Fast-Track Programs in
the
Summary:
This program enables exceptionally gifted
senior undergraduate students to include master’s level courses in their
undergraduate degree plans. When a successful
Fast-Track student graduates with the BS degree, he or she is automatically
admitted to graduate school at UT Dallas without need to take the Graduate
Records Exam (GRE). The number of hours required to complete the MS degree is
reduced by the number of Fast-Track graduate hours completed with grades of B
or better. So, for example, a Fast-Track
undergraduate who passed 12 hours of well-chosen graduate coursework with
grades of A or B, would have only 33-12 = 21 hours of graduate coursework left
in order to complete the MS degree.
This document explains the qualifications
necessary to enter the program, the requirements to complete the program
successfully, and the procedures to be followed by Fast-Track students.
Unconditional Admission:
An undergraduate qualifies to be admitted
unconditionally to the Fast-Track program if he or she meets all of the
following qualifications:
1.
Has completed at least 15 hrs at UT Dallas.
2.
Has repeated no more than 3 courses at UTD
and has repeated no course more than once.
3.
Is within 30 hours of graduation.
4.
Has an overall GPA for all college courses
of at least 3.0.
5.
Has completed at least six of the following
benchmark courses, corresponding to the student’s choice of major, with an
average grade of at least 3.33:
|
Computer Science` |
Software Engineering |
|
CS 2305 Discrete
Math I CS 3305 Discrete
Math II CS/SE 3345
Algorithms and Data Str. CE/CS 4337
Programming Languages CS/SE 3340 Computer
Architecture CE/CS/SE/TE 4348
Operating Systems CS 4349 Adv. Algorithms
and Data Str. CS 4384 Automata
Theory |
CS 2305 Discrete
Math I SE 3306 Math
Foundations for SE CS/SE 3345
Algorithms and Data Str. CE/CS/SE 3354
Software Engineering CS/SE 3340 Computer
Architecture CE/CS/SE/TE 4348
Operating Systems SE 4351 Software
Requirements SE 4352 Software
Architecture |
|
Electrical
Engineering |
Telecommunications
Engineering |
|
CE/EE/MECH 3300
Advanced Engineering Math CE/EE/TE 3301
Electrical Network Analysis CE/EE/TE 3302
Signals and Systems CE/EE 3310 Electronic
Devices CE/EE 3311
Electronic Circuits CE/EE 3320 Digital
Circuits |
CS 2305 Discrete
Math I CE/TE 3307 Discrete
Math CE/TE 3346
Algorithms and Data Structures CE/CS/SE/TE 4348
Operating Systems CE/EE/TE 3301
Electrical Network Analysis CE/EE/TE 3302
Signals and Systems CE/EE/TE 3341
Probability and Statistics EE 3350
Communications Systems |
|
Computer Engineering |
Mechanical
Engineering |
|
CE/EE/TE 3301
Electrical Network Analysis CE/EE/TE 3302
Signals and Systems CE/EE 3310
Electronic Devices CE/EE 3320 Digital
Circuits CE/TE 3346
Algorithms and Data Structures CE/CS/SE 3354
Software Engineering CE/EE 4304 Computer
Architecture CE/CS/SE/TE 4348
Operating Systems |
CE/EE/MECH 3300
Advanced Engineering Math MECH 3301 Mechanics of Materials MECH 3302 Intermediate Dynamics MECH 3310 Thermodynamics MECH 3315 Introduction to Fluid Mechanics MECH 3320 Heat Transfer |
Conditional Admission:
Conditional admission may be granted if the
applicant satisfies entry requirements 1 through 4 for unconditional admission
(listed above), and has completed at least four of the benchmark courses with a
GPA for those courses of at least 3.33.
Conditional Fast-Track students are
expected to have completed at least six benchmark courses in one long semester
after their conditional admission to the Fast-Track Program. Students who
subsequently fail to meet all of the Fast-Track entry requirements will be
removed from the program. Any graduate
credits earned by that time will be applied only to the student's undergraduate
degree, and none of the other benefits of membership of the Fast-Track program
will apply.
Applying for Admission to the Program:
Download the appropriate form
(corresponding to your undergraduate major) from the list at the end of this
document, or obtain it from the Office of Undergraduate Advising; submit the
completed form to an undergraduate advisor.
In return you will receive an email indicating the decision of the
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education (ADU). A signed copy of the ADU's
decision will be inserted in your file.
Choice of MS Degree and Cross-Tracking:
Fast-Track courses taken during the
undergraduate senior year must be well chosen so that they satisfy the
requirements of the BS degree AND those of the intended MS degree.
Fast-Track students who graduate with a BS
in one program within the
Preparing to Cross-Track:
Students planning to cross-track should
select MS courses from the list of prerequisite and core courses for their
intended MS major. Students should take
these graduate courses as guided electives (if possible) or free electives in
their undergraduate degree programs. Note that the graduate prerequisite courses
may also have prerequisites. A complete list of these dependencies must be
considered before the student can be sure of the cost of cross-tracking. This
research can easily be completed by studying the online catalog at www.utdallas.edu.
It may also be possible to cross-track to a
MS degree in another School at UTD. See the ADU for details and advice.
