Accelerated Status Program
Accelerated Status Program
Exceptionally promising UCI undergraduate Engineering students may, during their junior, senior, or fifth year, petition for streamlined admission into a graduate program within The Henry Samueli School of Engineering.
Program Eligibility Requirements:
Students wishing to petition for Accelerated Status must:
- be in their junior, senior, or 5th year of undergraduate study.
- must also hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.5+ or be in the Campuswide Honors Program.
- must have completed one quarter of 199 Individual Research that is related or potentially related to your MS Thesis research or have completed one graduate course numbered 200-289.
How to Petition:
Students are required to submit a Petition for Accelerated Status, as well as the Faculty Advisor Recommendation Form and Letter (in a signed, sealed envelope). Please return these materials to the Graduate Student Affairs Office, 101 Engineering and Computing Trailer. Students may petition for Accelerated Status at any time during junior, senior, or 5th year. It is recommended to petition as early as possible to take advantage of the opportunities provided. Students are strongly encouraged to petition no later than January 15th of the year they wish to begin graduate school.
What are the advantages of this status?
The Accelerated Status Program assists students in their preparation for graduate study by offering a head start on possible thesis research or coursework, as well as by allowing students to create an advisor/advisee relationship early.
Students holding Accelerated Status must either begin their research or complete graduate coursework while completing their undergraduate work. Moreover, students approved for Accelerated Status who are subsequently offered graduate admission may, upon completion of the bachelor's degree and matriculation into a graduate program, petition to transfer up to 18 units of graduate-level course work completed in excess of requirements for the bachelor's degree. Students given Accelerated Status are also given exemption from UCI's GRE requirement for graduate school admission. This exception applies only to current UCI Accelerated-Status undergraduate engineering students applying for graduate admission to one of the terminal M.S. programs in UCI’s The Henry Samueli School of Engineering (students applying directly to the Ph.D. program will still need to complete the GRE requirement). Students with Accelerated Status are otherwise and in all other ways evaluated in the same manner as other applicants to the School's graduate programs.
Important note about applying to graduate school
Accelerated status students will still need to go through the online graduate application process during their last year as an undergraduate student – the Accelerated Status Program simply offers a head start and potentially allows students to complete their studies in a shorter period of time.
Please note that “accelerated” does not mean that you are working on your bachelor’s degree and your graduate degree at the same time. You must wait until after you’ve been accepted for graduate study, and have matriculated, to petition for any graduate units earned during your undergraduate studies to apply to your M.S. or Ph.D. degree. It does mean that you are making progress towards a successful time in graduate study, by connecting with a faculty advisor early, as well as by completing courses or research ahead of time.
Please note that if you petition for Accelerated Status and are approved, you are under no obligation to attend graduate school at UCI.
