Doing a master’s without bachelors can primarily be categorized in four sections as below. We will deep dive and discuss them in detail.
Masters Without Bachelors – Combined Programs
An integrated master’s, also called a “two-in-one” degree, is a program that combines a master’s degree with an additional qualification at a different level of study, most commonly with a bachelor’s. Instead of taking the two as separate degrees, this is studying one single, longer program. These types of degrees are getting more popular. There were more than 100,000 integrated master’s programs offered in the US.
When it comes to certifications, there are integrated programs that offer two separate qualifications, however most programs of this kind award the more advanced of the degrees. That means you would earn a master’s instead of a bachelor’s upon completion. It also means that you don’t need a bachelor’s to apply for the program.
Boston University, also called BU, as BU is a private teaching and non-profit research university with more than 35,000 students from more than 130 countries. Established in 1839, the university counts as one of the largest in Boston and the fourth largest in the United States. As per the Times Higher Education, Boston University’s graduates are the most employable in the US and in the world by placing the university at 5th and 6th spot respectively. BU is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, a group of 62 of North America’s most respectable research universities. BU is also a member of the Boston Consortium for Higher Education.
The university ranked 42nd when it comes to UG programs at countrywide universities and 51st in global universities according to the U.S. News & World Report. With more than 3,00,000 graduates, BU has produced notable alumni in every field from finance, politics, law, academia, science, business to technology, and also produced influential thinkers to leaders. BU’s alumni include Nobel Laureates, Rhodes Scholars, Marshall Scholars, Sloan Fellows, Pulitzer Prize winners, Academy Award winners, and numerous Emmy Award winners. Julianne Moore, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 7 United States senators and 11 current or former governors of US states are counted among its alumni.
Brenau University is a private university with its main campus in Gainesville, Georgia. Founded in 1878, the university enrolls more than 3,500 students from approximately 48 states and 17 foreign countries who seek degrees ranging from associate through doctoral degrees. The main campus of the Georgia-based institution includes the Brenau Women’s College with other campuses in Augusta, two metro Atlanta locations in Norcross and Fairburn, and a campus in Jacksonville, Florida.
California University of Pennsylvania (Cal U) is a public university in California, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1852, it’s a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). The university offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.It is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Central Michigan University (CMU) is a public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Established in 1892, Central Michigan University has more than 20,000 students on its Mount Pleasant campus and 7,000 students enrolled online at more than 60 locations worldwide.
CMU offers 200 academic programs at the undergraduate, master’s, specialist, and doctoral levels, including programs in entrepreneurship, journalism, music, audiology, teacher education, psychology, and physician assistant. The School of Engineering and Technology has ABET accredited programs in Mechanical, Electrical, and Computer Engineering. CMU has also established a College of Medicine, which opened in fall 2013.
Creighton University is a private, Jesuit university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate and undergraduate students on a 140-acre (57 ha) campus just outside Omaha’s downtown business district.
The university was founded as Creighton College on September 2, 1878, through a gift from Mary Lucretia Creighton, who stipulated in her will that a school be established in memory of her husband, prominent Omaha businessman Edward Creighton. Edward’s brother, John A. Creighton, is credited with fostering and sustaining the university’s early growth and endowment. In 1958, the college split into Creighton Preparatory Schools and the present-day Creighton University.
The CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) provides top-ranked online programs that meet the needs of adults who are looking to finish a bachelor’s degree, advance from an associate’s degree, earn a master’s degree, or complete a certificate in a specialized field, and progress in the workplace or change careers.
Drawing on CUNY’s nationally and internationally renowned faculty and practitioners, as well as industry and education partners, our programs provide opportunities for personal growth, job mobility, greater civic participation, and new ways to advance knowledge.
Launching twenty-four degrees since 2006, our enrollment has risen by more than 30% in the last four years to over 4,000 students in the credit-bearing programs. We serve thousands more who are enrolled in our non-degree and grant funded workforce development programs. In addition, CUNY SPS has a growing and active alumni network and has established the CUNY SPS Foundation, which offers multiple scholarship opportunities to current students.
