UChicago Advanced Scholars "4+1" Master's Programs

A master’s degree from the University of Chicago is an incredible opportunity to enhance your future—empowering you professionally, academically, and personally. As a UChicago Advanced Scholar (UAS), you will enhance your skills to complement your bachelor’s degree and in just a year gain advanced skills and expertise that leads to higher salaries and fast-tracked opportunities. The value of a UChicago degree is unmatched in the breadth of opportunities available, where you will gain a deeper understanding of your chosen field and gain expertise that provides real-world returns.

Take your career to the next level with UChicago’s 4+1 graduate programs! These special programs allow you to continue your intellectual journey right here in Hyde Park and graduate with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree, typically within 5 years.

These programs are a great option for students who want to:

  • Boost their earning potential
  • Build specialized skills
  • Enhance their competitiveness in the job market
  • Pivot to a new career field

Eligible Graduate Programs

Students can take advantage of the following 4+1 graduate programs:

Physical Sciences Division

Booth School of Business

Harris School of Public Policy

Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering

Social Sciences Division

Biological Sciences Division

Humanities Division

How to Apply

There are two ways students can apply for a 4+1 program. Applications for 2023-2024 are now open on Handshake and the deadline is January 10, 2024.

Second Year and Third Year

At the beginning of their second or third year in the College, students can apply for a special accelerated admission program into one of the eligible master’s programs. Participating students can lock in their spot with their preferred master’s program and receive a $5,000 scholarship for their 5th year and a $5,000 internship stipend.

Students can apply on Handshake by January 10, 2024.

Fourth Year

Fourth-years can apply for 4+1 programs on Handshake. Graduating students who enroll in a 4+1 program are eligible to receive a a $5,000 scholarship during the year after they graduate from the College, along with special career support.

Students can apply on Handshake by January 10, 2024.

Admissions Criteria for UChicago Advanced Scholars

After being accepted to the UChicago Advanced Scholars Program, students must meet the criteria below to maintain their eligibility for their graduate program.

Master of Engineering

  • Maintain 3.3 GPA in Molecular Engineering or related major during your time in the College
  • Complete the MATH 18300-18400-18500 series (or equivalent) AND one (or both) of the following:
    • Completion of the PHYS 13100-13200-13300 series (or equivalent)
    • Completion of CHEM 11000-11200-11300 series (or equivalent)

Master in Management (accepting applications from fourth years only)

  • Take at least one quantitative class, such as Statistics or Calculus
  • Please note: Students interested in this program will have one week after the 4+1 deadline to submit supplemental information and letters of recommendation on another portal, which you will receive a link to after the 4+1 deadline closes. Students will also be invited to interview as part of their application process.

Master of Arts in Public Policy (One Year)

  • Maintain 3.3 GPA during your time in the College
  • Take at least one course, at any level, in at least two of following three areas in the College: microeconomics, statistics, or calculus.

Master of Public Policy (Two years)

  • Maintain 3.3 GPA during your time in the College
  • Take at least one course, at any level, in at least two of following three areas in the College: microeconomics, statistics, or calculus.

MA in Public Policy with a Certificate in Research Methods (One year + one quarter)

  • Maintain 3.5 GPA during your time in the College
  • Take the following courses and achieve a 3.7 GPA in them:
    • Multivariate Calculus (MATH 16300 or MATH 18400 or MATH 20500 or MATH 20900)
    • ECON 20000 or ECON 20010
    • ECON 20100 or ECON 20110
    • ECON 20200 or ECON 20210
    • ECON 21020 or ECON 21030

MS in Applied Data Science

  • Maintain 3.3 GPA during your time in the College
  • Complete an internship during undergraduate years (highly recommended)
  • Take at least four of the following eight courses maintaining B+ average or higher (equivalent advanced courses would also fulfill the requirement):
Course Number Course Name
CMSC 11800 Introduction to Data Science I
CMSC 12100 Computer Science with Applications I
CMSC 14100 or CMSC 15100 Introduction to Computer Science I
CMSC 14200 or CMSC 15200 Introduction to Computer Science II
CMSC 25300 Mathematical Foundations of Machine Learning
MATH 15200 Calculus II
MATH 19620 Linear Algebra
STAT 22200 Linear Models and Experimental Design
STAT 23400 Statistical Models and Methods

