An Accelerated B.S./M.S. (AMB) option in Consumer and Design Sciences is offered for undergraduate majors in both the Interior Design (INDS) and in the Apparel Merchandising, Design and Production Management (AMDP) programs. Students who meet the Accelerated B.S./M.S. program requirements may take 8-9 hours of 5000-level coursework as 6000 level graduate courses, earning credit toward their undergraduate degree. These graduate credits may then also be applied towards the M.S. degree if the student applies to and is accepted for the M.S. in Consumer and Design Sciences.

Program Overview

Eligibility

 

An undergraduate student who considers applying for the CADS ABM program must first check if they meet the eligibility criteria. To do that, carefully review the following two websites to learn about the up-to-date application requirements and procedures for the ABM program in CADS and the Graduate School’s ABM requirements and forms.

Program Eligibility and Requirements

Application

 

The ABM application process is very easy. In consultation with the student’s undergraduate advisor, the student completes the following steps:

  1. Fill out the ABM Application Form with three 6000-level CADS courses (up to 9 credit hours), which are graduate sections of the respective 5000-level CADS courses remaining for you to take to meet your undergraduate degree requirements (Please note that no 5000-level courses that you already took in past semesters can be retrospectively used for the ABM program).
  2. Obtain your undergraduate advisor’s signature on the form and submit it (via email or in person) to Dr. Wi-Suk Kwon, the Graduate Program Officer (GPO) of the Department of Consumer and Design Sciences.
  3. Finally, you will submit the application form with both the undergraduate advisor and GPO’s signatures to the Graduate School.

 

ABM Application Form

How ABM Program Relates to CADS M.S. Program

 

Enrolling in the ABM program does not guarantee admission to the CADS M.S. program. A student who completes the ABM program will still need to apply for the M.S. program when the time comes. Their M.S. application will be reviewed in the same manner as all the other M.S. applicants’ applications are. GRE test scores are required for the CADS M.S. application. Although the ABM program does not benefit the student in the M.S. application process, if admitted to the M.S. program, having completed the ABM program does allow them to complete the M.S. degree faster because the 9 ABM credit hours will be counted towards the M.S. credit requirements. This usually saves one semester of M.S. program duration. Please note that the typical duration of the CADS M.S. program is two years, although this duration can vary depending on whether the student pursues the M.S. degree with thesis or without thesis (i.e., the non-thesis M.S. degree usually takes shorter) along with other factors. Contact the CADS GPO for further information on the CADS M.S. application procedures and requirements.