undergraduate and graduate credit hours under the usual progression to degree(s). A M.S. (Non-thesis) in Earth Sciences generally requires 2 to 2.5 years to complete, after earning a Geosciences B.S. degree. The accelerated program can be completed in 12 months after the B.S., if the student takes eligible summer classes, or 1.5 years after completion of the B.S. in Geosciences.