MS in Financial Mathematics

  • Maintain 3.3 GPA during your time in the College
  • Take the following four courses and achieve a 3.5 GPA in them (equivalent courses would also fulfill the requirement):
    • Linear Algebra
    • Multivariable Calculus
    • Probability
    • Python Programming

The MS in Financial Mathematics program is currently only accepting UChicago Advanced Scholars applications from second and third years. Fourth-years who are interested in the MS in Financial Mathematics program should apply directly to the program through its normal application process. 

Masters Program in Computational and Applied Mathematics

  • Maintain 3.3 GPA during your time in the College
  • Take the following courses and achieve a 3.5 GPA in them:
    • Multivariate Calculus (MATH 15300 or MATH 16300 or MATH 18400 or MATH 20500)
    • Linear Algebra (STAT 24300 or MATH 20250)
    • Coursework in elementary probability and/or statistics (STAT 25100 or STAT 24400)
  • Take at least one of the following courses/course sequences and achieve a grade of B+ or above:
    • STAT 24310 Numerical Linear Algebra: An Introduction to Computation
    • CAAM 28000 Optimization
    • CAAM 28200 Dynamical Systems with Applications
    • CAAM 31450 Applied Partial Differential Equations
    • MATH 23500 Markov Chains, Martingales, and Brownian Motion
    • ECON 21030 Econometrics - Honors
    • MATH 20700-20800-20900 Honors Analysis in RN I-II-III

Master of Science in Statistics

  • Maintain 3.5 GPA during your time in the College
  • Take the following courses and achieve a 3.7 GPA in them:
    • Multivariate Calculus (MATH 16300 or MATH 18400 or MATH 20500 or MATH 20900)
    • Linear Algebra (STAT 24300 or MATH 20250 or MATH 20700)
    • Elementary probability (STAT 25100 or MATH 23500)
    • Elementary statistics (STAT 23400 or STAT 24400)
    • Elementary applied statistics (STAT 22200, STAT 22400, STAT 22600)

Master's Program in Computer Science

  • Maintain 3.3 GPA during your time in the College
  • Complete the following three courses by the start of your MPCS studies, maintaining a 3.3 GPA in them:
    • Intro to CS I: CMSC 12100, CMSC 14100, CMSC 15100, or CMSC 16100
    • Intro to CS II: CMSC 12200, CMSC 14200, CMSC 15200, or CMSC 16200
    • Discrete Mathematics: CMSC 27100, CMSC 27130, or CMSC 37115
  • Students who earn a C or lower in any of the above courses may be required to take additional prerequisite courses at the start of studies in the MPCS.

MS in Data Science

  • Maintain 3.3 GPA during your time in the College
  • Take the following courses and achieve a 3.6 GPA in them:
    • DATA 11800, DATA 11900, and DATA 12000 (these can be replaced by STAT 23400 and CMSC 14100 and CMSC 14200)
    • Multivariate Calculus (DATA 21100 or MATH 16300 or MATH 18400 or MATH 20500 or MATH 20900)
    • Linear Algebra (DATA 21200 or STAT 24300 or MATH 20250 or MATH 20700)

MA Program in the Social Sciences

  • Maintain 3.3 GPA during your time in the College

MA Program in the Social Sciences – Economics Concentration

  • Maintain 3.6 GPA during your time in the College and 3.7 in ECON courses
  • Take the following four courses: 
    • ECON 20000 or ECON 20010
    • ECON 20100 or ECON 20110
    • ECON 20200 or ECON 20210
    • ECON 21020 or ECON 21030

