Interesting: Are any other schools doing this?

[DawnM]

In the late 1950s, if you got an A in Advanced Applied Physics your junior year (pre-med), you could go ahead and apply to Med School and allow leave your undergrad Univ, go to Med School, and allow your first year of Med School to also double as your last year of college, and basically skip a year.

 

I don't know if this was true everywhere, but my father was able to do it and go to U. of OR for med school, skipping his senior year of college.  

 

They stopped doing it several years after he left.

 

However, I looked last night at a few more schools for my senior that might fit the bill for what he wants.  I found a college that has a fast track to an MA and if you are getting a certain GPA (maybe 3.5?) you are allowed to take Grad level classes to count your senior year as both undergrad and grad school.  (Kind of like APs in high school.)

 

The website says this will allow you to get a BA and MA in 5 years.  

 

Intersting idea.

 

 

[J-rap]

I've heard of many schools that have the 5-year plan for getting both a BA and an MA for certain degrees.  (We currently have friends doing this in Social Work and Engineering.)   I think this is a relatively new thing, though I could be wrong.  The funny thing is that it seems like a lot of these are fields that only ever used to require a BA.

 

 

[8filltheheart]

There are all kinds of different accelerated or early entry programs. Here is a BS MD list:https://www.google.com/amp/s/blog.collegevine.com/admissions-heros-top-25-combined-bsmd-programs/amp/

 

This article discusses other types: http://www.collegedocs.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-5-year-combined-degree-programs

 

Bama has a 5 yr STEM MBA. Any student who finishes their core can petition to take grad courses as an UG. Earning a master's in 5 is not that unusual.

Edited November 11, 2017 by 8FillTheHeart

[Kassia]

This was done even when I was in college in the 80s (I had the opportunity to do it at my school, but ended up transferring).  Dd is considering doing it when she attends college.  

 

When one of my sons took graduate level classes as an undergraduate, he was offered the opportunity to apply them as graduate school credits but only if he paid extra, which we thought was kind of greedy.  He chose not to do it - he took the classes and they only counted towards his undergraduate degree.  

[creekland]

In the late 1950s, if you got an A in Advanced Applied Physics your junior year (pre-med), you could go ahead and apply to Med School and allow leave your undergrad Univ, go to Med School, and allow your first year of Med School to also double as your last year of college, and basically skip a year.

 

Yes to the grad school question.  It's pretty common now.

 

But with this part I quoted, I'm not following something.  You said the course he needed an A in was a junior year course.  If he applied to med school after getting that A (at least the way things are done today), his applications are "in" senior year and he'd be starting after senior year - just like many other students.  I'm guessing the application cycle was different in the 50s?  Now it starts in June every year.  (Applying in June 2017 means matriculating summer 2018.)

 

There are ways to fast track med school for some students (usually those with a bit of experience and/or very good grades), but I doubt that's one of them - unless one fast tracks taking the junior year course I suppose.

[G5052]

Yes, the 4-year that my oldest attend has a bunch of combined bachelor/masters degrees. He just wants to get school done and get working in his field. LOL

 

I couldn't have done that because I was nearly broke at the end of my bachelor's and wanted to start working. My employer paid for graduate school, and I was able to come up with a dissertation research project with funding from my employer. So it was probably all for the best.

[catz]

We've found a few schools that do this looking at music programs.  5 years to a BA (in something)/MM (masters of music).  I believe Princeton and Yale have that option for sure though I think it's hard to audition into that option.

[amathis229]

When I attended Clemson in the late 80's, early 90's, one could apply to vet school after fulfilling the prerequisites then be awarded a B.S in Preprofessional Studies after completing the first year of vet school. I believe med students could do the same. I didn't submit the information for my B.S. until 2002. One of my friends joked that he knew you could always earn a mail-order diploma from Clemson! 

 

I went to Clemson's website and found that they still have the same policy!

 

"Clemson can award a B.S. or B.A. in preprofessional studies to a student who has completed three years of undergraduate work and the first year of work in an accredited veterinary, medical, dental or other accredited professional, postgraduate school."

 

 

 

 

Edited November 11, 2017 by amathis229

[Tree Frog]

In the late 1950s, if you got an A in Advanced Applied Physics your junior year (pre-med), you could go ahead and apply to Med School and allow leave your undergrad Univ, go to Med School, and allow your first year of Med School to also double as your last year of college, and basically skip a year.

