Early Entry Program

Program Description

Exceptional undergraduate students at UNC Charlotte may be accepted into the Master of Science in Mathematics and begin work toward a graduate degree before completion of the baccalaureate degree.

1. The Early Entry Program is accelerated in which up to 12 hours earned at the graduate level may be substituted for required undergraduate hours. In other words, up to 12 hours of graduate work may be “double counted” toward both the baccalaureate and graduate degrees.
2. Admission to the Early Entry Program is limited to two semesters pending the award of the undergraduate degree. Exceptions may be considered on a case by case basis.
3. Students admitted to the Early Entry program may only be considered for a graduate assistantship after they complete the baccalaureate degree. Students admitted to the Early Entry Program pay undergraduate tuition and fees for all courses (graduate and undergraduate) for which they register until the baccalaureate degree is earned.

Admission Requirements

1. A student may be accepted into the Early Entry Program at any time after completion of 75 credit hours of undergraduate work applicable to the appropriate degree although it is expected that close to 90 hours will have been earned by the time the first graduate course is taken.
2. The application process and all required documentation (e.g., test scores, transcripts, letters of recommendation) are the same for early entry students as for other applicants to the program.
3. To be accepted into the Early Entry Program, an undergraduate student must have at least a 3.2 cumulative undergraduate GPA and a minimum 3.3 GPA in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
4. Admission must be recommended by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and approved by the Graduate School. The admission status will be “provisional” pending the award of the undergraduate degree.

Continued Enrollment Requirements

1. Once admitted, a student must complete an Early-Entry academic petition and have it approved by both the Graduate Program Director and the Graduate School. Failure to obtain prior Graduate School approval negates a student’s ability to “double-count” courses in the accelerated Early Entry program.
2. Early entry students must maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA while enrolled in the Early Entry Program. Students who do not meet the normal admission requirement of a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA at the end of his/her baccalaureate degree will be dismissed from the graduate program.
3. Students accepted into the Early Entry Program will be subject to the same policies that pertain to other matriculated graduate students. Generally, it will be assumed that early entry students will finish their baccalaureate degrees before they complete 15 hours of graduate work.

Timetable for Gaining Admission to the Early Entry Program

1. First semester of junior year — meet with the M.S. Program Director to receive advising about the Early Entry program.
2. Junior year — take GRE exams (only verbal, quantitative, and analytic parts are required). Exceptional undergraduate students with Junior or Senior standing and a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above may receive an automatic waiver of the GRE requirement.
3. Second semester of junior year — complete and submit early-entry application for graduate study in M.S. in Mathematics to the Graduate School.
4. End of senior year — successfully complete requirements for B.S. degree in Mathematics, up to 15 hours of undergraduate course work can be substituted with corresponding graduate courses (and these graduate courses can also be applied to the M.S. degree).

Approved Course Substitutions

(a) B.S. in Math – M.S. in Math: General Math

(b) B.S. in Math – M.S. in Math: Applied Math

(c) B.S. in Math – M.S. in Math: Applied Statistics

(d) B.S. in Math: Statistics – M.S. in Math: Applied Statistics

(e) B.S. in Math: Actuarial Science – M.S. in Math: Actuarial Statistics