MA Program in the Social Sciences – Psychology Track

  • Maintain 3.3 GPA during your time in the College
  • Psychology major
  • At least one Psychology lab experience
  • At least one Psychology research methods course completed at the B+ level or above (PSYC 2022 or more advanced research methods course)
  • At least one Statistics course completed at the B+ level or above (PYSC 20250, PSYC 20100, STAT 22000, or more advanced STAT course)

MA in Computational Social Sciences

  • Maintain 3.3 GPA during your time in the College with grades of B- or better in pre-requisite courses. 
  • Take the following pre-requisite courses: 
    • The three-course Perspectives sequence: MACS 30000-30100-30200.
    • At least two from the computer programming sequence: MACS 30111-30112-30113, the more advanced MACS 30121-30122-30123, or equivalent coursework.
    • At least two social science electives.

MA in Computational Social Sciences – Economics Concentration

  • Maintain 3.6 GPA during your time in the College with 3.7 GPA in ECON courses
  • Take the following pre-requisite courses: 
    • ECON 20000/20010, ECON 20100/20110, ECON 20200/20210
    • ECON 21020/21030
    • The two-course MACSS-Econ Perspectives sequence: MACS 30000-30150.
    • At least two from the computer programming sequence: MACS 30111-30112, the more advanced MACS 30121-30122, or equivalent coursework.
    • One additional elective in Economics.

Committee on International Relations MA Program

  • Maintain 3.5 GPA during your time in the College.
  • Successfully complete one of the following courses with a grade of B+ or higher:
    • ECON 10200 Principles of Macroeconomics
    • GLST 23101 Global Studies I
    • PLSC 28901 Introduction to Comparative Politics
    • PLSC 29000 Introductions to International Relations

Master of Public Health

  • Maintain 3.3 GPA during your time in the College.
  • Recommend taking at least one college math/stats class during your time in the College.

MS in Precision Health

  • Maintain 3.3 GPA during your time in the College.
  • Recommend taking at least one intro biology and one college math/stats class during your time in the College.

MS in Biomedical Sciences

  • Maintain 3.3 GPA during your time in the College.
  • Must have completed at least one course each of general biology and general chemistry in the College.

MA Program in Humanities

  • Maintain 3.3 GPA during your time in the College.

The Division of the Humanities Master of Arts Program in Humanities (MAPH) is typically a one-year program, however students can also apply to the MAPH Two-year Language Option (TLO). The MAPH TLO was designed for students who require extensive language skills that exceed the Master of Arts Program in the Humanities' (MAPH) traditional one-year curriculum. This language component is ideal for students who are interested in translation studies, need advanced proficiency for admission to a PhD program, or would like to pursue language study to enhance their academic work. TLO students must begin language study at the intermediate level or higher in at least one language.

TLO students take 9 language courses at the intermediate and advanced levels—in addition to the regular MAPH curriculum of 1 Core course, 7 electives, and 1 thesis—over two academic years. Students also have the opportunity to use the three summers of the program for language study on campus or abroad.

The minimum requirement is a 3.3 GPA for admission into the MAPH TLO program via the 4+1 program. Students should indicate which MAPH Program they’re interested in – the one-year program or the two-year TLO program.

MA in Digital Studies of Language, Culture, History

  • Maintain 3.3 GPA during your time in the College.

Students should indicate on their application if they'd like to be considered for the Two-Year Option.

MA Program in Middle Eastern Studies (Humanities focus for those interested in languages, literature, religion, and material culture)

  • Maintain 3.3 GPA during your time in the College.
  • Recommend Middle Eastern language study during your time in the College.

MA Program in Middle Eastern Studies (Social sciences focus for those interested in people, politics, international relations, and economics)

  • Maintain 3.3 GPA during your time in the College.
  • Recommend Middle Eastern language study during your time in the College.

Course Credit

Please note that Advanced Scholars are not allowed to count their undergraduate coursework towards their master's degree.

Questions?

Check our the Frequently Asked Questions page. Or, to learn more about UChicago Advanced Scholars, contact Ruthie Robinson at rrobinson5@uchicago.edu.