Choice of Graduate Courses:
Each semester, Fast-Track undergraduates must
consult the ADU before deciding on their graduate courses. Only organized 5000 and 6000 level courses
that can be used for credit towards the MS degree can be used as Fast-Track
courses. An organized course is one that is advertised in the schedule for
classroom (or online) delivery.
Independent study courses do not qualify.
Fast-Track students may, with the advice of
the ADU, fulfill some of their major course requirements, their undergraduate
guided electives and/or their free electives, by taking graduate level courses.
Those graduate courses should either be electives or required courses for their
intended MS major.
Students should not take more than one 5000
level course in CS or two in EE because of limits on the number of 5000 level
courses that can be used to satisfy the requirements of the corresponding MS
degree (consult with a graduate advisor to assure that the classes you plan to
take can be used). The following 5000 level classes can not
be taken by Fast Track students because they can not
be used for credit towards the Masters degree or
overlap with lower level degree requirements:
|
CAN
NOT TAKE THESE COURSES |
|
CS 5301 – Advanced
Professional and Technical Communication CS 5303 – Computer
Science I CS 5330 – Computer
Science II CS 5333 – Discrete Structures CS 5336 – Programming Projects in Java EE 5300 – Advanced
Engineering Mathematics EE 5320 –
Introduction to Devices and Circuits EE 5321 –
Introduction to Circuits and Systems EE 5350 – Signals,
Systems, Digital Communication EE 5360 –
Introduction to Communications and Signal Processing EE 5381 – Curriculum
Practical training in Electrical Engineering |
Also, students should not take pairs of
equivalent courses as listed below; you can take the graduate version on the
right in place of the undergraduate version listed on the left, but can not take both.
|
FORBIDDEN
PAIRS (5000 level) |
||
|
Algorithms and Data
Structures Software Engineering Unix Operating Systems Automata Theory Networks |
CS/SE 3345 CS/SE 3354 CS 3375 CS/SE/TE 4348 CS 4384 CS/TE 4390 |
CS 5343 CS 5354 CS 5375 CS 5348 CS 5349 CS 5390 |
|
FORBIDDEN
PAIRS (6000 LEVEL) |
||
|
Object Oriented
Design Data Base Artificial
Intelligence Computer Graphics Software Project
Management Information Security Digital Signal
Processing Telecommunication
Networks Wireless
Communication |
CS/SE 4376 CS/SE 4347 CS 4364 CS 4361 SE 4381 CS 4393 EE 4361 EE/TE 4390 EE 4365 |
CS/SE 6359 CS/SE 6360 CS 6365 CS 6366 CS/SE 6388 CS 6324 EE 6360 EE 6340 EE 6390 |
Since the Departments continually strive to
improve the content of graduate classes, the above list is tentative/incomplete. Final decisions will be made by the
advisor/ADU at the time of registration.
Limits on the Number of Graduate Courses:
Before graduating with the BS degree,
Fast-Track students must complete at least two and at most five Fast-Track
graduate courses with grades of B or better. If a student takes x hours of well
chosen graduate courses under Fast-Track rules, and earns grades of at least B
in these courses, the number of hours required to complete the MS degree will
be reduced by x.
Applying to Take Graduate Courses:
To register for graduate courses, you must
obtain the ADU’s signature on a special course registration form. You can obtain the form by clicking on the
appropriate link below, or by visiting the Office of Undergraduate
Advising. The ADU will check that you
are eligible for the classes that you list, that they fit into your undergraduate
and graduate degree plans, and that you are not exceeding the 15-hour limit for
Fast-Track courses.
Requirements for Staying in the Program:
1.
You must maintain an overall GPA of at
least 3.0.
2.
You are expected to get grades of B or better
in your graduate courses. If you earn a grade of C on a graduate course, that
course will only count towards your undergraduate degree.
3.
You must pass at least two graduate courses
with grades of B or better before you graduate with your BS degree.
4.
During your entire undergraduate experience
at UTD, including your period of membership in the Fast-Track program, you must
not repeat more than three courses, and must not repeat any course more than
once.
If, at any time, you fail to satisfy these
requirements, you will be removed from the program. Any graduate credits earned will be applied
only to your undergraduate degree, and none of the other benefits of membership
of the Fast-Track program will apply.
Transition to the MS degree:
Assuming that you graduate in good standing
as a Fast-Track student, a graduate matriculation will have already been
created for you. There is no need to
apply for admission to graduate school; no application fee or letters of reference
are required, and you need not take the GRE exam. The hours required for you to complete your
MS degree will be adjusted according to the number of Fast-Track graduate hours
you have completed with grades of B or better. Graduating Fast-Track students
should see a graduate advisor to ensure a smooth transition.
Taking a Break Between The Two Degrees:
The rules for re-admission apply to
students that wish to take a break between their completion of the B.S. degree
and continuation of their graduate studies.
Students that take off three long semesters (or more - not counting
summers) need to apply for admission to the graduate program and will lose
their Fast-Track privileges (including waiver of the GRE requirement).
Taking Breaks During Graduate Studies;
Minimum Course Load:
Once you are a graduate student, you are
governed by the rules for all graduate students. There is no minimum course
load, and you can take breaks, as outlined in the graduate catalog, but you
must complete your MS degree within six years. Consult a graduate advisor for
more details.
Links to forms:
MECH
fast-track application.htm
Petition
for Undergraduate to take Grad Courses.doc
Revised 6/09/09