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COLLEGE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

COMBINED BACHELOR/MASTER PROGRAMS

At CPS, you can accelerate your education journey.

BIS/MS IN HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
BIS/MPA or BA/MPA IN
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
BIS/MS IN SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
BIS/MAC or MBT IN ACCOUNTING


The combined Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) to Master's Degree (MS or MPA) programs offer exceptional College of Professional Studies (CPS) students the opportunity to continue their education in one of five Villanova graduate programs - the Master of Science in Human Resource Development (MSHRD), the Master of Public Administration (MPA), the Master of Science in Software Engineering (MSSE), the Master of Accounting in Data Analytics (MAC), or the Master of Business Taxation with Data Analytics (MBT).

If interested, you are encouraged to contact your CPS academic advisor. If you are qualified, you will need to complete the required formal notification process leading to your admission into the graduate program. 

You should begin this process prior to the start of your senior year, ideally during your junior year, by filling out the Combined Bachelor/Masters Program Interest Form. Please adhere to the admissions deadlines for Villanova Graduate Programs. 

As a BIS/MS student, you will either earn your:

in an abbreviated timeframe.

The BIS/MS in Human Resource Development program offers qualified CPS students in the BIS in General Studies, Human Resource Management, Leadership, or Organizational Development and Management programs an educational path to prepare for a career in the field of human resources. As a BIS/MS student, you will earn an MS in HRD in conjunction with a BIS degree in an abbreviated timeframe.

Students are encouraged to discuss plans with their academic advisor early in their academic career. To begin the application process, students must complete the Combined Bachelor/Masters Program Interest Form during their junior year between 72-84 credit hours.

To be eligible for the combined degree program, students must have:

  • a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
  • completed all 45 credits in the core curriculum
  • earned a minimum of 90 credit hours

Once admitted into the BIS/MS program, students must adhere to all Graduate School policies on Combined Bachelor/Masters Programs. To register for a graduate level course, students must submit a "Permission to Enter a Graduate Course" form on MyNova. Upon departmental approval, students can enroll in three graduate HRD courses during their final undergraduate year. Only grades of B or higher will be counted toward the graduate degree. In addition, students are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA according to the grading system and GPA policy. You must choose three courses from the five listed below:

  • HRD 8006 HR Analytics: Create a strong foundation on critical aspects of HR analytics: measurement, research methods, probability and statistics, analysis, and interpretation of data. Improve human capital decisions through a strategic use of HR data and effectively communicating findings to decision makers. Create a strong foundation on critical aspects of HR analytics: measurement, research methods, probability and statistics, analysis, and interpretation of data. Improve human capital decisions through a strategic use of HR data and effectively communicating findings to decision makers.
  • HRD 8419 Foundations of Strategic HR: Provide students with a critical understanding of theories, trends, principles, and current issues relevant to the breadth of human resource management (HRM) in organizations. Explore the evolving role of HRM as a strategic partner in organizations.
  • PSY 8425 Organizational Behavior: Understand individual, group, and organizational behavior at work as it relates to well-being and performance. Individual group, and environmental factors will be explored as to how they independently and interactively shape employees' job attitudes, motivation, behavior, and performance in organizations.
  • PSY 8475 Training & Development: Organizations that link learning strategies to business strategies report better financial performance. Training has changed from a classroom event to learning experiences that can occur through a variety of methods: online learning, developmental assignments, team collaboration or a blend.
  • PSY 8875 Organization Development: Planned, system-wide effort with the goal to increase organization effectiveness and health through diagnosis and interventions in the organization's processes using behavioral science knowledge. Focus on developing organization capability through alignment of strategy, structure, management processes, and people.

There is no change in requirements for the undergraduate major in General Studies, Leadership, or Organizational Development and Management; the same number of credits and the same required courses are still in place. The only difference is that we will apply the three graduate courses described above toward either your major course requirements or your free electives course requirements.

The combined BIS/MPA or BA/MPA in Public Administration program offers exemplary students majoring in Public Service Administration, Leadership, Organizational Development & Management, or General Studies the opportunity to continue their study at the graduate level. As a BIS/MPA or BA/MPA student, you will earn your MPA (Master of Public Administration) in conjunction with a BIS or BA degree in an abbreviated timeframe.

Students are encouraged to discuss plans with their academic advisor early in their academic career. To begin the application process, students must complete the Combined Bachelor/Masters Program Interest Form during their junior year between 72-84 credit hours.

To be eligible, students must have:

  • a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
  • a GPA in one's major of 3.2
  • completed the full core curriculum
  • earned a minimum of 90 credit hours

Once admitted into the BIS/MPA or BA/MPA program, students will enroll in three graduate MPA courses (typically during their senior year). To register for graduate level courses, students must submit the “Permission to Enter a Graduate Course” form on MyNova. Only courses with grades of B or higher count toward both the undergraduate degree and the MPA degree.

