4+1 Human Centered Engineering Design

The accelerated undergraduate/master’s studies option in human-centered design and engineering (including 4+1 option) allows the most qualified UM-Dearborn undergraduate human-centered engineering design (BSE- HCED) students to pursue a program of study in which BSE and MS degrees are earned in a five-year accelerated format. This is achieved by combining a portion of undergraduate and graduate coursework as described below.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for the option, a student must:

• Be enrolled in the undergraduate HCED program at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
• Have earned 60 credit hours in the undergraduate program.
• Have a 3.2 cumulative GPA or better.
• Not be enrolled in two undergraduate programs or in a dual-degree program in either their undergraduate or graduate program.
• Deferred enrollment by 4+1 students into the Master’s program is not permitted. 

Double Counting and Transfer Credits:

1. The accelerated option allows current UM-Dearborn BSE- HCED majors to complete both the BSE- HCED and MS human-centered design and engineering (MS-HCDE) degrees in an accelerated format. Admitted students can double-count up to 9 credits of 500-level or above HCDE core or concentration courses taken during their junior or senior years. 
2. In practice with the usual graduate student program rules, students may also transfer a maximum of 6 additional 500-level credits toward the 31-credit hours master's degree. These additional transfer credits can be taken during the junior and senior years and cannot be used for any portion of the undergraduate degree.
3. Depending on the number of double-counted and transfer credits, 16-22 credits of graduate coursework would be needed to complete the master's program after completion of the undergraduate degree. 

Admission to the 4+1 Option:

1. Participation in the accelerated option is limited to students who have completed at least 60 undergraduate credit hours, have attained junior standing, have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2. The applicant to the accelerated option should have completed the following courses with grades of B+ or better: HCED 370 and HCED 380

2. Admission to the accelerated option is at the discretion of the MS-HCDE admission committee and requires a pre-admission interview.

3. The online graduate application should be completed with a "Yes" response to the accelerated option question. In addition to submitting the required application materials, the applicants will complete an interview with the MS-HCDE admission committees.

4. Students must attain a grade of B or better in each 500-level class taken as an undergraduate student and used for graduate credit in the accelerated option. Failure to do so may result in removal from the accelerated option. 

To successfully achieve the 4+1 option within a five-year time-frame, students can look forward to completing 2 core courses, 2 capstone courses, and 2 electives, which may even include up to 6 credits of thesis work. Additionally, for those who opt not to use the six transfer credit options, there is an opportunity to engage in 4 graduate courses during the final year of study, providing an enriching academic experience. In this case, students should plan on completing the master’s degree in three terms after the BSE degree is completed.