Course descriptions can be found in the Course Catalog.
Admission to the Program
Students who are interested in the BA/MS HCC program should discuss their interest with a department advisor as early as the sophomore year.
To be eligible for this program, a student must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher at UMBC and all other institutions attended. This is a minimum requirement, and attainment of a 3.2 GPA or higher does not guarantee admission to the combined degree program. The admission decision is determined on an individual basis considering the student’s past record, expected future performance, and how well the combined program would meet the student’s educational objectives.
Applicants for the combined program:
- must have completed a minimum of 60 credits, and
- must have passed at least one 3xx/4xx level course within the BTA major.
Students should be aware of the current requirements for admission to the department’s Master level graduate programs so that they will complete coursework meeting these same requirements, or their equivalents.
Students seeking admission to the combined program should
- complete the online IS Department Combined Program application form, and
- request recommendations from two members of the faculty.
Faculty recommenders should send an email to the Undergraduate Programs Director, BTA, Dr. Ravi Kuber, rkuber@umbc.edu, stating how they know the applicant and why they think the applicant is a strong candidate for the combined program. The Undergraduate Programs Director will review the application and make a recommendation to the HCC Graduate Program Director, who makes the admission decision. Students are notified of the decision, and the Graduate School is also informed when a student is accepted. This acceptance is by the IS Department only; the student still must formally apply to and be accepted by the Graduate School in order to finish the Masters portion of the program.
Deadlines for applications to the combined programs are December 15 and May 15.
Recommendation letters and the student’s application must be received before the deadline.
Acceptance into the combined program neither obligates the student to complete the program beyond the BA degree, nor does it obligate the Department or Graduate School to admit the student into the graduate program, when applying formally to the Graduate School. If the Graduate School finds reason to reject a student’s application, that decision is binding, even though the student may have been accepted into the combined degree program by the IS Department.
BTA BA/HCC MS Program Regulations and Procedures
Once admitted to the combined program, the student must maintain a 3.0 or higher grade point average. No more than two grades in the Cs may be received in all courses taken after admission. If the GPA falls below 3.0 or if more than two grades in the Cs are received, the student will be removed from the combined program. This does not affect the student’s eligibility for the BA degree under normal University undergraduate requirements. Any one “D” or “F” also results in removal from the combined program.
Students in the combined program must formally apply for admission to the Graduate School before the UMBC Graduate School’s application deadline during the semester in which the course work for the BA is completed. No more than 9 credits of graduate courses may be taken while the student is paying undergraduate tuition. Students should fill out the paper application form to the Graduate School. The application fee is waived for students in the combined BA/HCC MS program.
Students in the combined program must take three of the courses required for the undergraduate major as graduate courses under their graduate course numbers. These courses are:
- HCC 629 (in place of IS303 in the BTA major), and
- Two from HCC 613, HCC 729, HCC 710 or an approved HCC graduate elective (one course can count in place of an IS upper level elective, while the second can count in place of upper level elective required by the university)
Note: For BA/MS students, HCC629 serves as a prerequisite for IS403.
These courses count for both degrees; therefore, a minimum of 21 additional credits is required for the Master’s degree. For additional information about MS requirements, see the HCC MS section of this website or the Graduate School Catalog.
Course requirements for students who were admitted to the accelerated program prior to Fall 2021.
Questions about the combined program should be directed to the Undergraduate Programs Director, BTA, Dr. Ravi Kuber, rkuber@umbc.edu.