弗吉尼亚联邦大学

The accelerated B.S. and M.Envs. program allows qualified students with a major in environmental studies to earn both degrees in five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior years of their undergraduate program. The program will provide students with the opportunity to expand and deepen their knowledge of environmental studies while enhancing their professional credentials for the job market. Students in the program may count up to 12 hours of graduate courses toward both the B.S. and M.Envs. degrees. Thus, the student may earn the two degrees with a minimum of 141 hours. Currently the M.Envs. Program requires students to earn 33 graduate credits.

The accelerated program is restricted to students who have demonstrated strong interest and success in environmental studies. The minimum qualification for admission to the program is the completion of 90 undergraduate credit hours with an overall GPA of 3.0 and a GPA of 3.3 in the environmental studies major concentration. Students also are required to provide a letter of recommendation from at least one of their major professors attesting to their interest and competence in environmental studies.

Students failing to meet the minimum standards for admission to the accelerated program due to exceptional circumstances will be allowed to appeal to the environmental studies graduate admissions committee for special admission. However, under no circumstances will students who fail to meet the graduate student standards of performance outlined in the Graduate Bulletin be admitted to the accelerated program.

The environmental studies undergraduate and graduate studies program directors jointly will provide guidance for students who are accepted into the accelerated program. This guidance will include a review of all of the program degree requirements, both graduate and undergraduate, and the development of an appropriate plan of study.

The requirements for the B.S. in Environmental Studies and the Master of Environmental Studies are not reduced by the accelerated program. However, 12 hours of graduate course work may be applied toward both degrees for qualified students in the program.