Early Entry

Exceptional undergraduate students at UNC Charlotte may be accepted into the Master’s or Graduate Certificate program in Health Informatics and Analytics can begin work toward a graduate degree before completing their bachelor’s degree.

Benefits

  • Early Entry students may have acceptance to the graduate program, pending the award of the baccalaureate degree, generally within two semesters.
  • This early entry program is also accelerated in which up to 9 hours earned at the graduate level may be substituted for required undergraduate hours. In other words, up to 9 hours of graduate work may be “double counted” toward both the baccalaureate and master’s degree, and up to 6 hours for the Graduate Certificate
  • Early Entry students will be charged undergraduate tuition and fees for all courses (graduate and undergraduate) for which they register. Upon completion of the baccalaureate degree, students will be charged graduate tuition and fees.

Admission Requirements

  • Completion of at least 75 undergraduate credit hours (although it is expected that close to 90 credit hours will have been earned by the time the first graduate course is taken)
  • Minimum 3.5 overall undergraduate GPA
  • Submit application online at https://gradadmissions.charlottewp.psapp.dev/apply and provide supporting documents
  • Recommendation by the Graduate Program Director and approved by The Graduate School

Note: the GRE is NOT required of Early Entry applicants to the Health Informatics and Analytics program.

Continued Enrollment Requirements

  • Completion of Early Entry Program Form, and approved by the Undergraduate Coordinator, Graduate Program Director, and Graduate School, prior to registering for graduate coursework each semester
  • Maintain a minimum 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA
  • Graduate School policy limits undergraduate students to 15 hours of graduate credit before completing their baccalaureate degree.
    • Our early entry certificate students are limited to 6 graduate credits
    • Our early entry master’s students are limited to 12 graduate credits

Timetable for Gaining Admission to the Early Entry Program

  1. First semester of junior year: meet with a Graduate Faculty Director or SDS Director of Student Services to receive advising about the Early Entry program..
  2. Second semester of junior year: complete and submit an early-entry application for graduate study to the Graduate School.
  3. End of senior year: successfully complete requirements for an undergraduate degree, up to 9 hours of undergraduate coursework can be substituted with corresponding graduate courses (and these graduate courses can also be applied to the master’s degree).

Additional Resources