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4+1 program and graduate school

students in commencement regalia

There are a number of options for students when considering post-graduate study. At Virginia Tech, students can pursue a graduate degree while still an undergrad through the 4+1 accelerated master's program, as well as a traditional graduate degree that begins after undergraduate commencement. 

4+1 graduate programs at Virginia Tech

Accelerated master's degree programs are for Virginia Tech undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing graduate studies at Virginia Tech. If admitted, students begin their graduate coursework in their senior year, which depending upon the number of credits taken, can lessen their time to graduate degree completion by up to a year. 

Students must be accepted into the UG/GR (4+1) program prior to the beginning of the semester in which they would enroll in courses to be used in the accelerated program.

The Graduate School at Virginia Tech has created a quick video guide to provide more information. 

The Computer Science Department Graduate Program at Virginia Tech is becoming one of the top programs in the country. The resources and facilities for research areas such as human-computer interaction, bioinformatics, creative arts, and high-end computing are state of the art, and our growing list of active research areas provides opportunities for students to concentrate their research and study on the specific aspects of computer science in which they are most interested. Under the Computer Science Applications graduate degree programs students can pursue a Master of Engineering a Master of Science degree and a Doctorate of Science. 

Within Computer Science, students interested in the completion of both a bachelor's and a master's degree in five years and with at least a 3.30 GPA can apply for the Masters of Engineering (MEng) or a 3.50 GPA can apply for the Masters of Science (MS). Students must have a minimum of 75 undergraduate credits completed. 

Eligibility
If you plan to earn a Master of Engineering degree (requires 10 courses, no thesis), you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • Must have a 3.30 GPA overall
  • Must have completed CS 2114 or CS 3114 with a B- or better
  • Your application must include 1 letter of recommendation, preferrably from an academic source (a faculty member in any department)

If you plan to earn a Master of Science degree (requires 7 courses plus completing a thesis), you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • Must have a 3.50 GPA overall
  • Must be a current CS, DCC, or SC major, or a CS minor
  • Must have completed CS 3114 with B- or better at time of application
  • Your application must include 3 letters of recommendation, with at least one letter from a VT CS faculty member

Non-CS/DCC/SC-majors are responsible for obtaining support from their academic advisor in their home department regarding any course substitutions needed for double-counting MS graduate courses in place of corresponding undergraduate major requirements (we already handle substitutions for degree requirements for the CS major or the CS minor).

flowchart of accelerated program admissions process

One of the main benefits of the accelerated program is the ability to double count coursework that applies to both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. For Computer Science, Data Centric Computing and Secure Computing majors, as well as Computer Science minors, double counted courses are often capstone courses and courses taken for CS elective degree credit, although students in any undergraduate degree-granting program can double count courses applicable to their curriculum. 

Computer science students in this program may take up to four graduate courses during their senior year in place of required CS 4000-level courses.These courses will "double-count" toward a master's degree in computer science as well.  (A CS MS degree requires seven courses and a thesis, while the CS MEng requires ten courses.)  These courses must be taken for a grade, and 5974, 5994, and 5944 do not count.

No more than a total of 12 credits may be double-counted. A grade of B or higher must be earned in each course that is double-counted in order for it to receive graduate credit.

Your Undergraduate Academic Advisor will be an important part of the process when applying for and beginning an accelerated program. Undergraduate advisors are highly knowledgeable resources for our students and will share information about the accelerated programs in Computer Science as it becomes available. 

Your undergraduate advisor will:

  • Direct you to appropriate resources to learn more about the program options.
  • Talk through the pros and cons of your participation in the accelerated program with you. 
  • Help you plan for the accelerated program when creating your undergraduate academic plan including when to apply.
  • Review and sign the "Double Count" form and re-sign it as needed. 

Your undergraduate advisor will not:

  • Advocate for your admission.
  • Help you enroll in graduate courses (they do not have access and students may have to go through the graduate force/add process.
  • Create an academic plan for your graduate degree and coursework. 

Students interested in pursuring a graduate program at Virginia Tech have many resources to help them get started and stay on track.