Save Time and Money, Two Degrees in Five Years with the BS-MS Program

For Elena Prokhorova, the decision to begin taking master’s level courses while still a computer science undergrad came down to personal interest, as she wanted more options than what was available in the undergraduate catalog. 

While reviewing potential classes for her senior year, she also skimmed the list of graduate-level computer science courses and found those courses more appealing. She mentioned this to her advisor and learned of NJIT’s BS-MS program.

Now, Prokhorova is preparing to graduate in December with a bachelor of science (BS) in Computer Science and already has nine credits towards her master of science (MS) degree under her belt. 

A standard MS degree requires 30 credits of graduate-level coursework. The BS-MS program allows qualified NJIT undergraduate students, with a GPA of 3.5 or higher, to take as many as nine credits of graduate courses in their senior year which also count toward an MS degree. Students with a GPA of 3.0 can take up to six credits. Students also save money this way because of the classes applying to both degrees, paying for only 21 or 24 graduate-level courses

“The BS-MS program is an underutilized opportunity for our students,” said Craig Gotsman, dean of the NJIT Ying Wu College of Computing. “For students who plan on continuing their education, it’s an easy way to accelerate the process, earning an MS in just one extra year, saving both time and money.”

Prokhorova said since beginning the program as an undergrad, her plans have shifted a bit. As a junior, she had a successful internship with United Healthcare (UHC) and has continued to work with the company part-time while continuing her studies.

With graduation day fast approaching, Prokhorova has accepted a full-time position with UHC as a technology development program associate. She’s planning to take one semester off while launching her career, then will resume her graduate studies part-time while working. This has the additional potential of getting partial tuition reimbursement from her employer.

“Thanks to BS-MS program, I already have three MS courses completed,” she said.

She highly recommends the program to any student thinking about pursuing a graduate degree. “I’m quite surprised that more people are not in it. There’s really no downside. It’s a great way to finish your studies.”

Connor Watson, a student in the BS-MS program nearing completion of his MS in Data Science and also an adjunct instructor in the College, noted  advantages beyond saving time and money. 

“In the graduate-level courses, you get to meet a different crowd. There are people from so many different walks of life. People who got their degree 10 years ago, people who are established industry professionals and people from abroad. The increased networking is very rewarding,” Watson said.

A recent graduate of the program – Elizabeth Daudelin – who earned a BS in Mathematical Sciences and an MS in Data Science, said she learned of the BS-MS program from her brother.

“My older brother had gone through it and completed both degrees in just 4 1/2 years, because he worked quickly on his BS. Having him as an example showed me what I had to do. Just one extra semester for an advanced degree, it’s a fantastic deal,” she said.

Undergraduate students interested in hearing more about the BS-MS program are invited to attend an information session to be given by Dean Gotsman  on Thursday, Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. in GITC 3700.