Undergraduate Policies and Procedures
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. Each Fast Track program may have additional admission requirements and deadlines; therefore, qualified undergraduate students interested in a Fast Track program should consult their academic advisor or Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and graduate advisor in their intended master's program. For more information on the programs, please review Fast Track Programs.
Minimum Requirements
Please review fast track programs for additional requirements.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.000 in both undergraduate and graduate careers.
- Satisfy all program requirements while maintaining good academic standing.
- 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.
- 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If, at any time, a Fast Track student fails to satisfy these requirements, the Fast Track student will be withdrawn from the Fast Track program. Once withdrawn from Fast Track program, any previously completed graduate coursework may only apply toward undergraduate degree requirements.
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.
Choice of Graduate Courses
Each semester, a Fast Track student will consult the appropriate academic advisor or Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies regarding the suitable master's level course for registration. The Fast Track student will then consult the graduate advisor of the intended graduate major. Only 5000 and 6000 master's level courses are allowed for registration. Only organized classes are allowed for registration (e.g. lecture or lab courses). Each Fast Track program lists the proper courses for registration.
Transition to the Master's Program after Bachelor's Degree
A Fast Track undergraduate student will be matriculated into the intended master's program for the following semester if the student meets all of the undergraduate degree requirements. Failure to graduate with a bachelor's degree will result in the cancellation of the master's program matriculation and of admission into the master's program.
If a Fast Track student delays continuing with the master's program immediately after completing the bachelor's degree, the Fast Track student should contact the graduate academic advisor. A Fast Track student can delay the master's degree completion for only one academic year. If the Fast Track student does not return within a year to begin their master's program, the Fast Track student must apply to the master's program through the regular graduate admission process.
Official Transcription
The master's level courses taken by the Fast Track student will appear on both the undergraduate and graduate transcripts. These master's level courses will count in the cumulative earned hours and GPA for both undergraduate and graduate careers assisting the Fast Track student towards degree completion at the bachelor's and master's level.
For more information, please consult the appropriate academic advisor or Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies.