PlusOne Details & Policies

Overview

PlusOne Pathways in the College of Engineering allow students to accelerate completion of a COE Master’s degree. In a PlusOne pathway, an undergraduate student completes up to two or four graduate-level courses (depending on the program) that will apply toward both their undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

For a Master’s program, PlusOne pathways for that program consist of:

  1. the allowed undergraduate programs,
  2. the prerequisite undergraduate courses (if any),
  3. the number of courses to be applied to both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and
  4. the allowed graduate courses that can be applied to both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Admission to a PlusOne Pathway

A student must apply for admission to a PlusOne pathway, and this application must be submitted no later than the end of the first week of a student’s final semester in which they will complete the Bachelor of Science degree. Prior to submitting the application, students are asked to meet with their undergraduate academic advisor to discuss double counting of courses and their program of study. It is also recommended to begin planning early to ensure you have time to complete any required prerequisites.

A student will be admitted to a PlusOne pathway for a Masters program if they:

  1. are enrolled in an allowed undergraduate program,
  2. have taken the prerequisite courses, and
  3. have an overall GPA of at least 3.25.

Deadlines:

Due date for applications to be submitted to Graduate School in Fall: End of the seventh week of the semester

Due date for applications to be submitted to Graduate School in Spring: End of the seventh week of the semester

Course Enrollment as an Undergraduate Student

Per University Transfer Credit policy, graduate course credits earned at Northeastern by undergraduate students enrolled in a PlusOne program will be double-counted toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees as prescribed by the graduate program in which the student is enrolled, not to exceed 16 semester hours. Transfer credit may not be applied to graduate degrees that are completed as part of a PlusOne program.

PlusOne students who complete additional graduate coursework beyond the maximum 16 semester hours as an undergraduate student may not apply these for transfer credit towards their MS degree, even if the graduate coursework is not applied to the undergraduate degree requirements.

Transition to Master’s Program

Upon completion of their BS degree, students in a PlusOne pathway will transition to the Master’s program if they:

  1. have a 3.0 graduate GPA,
  2. have a 3.25 undergraduate GPA, and
  3. have taken the required number of approved graduate courses.
  4. Students will also need to submit an updated PlusOne Transition to Master’s form in their final semester to ensure the correct courses are applied to both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Course Enrollment as a Graduate Student

A minimum overall Grade Point Average of 3.0 is required to remain in good standing and to be eligible for MS degree conferral.

Following the conferral of the Bachelor of Science degree, a minimum of 16 semester hours of graduate coursework is required in the PlusOne program, regardless of previous graduate-level coursework completed.

It is important for students in the PlusOne program to work closely with the MS faculty advisors and graduate advisors to ensure degree requirements are fulfilled and policies/procedures are followed.

Graduate course enrollment to fulfill the remaining Master of Science requirements must be initiated the semester following Bachelor of Science degree completion.

Other Information

All students should consult with the Student Financial Services office to discuss the financial implications of enrolling in a College of Engineering PlusOne Program. Students in PlusOne programs are not eligible for the Double Husky scholarship.

International students admitted into a PlusOne program must request and obtain a new I-20 for the graduate degree following conferral of the Bachelor’s Degree. Students should consult with the Office of Global Services.

Students enrolled in the “Plus One” accelerated master’s degree program are permitted to participate in up to three co-ops during their combined undergraduate and graduate degree programs.  Please refer PlusOne Masters Co-op page for additional information.

All students enrolled in an accelerated degree program are required to follow all Graduate School policies and procedures.

Online Courses

Students may not take online graduate coursework prior to completion of the Bachelor of Science degree unless the following conditions are met:

  • a course required for graduation will not be offered on-ground prior to the scheduled graduation date, or
  • a course is taken while on co-op or if the student is away from campus for other academic reasons, and an on-ground section is not available or does not align with the co-op schedule or location. In this case, enrollment in an online section would only be allowed if the student’s graduation date would be delayed as a result of not taking the course online. There may be financial implications for courses taken while on co-op; all students should contact the Student Financial Services office to discuss planned coursework.

Study Abroad

Courses that are taken while studying abroad usually cannot be applied toward completion of the MS requirements. If a student wishes to request a course taken abroad to count towards their Master of Science degree requirements, a petition must be completed with the Graduate School (coe-gradadvising@northeastern.edu) for review by the Graduate Director of the relevant MS program.

Course Waiver and Replacement

Any request to waive a graduate-level course and replace it with another course must be submitted to the Graduate School of Engineering using the Standard Petition Form to be reviewed by the Graduate School and the Graduate Director of the relevant MS program. Please refer to the Faculty Advisor / Program Contact list to ensure your request is sent to the correct contact for approval.

Co-op

Students enrolled in the “Plus One” accelerated master’s degree program are permitted to participate in up to three co-ops during their combined undergraduate and graduate degree programs.  Please refer PlusOne Masters Co-op page for additional information.

Certificate

Students in the PlusOne program may be able to pursue a certificate but cannot triple count courses between the bachelors, masters, or certificate program. Students interested in pursuing a certificate while in the program should schedule a meeting with their undergraduate and graduate academic advisors to discuss this option.

Please see the College of Engineering’s current graduate certificate program options and also our policies and procedures for certificate programs.