 

I don't know if this was true everywhere, but my father was able to do it and go to U. of OR for med school, skipping his senior year of college.  

 

They stopped doing it several years after he left.

 

However, I looked last night at a few more schools for my senior that might fit the bill for what he wants.  I found a college that has a fast track to an MA and if you are getting a certain GPA (maybe 3.5?) you are allowed to take Grad level classes to count your senior year as both undergrad and grad school.  (Kind of like APs in high school.)

 

The website says this will allow you to get a BA and MA in 5 years.  

 

Intersting idea.

 

One of my dd's friends was able to do this into dental school this year. There were a few paperwork snafus, but overall it worked as planned.

[DawnM]

Yes to the grad school question.  It's pretty common now.

 

But with this part I quoted, I'm not following something.  You said the course he needed an A in was a junior year course.  If he applied to med school after getting that A (at least the way things are done today), his applications are "in" senior year and he'd be starting after senior year - just like many other students.  I'm guessing the application cycle was different in the 50s?  Now it starts in June every year.  (Applying in June 2017 means matriculating summer 2018.)

 

There are ways to fast track med school for some students (usually those with a bit of experience and/or very good grades), but I doubt that's one of them - unless one fast tracks taking the junior year course I suppose.

 

He took it his Junior year (quarter system, although I don't know which quarter) and then he was told he could go ahead and apply to med school.   I don't know complete details, I just know he did not stay for his 4th year of undergrad, he went only 3 years and then went to med school.  He was allowed to come back the next year and graduate with his graduating class even though he hadn't been there that year.

[DawnM]

 

When I attended Clemson in the late 80's, early 90's, one could apply to vet school after fulfilling the prerequisites then be awarded a B.S in Preprofessional Studies after completing the first year of vet school. I believe med students could do the same. I didn't submit the information for my B.S. until 2002. One of my friends joked that he knew you could always earn a mail-order diploma from Clemson! 

 

I went to Clemson's website and found that they still have the same policy!

 

"Clemson can award a B.S. or B.A. in preprofessional studies to a student who has completed three years of undergraduate work and the first year of work in an accredited veterinary, medical, dental or other accredited professional, postgraduate school."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did it have to be the same school?  My dad actually went to a different school for med school.

 

My college didn't have it for what I was doing.  And when I got my teaching credentials they had to all be at the grad level and didn't count until you had a BA first.  I guess I may not have paid attention to other programs.

 

Although, in the filed my son is considering, this is the first time I have seen it mentioned.

[amathis229]

Did it have to be the same school?  My dad actually went to a different school for med school.

 

My college didn't have it for what I was doing.  And when I got my teaching credentials they had to all be at the grad level and didn't count until you had a BA first.  I guess I may not have paid attention to other programs.

 

Although, in the filed my son is considering, this is the first time I have seen it mentioned.

 

I think it can be anywhere as long as it's accredited. 

 

 

[Sarah CB]

There's a program at a university in Canada that kids apply to out of high school. It fast tracks them through two years of undergraduate work and then they go straight into med school (no application process, no MCAT). Ds has applied, but it's a very small program and very difficult to get into.

[DawnM]

 

I think it can be anywhere as long as it's accredited. 

 

 

 

 

 

Odd.  Usually they want you to take your core classes at the same school.  I would be interested to see other Universities that would allow you to take classes other places for your major and let them count.  That is why I thought my dad's situation was unique.  Although I think it is great there are programs even within the same school.  

[kiana]

My undergrad did this as well for vet school -- if you did 3 years of an animal science major (including all the gen eds) and then got into vet school, they would award you a bachelor's in animal science after your first year of vet school. Makes perfect sense as far as I'm concerned -- vet med courses counting as animal science seems totally reasonable. I'm not sure how many actually got into vet school, though -- it may have been left in the course catalog from when admission was less competitive. 

 

Getting a bachelor's/master's is much more likely to be required to be at the same school. The way it often works is that an advanced undergrad will petition as a junior to be able to register for grad classes as a senior and get enough advanced standing to be able to finish in one year. 

 

Edit: While I'm thinking, one of my siblings transferred from a 2-year to a 4-year college. He was missing one class required for his associate's degree, and the 2-year college back-transferred it after he completed it at the 4-year and awarded an associate's. This is actually not uncommon as it helps out the 2-year college's degree completion metrics. 

Edited November 12, 2017 by kiana