PlusOne Degrees and Accelerated PhD Programs
The PlusOne program allows current Northeastern students the opportunity to pursue both a bachelor’s and master’s degree successively in a condensed period of time. We also offer Accelerated PhD programs in Biology and Physics.
Overview
For students pursuing a PlusOne degree, several credits of undergraduate work are replaced by graduate coursework, thus permitting the completion of an undergraduate degree, as well as a full master’s degree, in a shorter period of time than would be possible if students pursued each degree separately through the traditional route.
In most programs, with appropriate academic progress, students receive the master’s degree one year after completing the undergraduate degree.
To apply to the PlusOne Master’s degree or Accelerated PhD program you must be a current Northeastern undergraduate student. Interested students should see the requirements below for more information before applying. Students should apply to enter the PlusOne program no earlier than their fifth academic semester and at least two academic semesters before expecting to earn the Bachelor of Science degree (three academic semesters prior for Marine Biology). Eligible candidates will complete an online application. No GRE or application fee is required!
Note: Any financial aid a student may have received from the university while an undergraduate will not continue once the student obtains graduate status. PlusOne students are not eligible for the Double Husky Scholarship.
PlusOne Programs
BS Mathematics
Program Contacts
Contact your assigned undergraduate advisor to determine how your undergraduate courses may count towards the PlusOne program.
For questions related to Graduate course offerings, program content, post-grad career opportunities, and overall program requirements contact:
Solomon Jekel, PhD, Associate Professor
He Wang, PhD, Assistant Teaching Professor
Learn More
Click here to download a PDF about the Applied Mathematics PlusOne.
BS Behavioral Neuroscience
BS Biochemistry
BS Biology
BS Cell and Molecular Biology
BS Computer Science
BS Computer Science and Biology
BS Computer Science and BNS
BS Data Science and Biology
BS Data Science and Biochemistry
BS Data Science and Behavioral Neuroscience
Program Contacts
Contact your assigned undergraduate advisor to determine how your undergraduate courses may count towards the PlusOne program.
For questions related to Graduate course offerings, program content, post-grad career opportunities, and overall program requirements, contact:
Learn More
Click here to download a PDF about the Bioinformatics PlusOne.
BS Biochemistry
BS Biology
BS Cell and Molecular Biology
BS Biotechnology (CPS)
BS Chemistry
Program Contacts
Contact your assigned undergraduate advisor to determine how your undergraduate courses may count towards the PlusOne program.
For questions related to Graduate course offerings, program content, post-grad career opportunities and overall program requirements, contact:
Learn More
Click here to download a PDF about the Biotechnology PlusOne.
BS Biochemistry
BS Biology
BS Biology and English
BS Biology and Mathematics
BS Biology and Political Science
BS Biological Sciences (CPS)
BS Biotechnology (CPS)
BS Behavioral Neuroscience
BS Behavioral Neuroscience and Design
BS BS Behavioral Neuroscience and Philosophy
BS Cell and Molecular Biology
BS Computer Science and Biology
BS Data Science and Biology
Program Contacts:
Contact your assigned undergraduate advisor to determine how your undergraduate courses may count towards the PlusOne program.
For questions related to Graduate course offerings, program content, post-grad career opportunities and overall program requirements, contact:
Learn More
Click here to download a PDF about the Cell and Gene Therapies PlusOne.
BS Biochemistry
BS Chemistry
Program Contacts
Contact your assigned undergraduate advisor to determine how your undergraduate courses may count towards the PlusOne program.
For questions related to Graduate course offerings, program content and overall program requirements, contact:
Tara Loschiavo, Academic Coordinator
Faculty Advisor – select a potential Graduate Thesis Advisor. One letter of recommendation is required from this faculty member confirming support of the thesis project.
Learn More
Click here to download a PDF about the Chemistry PlusOne.
All MES and CSSH majors
Program Contacts
Contact your assigned COS undergraduate advisor or CSSH Undergraduate Advisor to determine how your undergraduate courses may count towards the PlusOne program.
For questions related to Graduate course offerings, program content, post-grad career opportunities, and overall program requirements, contact:
Benjamin Dittbrenner, PhD, MS in Environmental Science and Policy Program Director
Learn More
Click here to download a PDF about the Environmental Science and Policy PlusOne.
BS Marine Biology
BS Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
BS Environmental and Sustainability Sciences
– Earth, Oceans, and Environmental Change concentration
– Conservation, Restoration, and Management concentration
Program Contacts
Contact your assigned undergraduate advisor to determine how your undergraduate courses may count towards the PlusOne program.
For questions related to Graduate course offerings, program content, post-grad career opportunities, and overall program requirements, contact:
Andrea Jerabek, Program Manager
Tara Duffy, PhD, Marine Biology Major Advisor/Three Seas Faculty Head
Learn More
Click here to download a PDF about the Marine Biology PlusOne.
If you would like to create a PlusOne program outside of the current offerings, a complete PlusOne application is required for review. See application requirements here.
Select Program ‘Create Your Own’ on the online application. Submit this form in the Program Plan section of the online application. The form should be signed by your undergraduate advisor and director from your home college.
Program Contacts
Contact your assigned undergraduate advisor to determine how your undergraduate courses may count towards the PlusOne program.
Accelerated PhD Programs
BS Physics
To participate in the program, students must be on spring co-op (Div BA) or skip their last co-op, and must have a 3.5 GPA in their physics courses for accelerated entry into the program. Students can participate by successfully completing the degree requirements, including successful completion of two 7000-level physics graduate courses and one shared 5000 level course before receiving their BS degree (PHYS7321, PHYS7301 and PHYS 5318). All students must email the Graduate Director by April 1 before the start of their final undergrad year for permission to take 7000 level courses to enter the first stage of the BS/PhD program. Acceptance into this stage will allow students to take the 7000 level courses required for entry to the program, but this does not guarantee admission to graduate portion of the program. Students would then apply formally to the graduate program by December 1 of year 4 (or year 5 for undergraduate students opting for a 5-year BS track), and receive their BS at the end of year 4 (or year 5 for undergraduate students opting for a 5-year BS track).
BS/PhD students will apply to the Physics PhD program by December 1 in the final year of their BS degree. If students meet the grade and course requirements, we will require only standard application materials such as a personal statement, two letters of recommendation, and transcript. These limited application requirements are defined as accelerated admission and contingent upon successful completion of the 2 – 7000 level courses and 1 – 5000 level course. Students must have a grade of B or higher in all three courses to apply for accelerated admission.
Students interested in pursuing the Accelerated PhD in Physics should first contact the Graduate Director, Paul Whitford to express interest and find out more about the program.
Interested students should review application requirements and submit their application. Undergraduate transcripts will be automatically uploaded by Graduate Student Services once the application is complete. No GRE or application fee is required!
Program Contact
BS Biology
Interested students should review application requirements and submit their application. Undergraduate transcripts will be automatically uploaded by Graduate Student Services once the application is complete. No GRE or application fee is required!
Program Contact
Julian Stanley discusses his experience in the Bioinformatics PlusOne program which allowed him to pursue both a BS in biology and a MS in bioinformatics at the same time.
“Through the program, I spent a year splitting my time between learning, teaching, and conducting research, which helped convince me that I would be comfortable continuing to learn, teach, and conduct research during my Ph.D. and beyond.”
Read about it here.