With rising tuition prices and advising for the spring semester coming up, students must start thinking about their future.
If that future involves going to graduate school, then the University of Louisiana at Lafayette has an affordable program to accelerate students in their respective master’s programs.
The Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s (ABM) program allows senior students to take graduate level courses that simultaneously contribute to their bachelor’s and master’s degree. To be eligible for admission into the program, a student has to be a senior with a minimum of 90 credit hours and at least 30 credit hours left to graduate. They also need an overall undergraduate GPA of at least 3.2. If they are a transfer student, they need to have completed at least 24 hours of coursework at the University.
Dr. Mary Farmer-Kaiser, the dean of Graduate School, said the program is similar to dual enrollment in high school. Farmer-Kaiser explained this program gives students the opportunity to get started on their graduate level coursework at an affordable price, gives students a headstart in their programs and provides familiar surroundings as they make their transition into graduate school.
For example, if a student planned on using the TOPS scholarship, as long as the student maintained undergraduate status, at least taking 12 credit hours during a semester, then they only have to pay for the undergraduate tuition. Along with affordability, Farmer-Kaiser emphasized how the ABM program might make it easier for some students to transition into graduate school.
“From a student perspective, you know these faculty, you know this community, you know this campus, and so it’s an ease into a master’s program.”
Farmer-Kaiser said the earlier students know about this program, the better, so they can begin speaking with their advisor and asking questions. She emphasized communication with teachers and program leaders to understand how to begin admission to the program and when to begin.
Matthew Gary, a senior majoring in jazz studies, said, over email, he found out about the program through a presentation by the School of Music in the fall of 2024. He will be graduating with his bachelor’s degree this December and beginning his graduate degree in January, with a semester head start because of the ABM program.
Gary began the ABM program in the spring of 2025, with two graduate level courses and is currently taking one graduate course this semester. He was the first student to enroll in the College of Arts for the ABM program. Gary said he has enjoyed the preview to graduate level coursework and is grateful for the ability to finish his master’s degree in a shorter amount of time. Despite his happiness with the program, Gary shared he does not think the ABM program is for everyone. “As a music major, if I was taking both senior-level undergraduate and graduate courses in music, I would not have the mental bandwidth to pass a math class,” he explained. Gary recommended that students interested in the program speak to full-time graduate students about the expectations and demands of the courses they’d be taking.
Vincent Marin, a student currently getting his master’s degree in mechanical engineering, said, over email, he started the ABM in the fall of 2024 and is on track to finish his graduate degree by the spring of 2026. He said the program was terrific for him because of the early experience he received in his research area. Marin recommended students talk to researchers on campus in areas they are interested in early on because, for him, the communication between teacher and student is very important in graduate school.
Since the program started last fall, Farmer-Kaiser urged that interested students should ask about different programs they want to get a master’s degree in, even if they are not currently offered by the ABM program. “I really need undergrads to ask their advisors about it because that encourages those programs to get on the ball and create a BM program,” she explained.
The graduate programs currently offered through the ABM program include communication, English, French and multiple engineering concentrations, among others. According to Farmer-Kaiser, by fall of 2026 they will add a physics program. To learn more about the programs offered and the requirements for admission, go to louisiana.edu/graduateschool.