In President David Hodge's Oct. 6 annual address, the president discussed the possibility of streamlining bachelor's degrees to master's degrees, which would require Miami University to expand its programs to allow a more expedited acquirement of graduate degrees.
The streamlining involves students taking certain courses that will advance their academic status and will allow them to receive a bachelor's and master's degree in four and a half to five years, according to John Bailer, chair and distinguished professor of the statistics department.
Bailer said the goal of this program is to provide additional depth and breadth to Miami students and ultimately offer the option of receiving a master's degree or a second bachelor's degree in five years.
"There's not much that needs to be changed about the curriculum at Miami," Bailer said. "It's more of what decisions students can make early on to allow for this program to work for them."
While similar ideas have been suggested and discussed, Bailer said the formal idea of the "4PLUS" program was proposed to Hodge this month.
Hodge said this concept is simply an idea that he hopes to expand upon.
"This is an idea in progress," Hodge said. "It is not a brand new idea. We have considered doing this before, but now we must do it with more intention."
Hodge explained the increasing number of students who enter Miami with prior credits justify this streamlining.
"It typically takes 3.7 years for a student to graduate, however, more students are entering Miami with advanced credits," Hodge said.
Hodge added that this process would require the university to offer more advanced credits to undergraduate students.
While Hodge endorses this streamlining, he wants to ensure this expedited graduation does not interfere or hinder the students' ability to take advantage of the various opportunities that Miami offers.
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"Students with advanced status can leave earlier, but can also do more while at Miami," Hodge said.
While this idea is a focus of the university, Associate Dean of the Graduate School Ann Bainbridge Frymier said the implementation process will require some time.
"It is a good idea that needs to be fleshed out and discussed and eventually go through the approval process," Bainbridge said.
Bainbridge also said the primary issue with the streamlining would be accreditation issues, as the Ohio Board of Regents and the university's board of trustees have strict guidelines regarding requirements for graduation.
"The logistics of the process could be a little challenging," Bainbridge said.
Some programs currently require a single year of graduate school, the accounting program for example, while others such as speech pathology and architecture demand extensive graduate schooling and would most likely not be capable of streamlining to a masters degree.
"There has been discussion of being able to complete undergraduate school by combining a student's senior year of high school with their freshmen year of college," Bainbridge said.
Hodge said Bailer and Richard Taylor, chemistry professor, are prominent figures in the streamlining of the 4PLUS program.
Bailer reiterated a statement made by Hodge during the address, saying Miami is one of the leading universities in the number of double majoring students.
Bailer said expanding upon the depth and breadth of a student's Miami experience will ultimately benefit them when confronted by the increasingly more competitive job market.
While an early acquirement of a masters degree essentially means leaving Miami sooner, Hodge said he believes students should appreciate their time at the university and accomplish as much as possible.
"The Miami experience is invaluable to a student's future," Hodge said. "If a student leaves after a few years, they miss out on a lot of opportunities."
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