Finish Faster in 5 Years

Complete a bachelor’s degree and a master’s non-thesis degree in five years. This is accomplished by completing 60 hours of coursework during the first several years at Mines. After that is completed, students enroll in bachelor’s and masters-level courses and apply to the graduate program of interest. At the end of the fourth year, students graduate with a bachelor’s degree and complete their graduate-level coursework in the fifth year, earning a Master’s Non-Thesis degree.

The number of credits, limitations and specific courses are subject to change. It is highly recommended to work with the respective department/program to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information when making your decisions to pursue a combined program.

Leverage Your Undergraduate Research

If your undergraduate research experience has led you to consider a thesis-based graduate degree, consider combining your bachelor’s degree with either a thesis MS or a PhD at Mines. The application process is the same as above. The only difference is that you should discuss possible research projects, even an extension of what you may have already done, with potential faculty advisors before applying.

Reasons to Pursue a Combined Program

• You want to earn a graduate degree in your field or another field that complements your undergraduate major.
• You want to enroll in an accelerated program and be on the fast track for advancement to leadership positions.
• You want to strengthen your admissions application for a doctoral program.

How It Works

• Contact the academic department offering the graduate degree you are interested in to learn more about their program offerings and application requirements to confirm that they align with the requirements listed below (subject to change).
• Review the graduate admissions application deadlines. The deadline to apply for the combined program is the same as the program’s deadline for master’s thesis programs.
• Complete 60 undergraduate credit hours at Mines.
• Upon completion of 60 hours of undergraduate course work, apply for the Combined Program. A link to apply is available in the Admissions card on Trailhead.
• Apply at least one term before your expected graduation date. For example: Apply to the spring 2024 entry term on your Combined Application if you are graduating in May of 2024. This application will be completed in the fall of 2023.
• You will receive an email indicating that you’ve started your combined application and will provide your Admissions Application and Applicant Portal login credentials.
• Complete/submit your application and fulfill your admissions application file requirements.

Learn more about the combined program in the Mines Catalog.

Application Requirements

• Application Fee: Waived. Respond to the prompts in the application appropriately indicating your affiliation and the fee will be covered.
• Transcript: You will need to submit one (1) official copy of transcripts from all universities/colleges you have attended. Official Mines undergraduate/graduate transcripts are not needed. Please download your Mines unofficial transcript from Trailhead and upload this as your unofficial Mines transcript.
• Letters of Recommendation: Please have your recommenders submit letters through the online application system or by email to: grad-admissions@mines.edu. Letters of recommendation should be solicited from recommenders who know your academic and professional capabilities. They should also describe your qualifications for the specific degree program to which you are applying. You should always contact recommenders to discuss using them as a reference. Please contact the Office of Admissions or your department of interest to determine the number of letters required.
• Graduate Record Exams (GRE): Many departments waive the GRE requirement for Mines undergraduate students applying to a combined program. However, some departments require the GRE for combined program students. Please review your graduate program webpage to determine if GREs are required.
• Statement of Goals/Purpose: The purpose of the statement of goals is to introduce yourself to the Graduate Admissions Review Committee. In the statement, you should address professional and personal goals and why Colorado School of Mines is the best place to achieve those goals. In addition, any skills or experience you have that you think are applicable to a Teaching Assistantship or Research Assistantship award should be addressed in the statement. It is typically one to two pages in length.
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV): You will need to upload a current resume. The Career Center is a great resource!