The University of Texas at Dallas

Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science

Content

Graduate Courses

Upper-division undergraduates, who are classified as seniors and core complete, may petition the Undergraduate Associate Dean and Graduate Advisor (in ECS Graduate Program Director) to take graduate courses.

If approved, these graduate courses can be applied toward satisfying undergraduate degree requirements or can be designated for future application toward a graduate degree or certificate requirement at UT Dallas. You must declare at the time of registration for the course how each approved course is to be applied. Once applied, the options cannot be changed.

There are several options:

Graduate Courses Applied Toward an Undergraduate Degree

Up to 12 semester credit hours of graduate work taken as an undergraduate may be used for completing any baccalaureate degree at The University of Texas at Dallas (This sometimes called “option A”). Pass/Fail grading for graduate courses will be permitted only in this category but must be approved by the instructor prior to the start of class.

To take a graduate course you must obtain approval from the instructor, Graduate Program Director and the Undergraduate Associate Dean by completing the petition form.

Fast Track Option

The Fast Track option enables qualified senior undergraduate students to include master’s level courses in their undergraduate degree plans as they work towards a master’s degree at UT Dallas. Admission into a Fast Track program is open to senior undergraduate students with 90 or more earned hours, of which at least 36 must be completed hours in the core curriculum.

In the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, students can pursue graduate degrees in Biomedical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, and Systems Engineering and Management.

The Fast-Track program is designed to accelerate a student’s education so that both BS and MS degrees can be earned in approximately five years of full-time study. (See Frequently Asked Questions).

Choice of Graduate Degree and Cross-Tracking

Commonly, a Fast Track student will continue studies in the corresponding major at the graduate level. An advantage of continuing with the same major is that the master’s level courses a Fast Track student takes are more likely to fit well into both the bachelor’s and the master’s degree requirements. A Fast Track student must choose master’s level courses that satisfy the requirements of the bachelor’s degree and those of the intended master’s degree.

A Fast Track student choosing a major that does not correspond with the current undergraduate degree (Cross-Tracking) should select master’s level courses from the list of prerequisite and core courses for the intended master’s degree requirements. A Fast Track student would use these master’s level courses towards guided or free electives in the current bachelor’s degree requirements.

A Fast Track student may only fast track into a single master’s level program.

Admissions Requirements and Program Contact(s)

Kolade Oyekan
Vivian Nguyen

Kolade Oyekan

Vivian Nguyen

SPRING ADMISSION LATE SPRING ADMISSION SUMMER/FALL ADMISSION LATE SUMMER/ FALL ADMISSION
(benchmark courses completed prior to Fall semester) (completing benchmark courses during Fall semester) (benchmark courses completed prior to Spring semester) (completing benchmark courses during Spring semester)
We are not accepting applications for Spring 2023 We are not accepting applications for Spring 2023 Submit application between March 10 and March 21 Submit application between May 15 and May 20

Fast Track Option

Petition Form >>

Each semester you will complete a petition to take graduate courses form.

Prior to matriculation into the MS degree program (in the semester before), you must also obtain the signature of the graduate associate dean.

Remaining in the Fast Track program >>

In order to remain in good standing, a Fast Track student must fulfill the following requirements:

  1. Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.000 in both undergraduate and graduate careers (ie. a “B” average in both graduate and undergraduate classes.
  2. Satisfy all program requirements while maintaining good academic standing.
  3. Students may not repeat a single master’s level course more than one time. Students may repeat only three master’s level courses a maximum of one time for up to three courses, including withdrawals. All attempted coursework including withdrawals and repeats will be included in a student’s graduate record and transcript.
  4. A student may take up to a maximum of 15 semester credit hours in total at the master’s level. For example, if an undergraduate student chooses to take 9 graduate semester credit hours reserved for application toward graduate degree, the undergraduate student can take only 6 semester credit hours at the master’s level in the Fast Track option. Withdrawals and repeated coursework will also be included in 15 semester credit hour maximum.

