Starting this fall, Cal State Fullerton is offering an additional pathway for students to earn both a bachelor’s and a graduate degree in five years in engineering and statistics disciplines — giving students a leg up in the job market.
CSUF is offering four blended programs in civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and mathematics-statistics.
The “4+1 programs” allow students to complete a bachelor’s degree in four years and the next year, complete a master’s degree by double-counting up to 12 units of coursework for both degrees. The accelerated program pathway allows students to move seamlessly between the undergraduate and graduate degrees.
There are even more blended programs planned for fall 2027. Six new B.A.-M.A. blended programs have been approved in economics, political science and communications with concentrations in journalism, advertising, entertainment and tourism, and public relations.
For more than a decade, CSUF has offered only one blended program in computer engineering, in which students earn a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in four years.
In 2023, the Provost’s Blended Programs Task Force established and finalized guidelines and recommendations for degree pathways for 4+1 programs across the university’s eight colleges.
According to the task force, master’s degrees provide students with greater employment options, higher wages, and opportunities for social and economic mobility.
Increasingly, a master’s degree is an entry requirement into highly competitive or specialized fields, said Aimee Nelson, executive director of graduate studies.
“Expanding access to master’s degrees at CSUF reduces the time to earn a graduate degree, which saves time, lowers cost and creates workforce diversity,” Nelson said. “Having a graduate degree matters more than ever now because of the competitive market and workforce needs for skilled labor.”
National data support the value of advanced education, though outcomes vary by field. For example, data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that as workers’ educational attainment rises, their unemployment rates decrease and earnings increase.
In 2022, the California State University Board of Trustees approved allowing an overlap of 12 units between the undergraduate degree and master’s degree to give students a faster route to graduate education, said Greg Childers, assistant vice president of undergraduate studies and general education.
Childers emphasized that blended programs are not shortcuts to a graduate degree.
“Blended programs are structured, rigorous pathways built from existing bachelor’s and master’s degrees, with required advising and degree roadmaps with strict double-counting limits,” Childers said. “They condense a typically two-year master’s program into a single year.”
CSUF is considering additional blended programs in other majors for the upcoming years.
“Overall, these programs help students gain graduate-level depth sooner, build research and project experience, and enter competitive fields with both bachelor’s and master’s preparation,” Childers said. “Students stand out in job searches and develop workforce skills, such as teamwork, communication and leadership.”