Founded in 1898, DBU has one mission—to transform the lives of students who will transform the world, all for the glory of God. It offers a variety of educational opportunities for individuals of all ages and academic backgrounds—including degree programs at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels, as well as continuing education and certificate programs. Through it all, we seek to integrate faith and learning and develop individuals whose desire is to serve the world. “Dallas Baptist University is a nationally ranked, comprehensive, global Christ-centered university, with a mission to produce servant leaders through the integration of faith and learning. It is an educational enterprise home to more than 4,300 students, representing more than 60 countries around the world.
One of the noblest professions in
Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry, it was renamed Drexel Institute of Technology in 1936, before assuming its current name in 1970.
As of 2020, more than 24,000 students were enrolled in over 70 undergraduate programs and more than 100 master’s, doctoral, and professional programs at the university. Drexel’s cooperative education program (co-op) is a prominent aspect of the school’s degree programs, offering students the opportunity to gain up to 18 months of paid, full-time work experience in a field relevant to their undergraduate major or graduate degree program prior to graduation.
Masters Without Bachelors – With Unrelated Bachelors
If one is changing fields for a master’s degree and is wondering what subject’s students can study with their undergraduate major, there are a few areas that can translate into nearly any graduate degree, including the liberal arts and humanities, education, physical therapy, business, design, and counseling. Below, we have taken this one step further and have compiled a list of specific master’s degrees you can get with any bachelor’s degree to help give you a better sense of your academic options.
Marquette University’s 11 colleges and schools deliver nationally recognized programs for undergraduates, graduate and professional students, and working professionals. For prospective undergraduate students, Marquette offers 83 majors and 80 minors, as well as pre-professional programs in dentistry, law and medicine. For postgraduate students, Marquette offers 66 doctoral and master’s degree programs, 18 graduate certificate programs, and a School of Dentistry and Law School.
Stockton University is ranked among the top public universities in the Northeast with more than 160 undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as continuing education opportunities.
The University, one hour from Philadelphia and two hours from New York City, offers unique living and learning environments throughout southern New Jersey, including the 1,600 acre Galloway campus in the Pinelands National Reserve and Stockton University Atlantic City, located in the University District, just steps from the beach and the iconic Atlantic City Boardwalk.
UC is a public research university with an enrollment of more than 46,000 students and has been named “Among the top tier of the Best National Universities,” according to U.S. News & World Report.
Today, more than 300,000 living alumni count themselves as Bearcats – united not just by their loyalty to our nationally known sports teams, but by their common love of the place, the people and the ideas that make up the University of Cincinnati.
Viterbo University is a private Catholic university in La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1890 by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, Viterbo is home to three colleges with nine schools offering 48 academic programs at the associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.
Viterbo is one of 23 Franciscan universities in the United States, with 2,521 undergraduate and graduate students and over 23,000 alumni. As of 2020, Viterbo’s endowment was a record $55.7 million. Viterbo is a member of the NAIA and the North Star Athletic Association; its athletic teams are known as the V-Hawks.
William Woods University is a learning community of more than 3,500 students and faculty, including some 1,100 traditional undergraduates representing more than 35 US states and 24 countries on our 225-acre campus in Fulton, Missouri. It offers unique undergraduate programs, including an internationally recognized equestrian studies program, a four-year American Sign Language interpreting program, and a criminal justice degree with homeland security emphasis. William Woods University believes in a service-learning model, where students learn best through hands-on experience, and through the giving of their hearts, minds and talents.
Among its network of more than 20,000 successful alumni, it counts an Olympic gold medalist, the trainer of Thunder, mascot of the Denver Broncos, and innumerable professionals in medicine, business, law, and education — including more than 600 school leaders ranging from superintendents and principals, and special education administrators. William Woods graduates fill positions at Disney, 3M, Coca-Cola, UPS, Hewlett-Packard and many other major corporations.
