Dive Brief:
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More institutions are looking to a 4+1 model as one way to provide a competitive recruiting edge and improve the attractiveness of their brands.
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The 4+1 model allows students to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in an accelerated five year program. Popular disciplines include business, finance, communications, public administration, education and engineering.
- Some schools offer the additional degree via partnerships with other schools who confer the second degree, and others offer the master’s degree at the same institution, but the model is becoming increasingly more popular, especially in Massachusetts, the Worcester Business Journal reports.
Dive Insight:
As schools continue to have to defend their relevance in an increasingly competitive environment, more will work to assert greater value propositions associated with higher returns on investment. Some of these 4+1 programs offer the master’s degree at no cost, if certain criteria are met, providing a two-for-one degree deal. Even those carrying an additional cost associated with the fifth year have the benefit of saying students will save on what would have been the sixth year.
An increasing number of fields now require a master’s degree for entry, and being able to offer one in connection with the bachelor’s degree gives small institutions a leg up on neighboring schools, particularly in regions facing dwindling recruiting pools thanks to population shifts.