4+1 BS/MS Program

Our 4+1 BS/MS is an exclusive program for current Purdue ECE undergraduates that allows students to earn both a BS and MSECE in as few as five years. This program leverages the outstanding characteristics of the Purdue ECE undergraduate experience to accelerate completion of a Master's degree.

Employers recognize the value of the MSECE, and students who complete the 4+1 BS/MS will have broadened career and professional program options (MD or JD) or can continue their education in ECE to earn a PhD.

Program Features

  • Gain early admission to the MSECE program, as early as your junior year.
    • Applications are accepted year-round on a rolling basis.
  • Complete the BS in four years and the MS in another two academic semesters.
    • As an undergraduate, count up to 12 credit hours of 50000-level ECE courses toward both your ECE BS and MS degrees.
    • As a graduate student, complete another 18 credit hours to earn the MSECE (30 credits total).
  • Choose your MSECE track: course-only, online, project, or thesis.
    • Note that the project or thesis track may extend your time to graduation to more than one academic year.
    • Contact Lynn Hegewald, ECE Master’s Program Manager, for more information about the MSECE tracks.

Requirements and Procedures

  • Apply after your fourth undergraduate semester; 3.5 GPA required.
  • After you are admitted to the 4+1 BS/MS program, complete 12 credits of 500-level ECE courses during your junior and senior years; earn at least a 3.0 GPA in these courses.
  • Graduate with your BS with a GPA of at least 3.4 to continue to the MSECE.

Curriculum

Students may have 12 credits hours of 50000-level ECE courses count towards both their BS and MS degrees.

Eligible BSEE courses:

  • EE Selectives: 53800, 50653, 51012
  • EE Electives: 6 credit hours at the 50000 level
  • Complementary Electives: 3 credit hours at the 50000 level

Eligible BSCmpE courses:

  • 50863, 56800, 57000, 57300, or other 50000 level courses

Eighteen additional credit hours are needed to earn the MSECE (30 credit hours total).

Application Process

  • Please visit this page for application instructions.

Tuition and Fees

Students will pay undergraduate engineering tuition until they receive their BSEE or BSCompE. Once students become graduate students, they will pay graduate engineering rates. Check the most up-to-date fees here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should be included in the Graduate School application?

  • You must complete the full Graduate School application, which includes transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and your resume. The TOEFL and GRE will be waived. See Required Supporting Documents on this page for additional details.

When should I complete the Graduate School application?

  • You must complete the application before you take any graduate level courses you wish to dual count toward the BS and MS degree, so you can submit the application as soon as you complete your sophomore year. Applications are accepted year-round on a rolling basis.

Why do I need to apply so early?

  • The Purdue Graduate School will only dual count graduate-level courses you take as an undergraduate while you are a dual BS/MS status. Graduate-level ECE courses taken before you are admitted to the 4+1 BS/MS program cannot be dual counted.

Can I apply for a graduate assistant position while in this program?

  • Once you have completed your BS, you are eligible to hold a graduate assistant position. See this webpage for more information: Finding TA and RA positions

When should I submit my MS plan of study?

  • You should submit your MS plan of study through myPurdue at the beginning of the first semester as a MS student.

Is there any penalty if I am admitted to the 4 + 1 program but decide not to complete the MS at Purdue?

  • No, there is no penalty. The graduate-level coursework you complete as an undergraduate will still count toward your BS. However, you would not be able to use these graduate courses toward a graduate degree at another university.

Contact

If you are an undergraduate student interested in this program, contact Jamie Seadeek.

To learn more about the MSECE, contact Lynn Hegewald, ECE Master’s Program Manager.

RANKED TOP 8 UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS U.S. News & World Report (2024)
RECORD SETTING $54+ Million ANNUAL RESEARCH AWARDS
ESTABLISHED IN 1888 PURDUE HAS THE LARGEST ECE PROGRAM IN THE U.S.
RANKED #1 ONLINE MS IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING U.S. News & World Report (2023)