The four courses listed below will count toward both the BA/BIS degree and MPA:

  • MPA 8011          Public Administration Theory
  • MPA 8021          Leadership Ethics
  • MPA 8041          Public Personnel Management
  • MPA 8051          Applied Data Analysis

There is no change in requirements for the undergraduate majors; the same number of credits and required courses are still in place. The only difference is that we will apply the three graduate courses described above toward free electives.

The combined BIS/MS in Software Engineering program offers exemplary students majoring in BIS (Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies) in Information Systems the opportunity to continue their study of systems concepts at the graduate level. As a BIS/MS student, you will earn your MS (Master of Science) in Software Engineering in conjunction with a BIS in Information Systems degree in an abbreviated timeframe.

Students are encouraged to discuss plans with their academic advisor early in their academic career. To begin the application process, students must complete the Combined Bachelor/Masters Program Interest Form during their junior year between 72-84 credit hours.

To be eligible, students must have:

  • a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
  • earned a minimum of 90 credit hours

Once admitted into the BIS/MS program, students must adhere to all Graduate School policies on Combined Bachelor Masters Programs. To register for graduate level course, students must submit the “Permission to Enter a Graduate Course” form on MyNova. Upon departmental approval, students will enroll in two to three graduate Software Engineering courses during their final undergraduate year. Only courses with grades of B or higher count towards the graduate degree. In addition, students are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA according to the grading system and GPA policy.

The two courses listed below will count toward both the BIS degree and MS in Software Engineering:

  • CSC 8490 Database Management: Architecture of a database system; conceptual and implementation models; query languages, design theory; integrity, security, and concurrency; discussion of some commercial systems.
  • CSC 8540 Software Engineering: An introduction to software engineering covering development life-cycle models, requirements analysis and specification, design concepts and methods, testing, maintenance, CASE tools and management concerns. Additional topics may include reuse, metrics, experimentation, reengineering, development environments, and standards. The student may be required to write a research paper and/or give an in-class presentation.

You may also get approval to take an additional Computing Science graduate course as part of the combined degree. Please note that undergraduate students are only permitted to take nine credits of graduate work to double count. Any additional courses will only count toward the student's undergraduate degree. 

There is no change in requirements for the undergraduate major in Information Systems; the same number of credits and required courses are still in place. The only difference is that we will apply the two or three graduate courses described above toward either your major course requirements or your free electives course requirements.

Students are offered the opportunity to transition from the bachelor's degree studies in CPS into the Master of Accounting program with Villanova School of business with the following stipulations:

  • Complete your major in CPS in Information Systems and Technology, Organizational Development and Management, or Entrepreneurship.
  • As an undergraduate student at Villanova, take four core accounting courses offered at VSB: Intermediate I, Intermediate II, Federal Taxation, and Auditing. These courses will count as elective choices within the degree program, and students may also earn an Accountancy Certificate if they complete the requisite coursework.
  • Prior to taking these courses, you should complete a basic finance, financial accounting, and managerial accounting course at the community college, at Villanova, or at another four-year institution, typically with a grade of “B” or better).
  • While enrolled in your bachelor’s degree, you are expected to earn at least a “B” or better in the four core accounting courses and maintain a 3.0 overall GPA in order to move into one of the two graduate accounting programs.
  • While pursuing your bachelor’s degree, you will be invited to participate in firm recruiting events and student groups, as well as interview for internships.
  • Students who are accepted to the BIS/MAC program will receive a $14,000 tuition scholarship ($7,000 per semester) for their graduate study. 

Students are offered the opportunity to transition from the bachelor's degree studies in CPS into the Master of Business Taxation program with Villanova School of business with the following stipulations:

  • Complete your major in CPS in Information Systems and Technology, Organizational Development and Management, or Entrepreneurship.
  • As an undergraduate student at Villanova, take four core accounting courses offered at VSB: Intermediate I, Intermediate II, Federal Taxation, and Auditing. These courses will count as elective choices within the degree program, and students may also earn an Accountancy Certificate if they complete the requisite coursework.
  • Prior to taking these courses, you should complete a basic finance, financial accounting, and managerial accounting course at the community college, at Villanova, or at another four-year institution, typically with a grade of “B” or better).
  • While enrolled in your bachelor’s degree, you are expected to earn at least a “B” or better in the four core accounting courses and maintain a 3.0 overall GPA in order to move into one of the two graduate accounting programs.
  • While pursuing your bachelor’s degree, you will be invited to participate in firm recruiting events and student groups, as well as interview for internships.
  • Students who are accepted to the BIS/MBT program will receive a $14,000 tuition scholarship ($7,000 per semester) for their graduate study.