Boston Advanced Academic Consortium

Earn a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years through the BAAC.

The Boston Advanced Academic Consortium (BAAC) is a partnership between seven Boston-area colleges and universities that allows students to cross-register for accelerated master's programs — and graduate with a bachelor's and a master's in five years total.

Undergraduates at Boston Architectural College, Boston Baptist College, Bentley University, Curry College, Lasell University, and Longy College of Music at Bard College can apply in their junior year to earn an accelerated master's degree from UMass Boston. Undergraduates at UMass Boston can apply in their junior year to earn a specialized master's at a partner institution. Accepted BAAC students replace undergraduate electives with graduate-level courses at a partner institution in their senior year, then finish up their master's degree in one additional year.

Why apply to an accelerated master's program through the BAAC?
 

• Save money. Pay undergraduate tuition rates and apply undergraduate financial aid toward any graduate-level coursework taken in your senior year.
• Save time. Enter the workforce as much as one year sooner than with a standard master’s degree program.
• Expand your options. Earn your master's in a subject area not offered by your undergraduate institution.

UMass Boston accelerated master's programs offered through the BAAC
 

How to apply
 

• Step 1: Talk to a specialist. Request info or speak with the academic program contact to learn if you're a good fit for a BAAC accelerated master's program.
• Step 2: Apply. In your junior year, submit a graduate application for your master's program of interest by the application deadline.
• Step 3: Connect with your advisor. Once accepted, you'll be contacted with your graduate program advisor to start scheduling graduate-level courses in your senior year.

Logistics
 

• Degree granting. After completing all undergraduate degree requirements, students will receive their bachelor’s degree from their undergraduate institution. After completing all graduate degree requirements, students will receive their master’s degree from their graduate institution.
• Cost. During their senior year, students will continue to pay tuition to their undergraduate institution as they otherwise would. Non-UMass Boston students will pay a one-time program fee of $500, as well as a $500 tuition deposit credited toward their UMass Boston graduate tuition. Once a student matriculates into their graduate institution (UMass Boston) they will pay the standard graduate tuition for their remaining courses.