Graduate Program Pathways

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Graduate Program Pathways Overview

If you are enrolled in a Purdue Global bachelor's degree program and are considering earning a graduate degree in the future, you may be interested in a graduate program pathway. With graduate program pathways, you may take graduate-level courses to fulfill elective requirements in your bachelorā€™s degree program. If you then matriculate into a Purdue Global graduate degree that requires those courses, those masterā€™s degree requirements would be considered fulfilled, thus shortening the time to earn your masterā€™s degree.

Choosing a Pathway

You may choose any graduate program pathway that meets your career goals; it does not need to be in the same area of study as your bachelorā€™s degree. It is your choice how many graduate courses to take from the available options, provided you have enough unfulfilled electives available in your degree plan that could be fulfilled by graduate courses and you have met the School/Collegeā€™s eligibility requirements, which may include minimum GPA, minimum credits earned, and/or an application. Courses available for each graduate program pathway and eligibility requirements are found in the sections organized by graduate School/College.Ā 

If you take graduate courses as an undergraduate student, you will be held to the same expectations and standards as the graduate students in those courses, so make sure you are confident that you can succeed in this new academic environment before choosing to pursue a graduate program pathway.

Getting Started

To start a graduate program pathway, you should consult with your Student Advisor to confirm that you are eligible and that the pathway aligns with your career goals, and discuss impacts to your plan of study. Some graduate courses are only available on a particular calendar, so you may need to pause your studies to switch to that calendar if you wish to take those courses.

Continuing in Your Pathway

Once starting a graduate program pathway, you may be required to meet certain academic standards to be permitted to continue to take graduate courses in your bachelorā€™s degree. These standards are noted in the individual pathway policy sections, if applicable.Ā 

You may switch pathways at any time, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements of the newly selected pathway, however, only courses applicable to your chosen masterā€™s program will shorten the time to graduate from that program.Ā 

Upon successful completion of the bachelor's degree program, you may apply for entry to a Purdue Global graduate program. If accepted, the applicable courses completed in your pathway will count toward the graduate program requirements, making you that much closer to earning your masterā€™s degree.1

1

If you completed a historical version of an accelerated master's degree option while enrolled in a bachelorā€™s program in the School of Business and Information Technology, contact your advisor to request application of qualifying graduate course waivers to your graduate program.

Available Graduate Program Pathways

Business and Information Technology Pathways

Business Pathways

You must meet all of the following eligibility criteria to pursue a business pathway:Ā 

  • Have a minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA in your bachelor's degree program
  • Have earned 120 credits in your bachelor's degree program, including any credits received for prior learning
  • Submit an application to the Office of the Dean of the School of Business and Information Technology providing detailed career goals and associated reasons for intending to enroll in the chosen graduate program

The Dean or designee will review your records and application and determine if you are approved.

You must maintain a 3.2 CGPA minimum and earn a grade of ā€œBā€ or above in each graduate course to remain eligible to take additional graduate courses in your chosen pathway.

The following pathways are available for business masterā€™s degree programs.Ā 

Master of Business Administration
Code Title Credits
GB500Business Perspectives4
GB512šŸŒ Business Communications4
GB520šŸŒ Strategic Human Resource Management4

Information Technology Pathways

You must meet all of the following eligibility criteria to pursue any of the information technology pathways:Ā 

  • Have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA in your bachelor's degree program
  • Have earned 90 credits in your bachelor's degree program, including any credits received for prior learning
  • Submit an application to the Office of the Dean of the School of Business and Information Technology providing detailed career goals and associated reasons for intending to enroll in the chosen graduate program

The Dean or designee will review your records and application and determine if you are approved.

You must maintain a 3.0 CGPA minimum and earn a grade of ā€œBā€ or above in each graduate course to remain eligible to take additional graduate courses in your chosen pathway.

The following pathways are available for information technology masterā€™s degree programs.

Master of Science in Cybersecurity ManagementĀ 
Code Title Credits
IT513šŸŒ Research and Writing for the IT Professional4
IT527šŸŒ Foundations in Data Analytics4
IT540šŸŒ Management of Information Security4
IN555Statistics for the IT Professional4
Master of Science in Data Analytics
Code Title Credits
IT527šŸŒ Foundations in Data Analytics4
IN555Statistics for the IT Professional4
Master of Science in Information Technology
Code Title Credits
IT513šŸŒ Research and Writing for the IT Professional4
IT527šŸŒ Foundations in Data Analytics4
IT540šŸŒ Management of Information Security4
IN555Statistics for the IT Professional4

Health Sciences Pathways

You must meet all the following eligibility criteria to pursue any of the health sciences pathways:Ā 

  • Have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA in your bachelor's degree program
  • Have earned 90 credits in your bachelor's degree program, including any credits received for prior learning

You must maintain a 3.0 CGPA minimum and earn a grade of ā€œBā€ or above in each graduate course to remain eligible to take additional graduate courses in your chosen pathway.

The following pathways are available for health sciences masterā€™s degree programs.

