Eligibility
Undergraduate students at UMass Amherst and the other colleges in the Five College Consortium in western Massachusetts can pursue an Isenberg 4+1 option. Current students have two options:
- Accelerated Option (UMass Amherst Students Only): Undergraduate students who wish to accelerate their 4+1 program should apply to one of the Isenberg specialized master’s programs in their junior year or early in their senior year. For these applicants, we use a rolling admissions process so that students can take classes in their senior year. Admissions information for the accelerated option can be found below.
- Non-Accelerated Option: Undergraduate students who are close to graduating or have graduated, should refer to the regular admissions information for that program: Master of Science in Accounting Transitions Track (for non-accounting majors), Master of Science in Accounting Professional Track (for accounting majors), Master of Science in Business Analytics, or Master of Finance.
Accelerated 4+1 Admissions
First Steps
- Speak with a Program Information Specialist in the Graduate Programs Office. Students can find contact information here.
- Speak with your undergraduate program academic advisor to verify if you have open space in your schedule to fit in a graduate program class(es), and to confirm if the class will count towards requirements for your undergraduate degree.
- Apply for the graduate program you're interested in during your junior year or early in your senior year.
- Apply through the standard UMass Graduate School application process in SPIRE.
- Under Apply / References on the main SPIRE page, click on Apply for Graduate Study.
- To indicate that you are applying to the Accelerated 4 + 1 program, please type “Accelerated 4 + 1 Program” in the Specialty (Optional) field of the application directly under the degree.
- Please apply to start the graduate program the term after you expect to graduate from undergrad.
- Submit your application. Note: you can save and resume your application process as you gather required materials.
- After submitting, track your application at the Graduate School Status of Application page.
Once conditionally admitted to a program, students may begin planning their classes with their graduate academic advisor. Admitted students can transfer up to 12 credits (or 4 classes) of graduate coursework taken while an undergraduate into their M.S. program, with up to 6 credits (or two of those classes) counting towards bachelor's and master's degree requirements in some programs. It is imperative that you confirm if any credits can be counted towards meeting requirements for your undergraduate degree. This needs to be done with your specific undergraduate major / department.
Application Requirements
Application
All prospective students must complete a University of Massachusetts Amherst Graduate School Graduate Admissions Online Application. An application fee is not required for current UMass or 5-College students.
Resume
Work experience is not a requirement for admission but will enhance your application. Your resume should outline your work history. Recent college graduates should include any internship experience, as well as community service, student and civic club membership, and athletics.
Personal Statement
A personal essay should be one to two pages in length and include information about your past and current academic and professional history, your future goals and reasons for pursuing the degree, and other pertinent details that will help us evaluate you as a candidate.
Letters of Recommendation (2)
Your two letters of recommendation should be from individuals who know you well enough to provide specific examples and details regarding your past performance and competencies. One academic and one professional reference is acceptable.
Transcripts
Current UMass students are not required to submit a transcript.
Apply Now
Follow our step-by-step process to complete your online application.
- Apply through the standard UMass Graduate School application process in SPIRE.
- Under Apply / References on the main SPIRE page, click on Apply for Graduate Study.
- To indicate that you are applying to the Accelerated 4+1 program, please type "Accelerated 4+1 Program" in the Specialty (optional) field of the application directly under the degree.
- Please apply to start the graduate program the term after you expect to graduate from undergrad.
- Submit your application. Note: You can save and resume your application process as you gather required mateials.
- After submitting, track your application at the Graduate School Status of Application page.
