Take up to 9 graduate credits while you finish your bachelor's. You'll start your master's earlier, shorten your time to completion, and keep working while you do it, all online.
Champlain College Online's bachelor's to master's pathway lets eligible online undergraduates take up to 9 graduate credits during your bachelor's degree. Those credits give you a head start on your master's, so you finish your graduate degree in less time.
Finish your master's sooner. Graduate credits earned as part of your bachelor's count toward your master's, so you can shorten the path to a master's by up to 3 courses. That saves you almost a whole semester (or two terms).
Keep moving without a gap. Because you're already taking graduate courses, the move from bachelor's student to master's student is a continuation, not a new beginning. Connect with your admission or academic success advisor to plan this journey.
Build skills employers want sooner. Graduate-level coursework prepares you for leadership and specialist roles. Starting early means you can apply what you learn at work while you're still earning your bachelor's, and show you are serious about your career growth.
Save on the total cost of your degrees. Fewer remaining courses can mean a lower total cost to reach your master's. As a bachelor's degree student you will pay the undergraduate tuition for those graduate courses, which is considerably less than graduate tuition. Then, once you graduate with your bachelor's and begin your master's, you qualify for the reduced alumni graduate tuition rate!
To be considered eligible to take graduate level courses as a bachelor's degree student you must:
If the above criteria are met, students must submit their request to their Academic Advisor for registration. If the above criteria are not met, Program Director approval is needed.
The pathway fits working adults who want a master's without a long wait: career advancers aiming for management, career changers building a new field, and parents and professionals who need study to flex around a full schedule.
If you are in a bachelor's program and are interested in pursuing a master's degree, the best thing to do is complete a 9 credit graduate certificate as part of your bachelor's degree that will roll into master's degree. That way you start your master's degree with a graduate credential already in your resume.
If there is no certificate that works for your master's degree, you can still take the first three courses of the program as electives in your bachelor's degree. Those credits will roll into the master's degree, the only difference is you will not have an additional credential. Work with your academic success advisor as early as possible to map out your journey!
"I wanted to go to an online school with a good reputation, and with a brick-and-mortar base. So I found Champlain, and that was it. Doing the online program was the only way I could pursue my education, being a mom of three and working full time."
Following are some of the questions we get asked about our bachelor's to master's degree pathways.
Eligible Champlain College Online undergraduates can take up to 9 graduate credits as part of their bachelor's degree. These credits give you a head start on your master's degree.
The bachelor's to master's pathway lets you begin graduate coursework before you finish your bachelor's degree. You take up to 9 graduate credits while still an undergraduate, then continue into your master's with those credits already behind you. It shortens your time to completion and helps you move forward without a gap.
Yes, the graduate credits are part of your bachelor's degree and give you a head start on your master's. Work with your advisor to determine how they apply to your specific plan. Note that not every graduate course will work with every master's degree so you MUST be sure that the graduate courses you take are also part of the master's degree you plan to earn.
You can still finish your bachelor's degree as planned. The credits will still count toward your bachelor's degree, and if you complete an entire graduate certificate you will earn that as well even if you do not continue on for your master's degree. If you do not pursue a graduate certificate and just take graduate courses, if you decide to apply to a CCO master's degree at a later date those courses will be considered, depending on your program of choice.
Learn more about the bachelor's to master's pathway from one of our admission advisors, and download our online experience guide to learn more about Champlain College Online.
I acknowledge that, by clicking the "submit" button, I am giving my express written consent to Champlain College and its representatives to contact me about educational opportunities via email, text, or phone, at the phone number above, including my mobile phone, using an automatic dialer, or pre-recorded message. Message and data rates may apply. I understand that my consent is not a requirement for enrollment, and I may withdraw my consent at any time.