Masters Without Bachelors – Without any Bachelors
Depending on the major, Universities will consider your background when reviewing applications. Typically, if you have five years’ experience in a relevant field or other qualifications (like an associate degree or other certification) they will consider you for a postgraduate degree without coming from an undergraduate degree. They also weigh in your professional experience, which is about seven years and over, for the possibility to receive credit or ‘Advanced Standing’ towards a postgraduate qualification.
Other online MBA programs accept students without a bachelor’s, as long as they can prove at least five years of relevant managerial experience.
Applying for a master’s program without a bachelor’s and banking on your personal and professional experience is one way of going about it as we went through above. But there’s also the option of earning a combined degree.
Grace College and Grace Theological Seminary both have a rich history as partners in higher education. Since its founding, Grace Theological Seminary has become a prominent center for master’s and doctoral study in evangelical ministry and theology for students from around the world. Likewise, Grace College Indiana, a liberal arts Christian College, has grown to its current position of academic prominence, offering more than 90 majors and minors in the arts and sciences, behavioral sciences, business, education and ministry studies.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has since played a key role in the development of modern technology and science and has been ranked among the top academic institutions in the world.
As of June 2023, 98 Nobel laureates, 26 Turing Award winners, and 8 Fields Medalists have been affiliated with MIT as alumni, faculty members, or researchers. In addition, 58 National Medal of Science recipients, 29 National Medals of Technology and Innovation recipients, 50 MacArthur Fellows, 80 Marshall Scholars, 3 Mitchell Scholars, 22 Schwarzman Scholars,9 Knight-Hennessy Scholars, 41 astronauts, and 16 Chief Scientists of the U.S. Air Force have been affiliated with MIT. The university also has a strong entrepreneurial culture and MIT alumni have founded or co-founded many notable companies. MIT is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU).
Marymount University, the first Catholic college to be established in Virginia, was founded in 1950. Through the years, it has grown from a two-year college for women into a comprehensive, coeducational Catholic university serving approximately 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students. While much has changed since the early years as a result of greatly expanded programs and services, the university’s core values and mission have held steady.
Monterey College of Law (MCL) is a private, non-profit law school founded in 1972 in Monterey, California. The school is accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California but not the American Bar Association. As a result, while graduates of MCL can sit for the California Bar Exam, and upon passing, be licensed to practice law in California, they are generally not able to sit for the bar exam or practice in other states without at least passing the California bar exam first. MCL has part-time evening J.D., Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.), and LL.M. degree programs.
Southern Cross University (SCU) is an Australian public university, with campuses at Lismore and Coffs Harbour in northern New South Wales, and at Coolangatta, the most southern suburb of the Gold Coast in Queensland. It is ranked in the top 100 young universities in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
Masters Without Bachelors – Subject Specific Programs
Many people are surprised to discover that quite a few highly regarded universities don’t require that Master of Science in Computer Science applicants have bachelor’s degrees in computer science, or CS, to apply. Many universities or schools of Engineering welcome applications from professionals who want to pursue a master’s in computer science without a CS undergrad degree. Another example would be a Master of Science in Forensic and Legal Psychology where students would not require a related bachelor’s to get into the master’s program.
The Computer Science BA/MS program, typically completed in four-and-a-half to five years, is designed for highly qualified students. Students will learn to analyze problems that require computation, and design and implement appropriate problem solutions that are efficient and effective. Students will possess a broad mastery of in-depth knowledge of computer science, across theory, software, systems, and applications.
At the beginning of the junior year (sixth semester of enrollment), undergraduates may apply for admission to a program of study that leads to the completion of the requirements for both the BA and the MA at the end of the academic year following the senior year. Details of the program, including our Regulae and Application for Admission, can be found at the department website.
The BA/MA program in astrophysics & space physics is designed for those well-prepared students who wish to obtain a master’s degree by adding a fifth year of intensive study in astrophysics & space physics. The program is offered by the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) in conjunction with the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GRS).