Master of Health Care Administration
Code Title Credits
HA515Leadership and Management in Health Care4
HA520Health Care Financial Management4
HA540Health Care Operations and Quality Assessment4
HA550Health Care Law and Ethics4
Master of Health Informatics
Code Title Credits
HI501Health Informatics4
HI510Health Information Applications and Systems4
HI540Project Management of Health Information Systems4
HI560Health Care Data Analytics4
HI580Information Systems Design and Implementation4
Master of Public Health
Code Title Credits
PU520Principles of Epidemiology4
PU535Public Health Biology - A Global Perspective4
Master of Science in Health Education and Promotion
Code Title Credits
HD520Health Education Program Assessment4
HD550Health Education Communication and Advocacy4
HD570Health Education Leadership and Management4

Multidisciplinary and Professional Studies Pathways

You must meet all the following eligibility criteria to pursue the Master of Professional Studies pathway:Ā 

  • Have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA in your bachelor's degree program
  • Have earned 90 credits in your bachelor's degree program, including any credits received for prior learning

You must maintain a 3.0 CGPA minimum and earn a grade of ā€œBā€ or above in each graduate course to remain eligible to take additional graduate courses in your chosen pathway.

Master of Professional Studies

In addition to the courses below, you may choose up to two more courses from any other graduate program pathways, provided you meet the eligibility requirements set by that pathwayā€™s School/College.Ā 

Code Title Credits
PR500Professional Global Communication5
PR503Visionary Leadership, Conflict, and Collaboration5

Nursing Pathways

You must be enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing to pursue a nursing pathway.Ā 

Master of Science in Nursing or Master of Science in Nursingā€“DNP Path
Code Title Credits
NU501šŸŒ Advanced Nursing Roles5
NU502šŸŒ Theoretical Foundations of Advanced Practice Nursing5
NU504šŸŒ Scientific and Analytic Approaches to Advanced Evidence-Based Practice5

Social and Behavioral Sciences Pathways

You must meet all the following eligibility criteria to pursue any of the social and behavioral sciences pathways:Ā 

  • Have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA in your bachelorā€™s program
  • Have earned between 30 and 100 credits in your bachelor's degree program, including any credits received for prior learning
  • Meet any additional program-specific requirements outlined below
  • Submit an essay to the Office of the Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences providing detailed career goals and associated reasons for intending to enroll in the chosen graduate program

The Dean or designee will review your records and essay and determine if you are approved.Ā 

You must maintain a 3.0 CGPA minimum and earn a grade of ā€œBā€ or above in each graduate course to remain eligible to take additional graduate courses in your chosen pathway.

The following pathways are available for social and behavioral sciences masterā€™s degree programs. Additional program-specific eligibility requirements are listed, if applicable.Ā 

Master of Public AdministrationĀ 
Code Title Credits
PP500Public Administration and Management5
PP510Leadership in the Public Sector5
PP520Finance and the Administration of Public Funds5
PP530Human Resource Management in the Public Sector5
Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis

You may take one of the following graduate-level courses. If you reside in a state which requires completion of a fieldwork course as part of your graduate program in order to apply for a state behavior analyst license, you should not pursue a graduate program pathway. See the Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis Certification, State Board, and National Board Exams policies for more information.

Code Title Credits
Select one of the following:
Life Span Development
Learning and Behavior
Neuropsychology
Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Code Title Credits
CJ501Criminological Theory5
CJ503Organizational Behavior5
CJ505Critical Issues in Criminal Justice5
CJ527Socially Responsible Leadership in Public Safety5
Master of Science in EducationĀ 
Code Title Credits
ED502Transforming Teaching Practice4
ED522Classroom Management5
IX540Research Methods5
Master of Science in Educational Psychology
Code Title Credits
PS505Testing, Measurement, and Assessment5
PS506Life Span Development5
PS515Learning and Behavior5
PS520Neuropsychology5
Master of Science in Higher EducationĀ 
Code Title Credits
HE510Foundations of Higher Education5
HE520Higher Education Laws and Regulations5
IX540Research Methods5
Master of Science in Homeland Security and Emergency Management
Code Title Credits
CJ509Comparative Criminal Justice Systems5
HM500Crisis and Emergency Management Fundamentals5
HM501Homeland Security Policies, Principles, Procedures, and Plans5
HM503Planning and Operations in Crisis and Emergency Management5
Master of Science in Human ServicesĀ 
Code Title Credits
HN501Foundations of Human Services5
HN502History, Multiculturalism, and Diversity in Human Services5
HN510Professional Ethics and Personal Values5
Master of Science in Instructional Design and TechnologyĀ 
Code Title Credits
HE521Teaching Adult Learners5
IX510Instructional Design5
IX540Research Methods5
Master of Science in Legal Studies
Code Title Credits
LS500Legal Methods and Process5
LS501Ethics and the Professional5
LS502Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing5
LS503Jurisprudence and Legal History5
Master of Science in Psychology
Code Title Credits
PS501Foundations of Professional Psychology5
PS502Ethics and Standards of Professional Psychology 25
orĀ PS508 Ethics for Addictions Professionals
PS504Advanced Research Methods5
PS506Life Span Development5
2

If you are interested in a Master of Science in Psychology with a concentration in forensic psychology, general psychology, or industrial/organizational psychology, you may take PS502 Ethics and Standards of Professional Psychology. If you are interested in a Master of Science in Psychology with an addictions concentration, you may take PS508 Ethics for Addictions Professionals.

Ā