BSMS Program.xml

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<concept id="bsms-program">
<title>BS/MS Program</title>

  <shortdesc></shortdesc>
  <prolog>
    <author type="creator">Graduate Program Committee</author>
    <copyright>
      <copyryear year="2014"/>
      <copyrholder>CS Department</copyrholder>
    </copyright>
  </prolog>
  <conbody>

    <p>To enable the completion of both a bachelor's and a master's degree in five years, Virginia Tech allows students with a 3.5 or above GPA to apply for admission to the Graduate School on the completion of seventy-five hours of undergraduate study.</p>

    <p>Computer science students in this program take four graduate courses during their senior year in place of the four required CS 4000-level courses. The graduate courses must include either <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5104" format="html" scope="external">CS 5104</xref> or <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5114" format="html" scope="external">CS 5114</xref> as a replacement for the required senior-level theory course. The selection of the other three courses must be worked out with, and approved by, the chair of the Undergraduate Program Committee or the AUS. An Undergraduate Program of Study listing these four graduate courses, which count toward the requirements of both the undergraduate and graduate degrees, must be included with the application. Note that these courses must be taken for an A-F grade, e.g., <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5974" format="html" scope="external">CS 5974</xref> and <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5994" format="html" scope="external">CS 5994</xref> are not allowed.</p>

    <p>No more than two 3-credit graduate-level courses can be taken in one semester while an undergraduate, and no more than a total of 12 graduate credits will count toward the undergraduate degree. An average of "B" (3.0) must be earned over the four graduate courses on the Undergraduate Program of Study. Award of the B.S. degree occurs on completion of the requirements as spelled out in the appropriate CS major checksheet, including the 12 credits of graduate work and the other departmental and university curriculum requirements. The remaining graduate courses for the M.S. degree should be taken after conferral of the B.S. degree.  Important note: BS/MS students are expected to complete their BS degrees in two semesters after being accepted into this program; students taking additional (more than four) graduate courses before completing their BS degrees may not be able to count those courses toward their MS degree.</p>

    <p>Computer Science majors interested in applying for the BS/MS program should follow the application process below.</p>

    <p>During the semester before your senior year (i.e., typically during the spring semester of your junior year), apply for admission to the CS MS program.  This should be done on-line through the Graduate School admission system.
    When you apply for the MS program, indicate that you want to begin studies in the semester after you expect to complete your BS degree.  For example, if you expect to finish your BS degree in May 2015, you would apply for admission to the MS program beginning in Fall 2015, even though you would be filling-out the application in Spring 2014.</p>

    <p>The MS admission process requires three letters of recommendation.  At least two should be from academic references.  When you fill out the on-line application you will be asked to provide contact information for these three references, and then they will be contacted electronically to supply the letters.  So it is important to speak with them before hand and get their permission to serve as reference letter writers. </p>

    <p>You do not have to take the GRE exam to be admitted to the BS/MS program.
    Once you have submitted your MS application, notify the CS department that you have applied to the BS/MS program by emailing the AUS.
    BS/MS applications are reviewed shortly after grades are issued for the semester in which you apply.   You will be notified by email of the result.
    Students who are admitted will need to fill out an “Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Degree and Course Designation” form, available from the graduate school.  This is basically an advising form on which you will indicate the four graduate courses that you plan to take which will count for both your BS and MS degrees.</p>

  </conbody>

  <related-links>
    <link href="https://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/prospective_students/5yr-BS-MS" 
      format="html" scope="external"></link>
  </related-links>

</concept>