The combined BA/MA degree program in physics, offered by the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GRS) at Boston University, gives students a foundation of knowledge and problem-solving ability on which they can build a variety of careers. This five-year program is intended for students who want to continue their education in physics at a graduate level, as well as for students who want to extend their knowledge of physics beyond the undergraduate level before entering the job market. Students should enroll in this program no later than the end of their sophomore year. No student will be admitted to the program later than the end of the junior year.
The BSBA to Master of Accountancy (MAC) Accelerated program is designed to allow highly motivated students to complete both the undergraduate degree in accounting and the master of accountancy degree in four years. Many students matriculate to Creighton with advanced placement and dual credit courses, ranging in total from 10 – 50 hours of credit. These students have greater flexibility in their course schedules, and accordingly have availability to complete master’s-level courses during their fourth year at Creighton. The Accelerated MAC program allows students to meet the mandated educational requirements to sit for the CPA exam while earning a graduate degree. The curriculum in the Accelerated MAC program will mirror the curriculum in Creighton’s existing (traditional) MAC program.
Drexel LeBow’s BS/MBA program provides academically qualified undergraduate students with the opportunity to earn both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA within five years of study. Graduating with an MBA and an undergraduate degree provides students with a competitive edge when entering the job market without having the time constraints of typical degree pursuits. This program is offered to all students pursuing a bachelor of science in business administration as well as students from select undergraduate programs across the university.
The BS Interior Design / MS Interior Architecture program offers a first-professional degree in interior design and a post-professional graduate degree for students looking to accelerate their career and/or specialize in an area of interior design. The BS Interior Design program explores the behavioral, technological, environmental and aesthetic aspects of interior design within the context of increasingly more complex design projects. Combined with art and art history and general education requirements, a core of interior design courses is completed along with a 6-month professional co-op. This undergraduate education prepares students to enter the interior design industry.
The MS Interior Architecture program reinforces design fundamentals; advances technical skills and conceptual approaches; allows for specialization in areas such as health/wellness, making/fabrication, or technology/representation; and culminates in a comprehensive thesis research and design project. Students select from a range of studio, seminar, and elective courses to create a program tailored to their professional interest.
Our Direct Entry MSN program for non-nurses leverages your previous bachelor degree to fast-track your master’s in nursing education. This 19–21 month, second-degree accelerated nursing program provides the academic foundation and clinical skills required to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam through a blend of advanced nursing coursework, hands-on labs, and clinical experience.
To be eligible for our competitive nursing program, you must have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, complete any necessary prerequisites, and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in your conferred Baccalaureate Degree.
Viterbo’s new direct entry MSN is an accelerated path that allows students with a prior baccalaureate degree in a discipline other than nursing to progress through coursework in five semesters (18 months) leading to initial RN licensure. The program aligns with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) expectations for entry-level MSN graduates in that it will provide students with competencies in “organizational and systems thinking, quality improvement and safety, care coordination, interprofessional communication, and team-based care and leadership”. Ideal for those with a science-related undergraduate degree, this program can also be pursued with a non-science related degree with the addition of prerequisite coursework. This program is delivered online, with in-person clinicals and labs.
The program prepares nurses to develop curricula focused on our changing healthcare systems, adapt and teach education strategies for diverse learners, develop clinical and classroom evaluation strategies, and adopt effective evidence-based practices in academic as well as clinical healthcare settings.
The RN to BS-MS in Nursing Informatics online degree program guides nursing professionals to assess institutional data needs, manage data effectively, and improve patient care quality. In addition to taking courses focused on quality and safety to enhance patient outcomes, students enroll in a six-credit practicum to gain experience with compliance and accreditation mandates, staff education, and the design of new data management systems.
The RN to BS-MS in Nursing Organizational Leadership online degree prepares nurses to be able to contribute to the health, education, and social structure of communities by assuming positions of leadership. The program creates a landscape for nurses to promote innovative change and quality outcomes, translate evidence-based research into practice, build collaborative interprofessional healthcare teams to coordinate care, and employ advocacy strategies to influence healthcare policy across the healthcare spectrum.
Source – Integrated Post Secondary Education Data System & University Data
*Tuition rates are for in-state and per year. Program specific rates may apply.
**NA – data not available