If, at any time, a Fast Track student fails to satisfy these requirements, the Fast Track student will be withdrawn from the Fast Track program. Once withdrawn from Fast Track program, any previously completed graduate coursework may only apply toward undergraduate degree requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions >>

When should I apply?

You must be a senior to take graduate courses (ie. have passed >90 SCH). A good rule of thumb for engineering majors is to apply the semester before you
take Senior Design I. For computer science and software engineering majors you should apply either the semester before the capstone project or two semesters before.

How many graduate courses should I take to graduate with a MS in one extra year?

In ECS most MS degree programs are 33 SCH or 11 graduate classes. Typically a full time graduate student takes 3 graduate classes per long semester. This means that to graduate with an MS in two semesters you need to take (11-6) = 5 graduate courses as an undergraduate. Similarly if you wish to take three semesters then you need to take 3 graduate courses as an undergraduate.

This sounds great but I’m not confident I can take graduate classes as an undergraduate. Do I have other options to apply to the MS programs in ECS?

Yes! As a student who is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree at UT Dallas you can apply to MS programs via the UT Dallas Quick Admit.

Taking Graduate Courses >>

Process for undergraduate students enrolling in graduate courses:

  1. Students who are admitted into a Fast-Track program will be contacted by their Graduate Program Head/ Advisor and will be required to attend an orientation before their semester of admission.
  2. Student must complete the Petition for Undergraduate Student to Take Graduate Course(s) form to register for graduate courses.
    Note: All signatures are required before the petition form can be processed.

    • A guide for completing the petition form can be found HERE.
    • A new form must be completed each semester in which an undergraduate student requests to take a graduate course.
  3. The completed petition form should be submitted to the student’s Undergraduate Advisor for their signature.
    • Students who selected Option A or Option B will be enrolled by the Undergraduate Advisor.
    • Petition forms for students who selected Option C will be forwarded to the Registrar’s office for enrollment.

Important Information for undergraduate students regarding registering for graduate courses:

  • Students must be admitted to a Fast-Track program to be eligible to enroll in graduate courses as an undergraduate student.
  • Requirements to enroll in graduate courses are determined by each graduate program/school in conjunction with the Office of Graduate Studies. Criteria and list of courses approved are available from the Graduate Program Head/ Advisor.
  • All coursework must apply to either a student’s undergraduate or approved graduate degree program.
  • Students are recommended to take a maximum course load of 15 hours in a single semester while participating in Fast-Track (up to 6 hours of which can be graduate hours approved by graduate advising through the petition process referenced in point 2).
    • Note: No Fast-Track student will be granted a unit maximum limit waiver.

Undergraduates have three options when registering for graduate courses:

Options Course applies to UNDERGRAD degree Course applies to GRADUATE degree
Option A
Undergraduate Only		 X
Option B
Fast-Track		 X X
Option C
Graduate Only		 X

Regardless of option selected, Fast-Track students cannot exceed 15 hours of graduate course work prior to graduating with their bachelor’s degree

Option A Option B Option C
Undergraduate Only

  • Maximum of 12 hours allowed within this option.
  • Students must indicate this option on their petition form.
  • The Undergraduate Academic Advisor will register students for Option A classes once the petition form has been completed and signed by all required parties
 Fast-Track

  • Maximum of 15 hours allowed with this option.
  • Students must indicate this option on their petition form.
  • The designation CANNOT be changed after a student’s undergraduate degree has been certified.
  • The Undergraduate Academic Advisor will register students for Option B classes once the petition form has been completed and signed by all required parties.
 Graduate Only

  • Maximum of 12 hours allowed with this option.
  • Students must indicate this option on their petition form and once enrolled, the designation cannot be changed.
  • The Registrar’s Office will register students for Option C classes once the petition form has been completed and signed by all required parties.
    Students will need to bring the signed form to the Student Services Building (SSB) or email the Registrar’s Office directly to complete registration.