May 08, 2024  
2023-2024 Shepherd University Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Shepherd University Catalog

4+1 Bachelors/M.S. Data Analysis and Information Systems Option (Fifth-Year M.S.)


Accelerated 4+1 Bachelors/MS-DAIS Option (fully online)

Current Shepherd University undergraduate students may be eligible for the combined bachelors/masters in science in Data Analytics and Information Systems (DAIS) degree program. Whether you want to work in major lending institutions or in a consulting company that provides services for federal defense agencies or healthcare industry, our accelerated Bachelors/M.S. in DAIS program will bring your career to the next level more quickly.

Apply to the 4+1 Bachelors/M.S. in DAIS Program

No more than (12) credits of graduate credit may be taken by an undergraduate student for this program. You may apply to the combined 4+1 Bachelors/M.S. in DAIS Program when you have completed 90 undergraduate hours with a GPA of 3.0 or have completed 75 undergraduate hours and have a minimum GPA of 3.3. Students must submit a completed Graduate Admissions Application and all individual program requirements listed for Data Analytics and Information Systems, M.S.  

Students already in the undergraduate programs Data Analytics Comprehensive, B.S. , Computer and Information Technology Comprehensive, B.S. , or similar degree should work closely with their advisors and department chairs for the appropriate courses to use at the undergraduate level.

The Shepherd University 4+1 program for the Master of Science in Data Analytics and Information Systems (MS-DAIS) degree allows interested and qualified students to complete a bachelor’s degree and an MS-DAIS in as few as five years. Students in the 4+1 program focus on their bachelor’s degree requirements during their first three years, a mix of bachelor’s and MS-DAIS requirements in the fourth year, and mostly MS-DAIS requirements in the fifth year. Each degree is awarded once the specific degree requirements are successfully met.

Students need to work closely with their advisor to ensure they are selecting coursework that covers both degree requirements. Additionally, students are highly encouraged to meet with the University’s Financial Aid Office since financial assistance (whether in the form of grants, scholarships, loans, etc.) is unique to each student/family situation.

An accelerated graduate program allows students to save time and money by having them spend less time in school than in a traditional MS-DAIS program. By providing an accelerated pathway to a graduate degree, Shepherd students in related bachelor’s degree programs fulfill necessary foundational course work and pre-requisite knowledge for the MS-DAIS, and by taking graduate-level courses avoid duplication of some material that is common to their degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level.