Bachelor's to Accelerated Master's Programs
2 Degrees in Only 5 Years
Are you interested in accelerating your college studies? The College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) offers 32 Bachelor's to Accelerated Master's (BAM) programs to undergraduates currently enrolled at George Mason University with an interest in pursuing a master's degree in an accelerated timeframe. Students may formally apply for the BAM program during the second semester of their junior year and after any prerequisites have been met.
How BAM works
- Choose the master’s degree you are interested in pursuing via BAM.
- Stay on track: Before you can officially apply to BAM you’ll need to earn 60 credits toward your bachelor’s degree.
- Apply to BAM: Once you’ve earned 60 credits you’re ready to apply to BAM. Choose your master’s degree and complete the online application.
- Choose the master's program you would like to apply to and submit your application here.
- Complete the application and submit. Once you submit your application, you can upload any supplementary materials such as recommendations, resume, goals statement and endorsement worksheets.
- The processing time for the BAM applications is three to five business days after submission of the online application. Only completed files will be available to the program for admissions review.
- Questions about your application should only be directed to cehdooa@gmu.edu. Decisions will not be given over the phone by the program or by the CEHD Admissions Office.
- If your BAM application is approved, we will send you a notice of approval via the admissions web portal. You will be notified via e-mail when a decision has been made. The name of your graduate advisor will be provided in this correspondence.
- Approved BAM participants will be allowed to register for graduate courses via PatriotWeb after at least 90 hours of undergraduate degree credits have been earned. Those who were previously listed under Junior or Senior status in Patriot Web, will now be listed as "Senior Plus."
- Please note that approval of specific courses on the application does not guarantee a specific course section will be open or offered at the time of registration.
- Approval for the BAM program only guarantees admission to a degree program IF the student maintains the required GPA and follows all of the Transition to Graduate Status admission instructions listed below.
- File your intent to graduate in your second to final semester of your undergraduate degree.
- At the beginning of your final undergraduate semester, meet with your undergraduate and graduate advisors to have your Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's (BAM) Transition Form signed and approved.
- The approved BAM Transition Form must be submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office (OGA) and will then be forwarded by CEHD to the Registrar’s Office. Once the BAM Transition Form has been processed by OGA and the Registrar, you will receive an official admission letter to the graduate program via the admissions web portal. You will be required to confirm enrollment in the graduate program. If this form is not received by Graduate Admissions, you will not be eligible to be formally admitted to your graduate program.
- If you would like to qualify for in-state tuition for your graduate program, you must also submit a new domicile form with your BAM Transition Form to Graduate Admissions.
- During your first semester as a graduate student applicable credits will be designated "Advanced Standing."
Application Procedures
Students may formally apply for the BAM program during the second semester of their junior year (the semester in which they will have earned at least 90 semester hours) and after any prerequisites have been met, such as a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA. However, students are encouraged to identify their interest in pursuing a particular accelerated pathway as soon as possible within their undergraduate career to ensure that the efficiency of course-taking decisions is optimized.Once your application is complete, it will undergo an admission review. Applicants may be required to take part in an interview and complete a writing sample.
Program Admission Deadlines
Most of our programs accept students on a rolling admissions cycle. Specific deadlines are listed on the Graduate Application Deadlines and Requirements webpage.
Priority deadline ensures consideration for the intended semester as well as financial aid options for students. Programs will continue to review applications until at capacity.
*Applicants that are interested in starting during the summer term must apply and have a completed application by April 1 for full consideration to enroll in summer courses.
Checking Your Application Status
Notification and Registration
Transition to Graduate Status
Note: All graduate courses students take are subject to the same rules and regulations as indicated in the University Catalog.