Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Programs (CAMPs) Framework between Holy Cross and WPI

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This document describes the Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Programs (CAMPs) Framework between Holy Cross and WPI, in which undergraduate students at Holy Cross can apply to and, after graduating with their bachelor’s degree from Holy Cross, pursue a master’s degree at WPI in an accelerated manner. The names of the contact persons at Holy Cross and at WPI for this CAMPs Framework are provided at the end of this document.

1. Framework Description 

This Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Programs (CAMPs) Framework between Holy Cross and WPI allows undergraduate students from Holy Cross to apply to and, after graduating with their bachelor’s degree from Holy Cross, pursue a master’s degree at WPI in an accelerated manner. This may include B.A., B.S., and other bachelor’s degrees at Holy Cross, and any opting-in master’s degree programs at WPI (including but not limited to M.S. degrees).

Students in this Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Programs Framework must satisfy all the requirements of their respective bachelor's degree at Holy Cross and all the requirements of their master’s degree at WPI. WPI allows these students to count toward their master’s degree up-to two of their advanced senior-level undergraduate courses, from a list of eligible Holy Cross courses that satisfy the rules specified in the following sections. 

2. Participating Master’s Degree Programs at WPI

The current list of WPI master’s degrees available to Holy Cross students as part of this CAMPs Framework is:

  • There are no current participating degrees.  

3. Student Admissions Requirements and Application Process 

Eligibility: 

  • Students from Holy Cross in majors relevant to the WPI master’s degree program at WPI or who otherwise have the necessary coursework are eligible to apply to the Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Program.
  • A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 is required; however, students with a GPA lower than 3.0 may petition to the Collaborative Framework Coordinators at Holy Cross and at WPI for special eligibility consideration.
  • Interested students should seek academic advice from the Collaborative Framework Coordinators at Holy Cross and at WPI, their academic advisor at Holy Cross, and the WPI Coordinator of the specific CAMP they want to pursue, no later than during their junior year so that they have sufficient time to plan their course selection.
  • Additional eligibility information specific to each participating WPI master’s degree program in this CAMP Framework is provided in the respective document linked in Section 2 above, including the list of majors relevant to the master’s degree and, if any, additional eligibility criteria. 

Admissions Process and Deadlines:

The application, application review, and admissions processes into a participating master’s degree within this CAMP Framework are described below. 

  • The student application consists of a statement of purpose, academic transcript(s) and two letters of recommendation. GRE, applicable ESL test, and application fees are waived. Applications must be submitted through the WPI Graduate Admissions Office's application system.
  • Application review and admission decisions are handled by the participating WPI master’s program that the student wishes to pursue. Applications are received and reviewed on a rolling basis.
  • Eligible students are expected to apply officially for admission to a specific master’s degree within this CAMPs Framework during their junior year at Holy Cross. This allows students to best plan their senior year courses. However, applications will be accepted during the students' senior year or up to three years after graduating with their bachelor’s degree from Holy Cross. In addition, students accepted into a CAMP are allowed to defer the beginning of their master’s studies at WPI for up to one year after graduating with their bachelor's degree from Holy Cross. In any case, students are expected to start their master’s degree at WPI no later than three academic years after graduating with their bachelor's degree from Holy Cross. 

Becoming a Graduate Student at WPI:

Students accepted into a master’s program within this CAMPs Framework will become graduate students at WPI only after they have completed their undergraduate degree at Holy Cross and register for graduate courses at WPI.

4. Course Registration

Consistent with the Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts (HECCMA) rules, full-time, matriculated, undergraduate students at Holy Cross are eligible to cross-register for fall and spring courses at WPI. 

  • Only two cross-registration courses per academic year are permitted.
  • WPI undergraduate courses taken through cross-registration require no additional tuition.
  • For students admitted to a CAMP as part of this Collaborative Framework between Holy Cross and WPI, this tuition benefit is extended to include up to two graduate courses taken at WPI while they are still undergraduate students at Holy Cross.
  • Undergraduate students from Holy Cross planning to register for WPI courses should consult with their academic advisors and with the WPI Coordinator of the specific CAMP they wish to pursue to make sure that they have the necessary course prerequisites and/or recommended background before registering for a WPI course.

5. Degree Requirements for the Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Programs Framework

  • Students enrolled in a CAMP as part of this Collaborative Framework must satisfy all the program requirements of their bachelor’s degree at Holy Cross and all the program requirements of their master’s degree at WPI.
  • Detailed rules about course counting are provided in the next section.
  • In consultation with the student’s major academic advisor at Holy Cross, the WPI Coordinator of the specific CAMP being pursued by the student, the Collaborative Framework Coordinators at Holy Cross and at WPI, and both Institutions' catalogs, the student will fill out their Plan of Study Form for the Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Program outlining the selections made to satisfy the master’s degree requirements, including the courses that will be double-counted. This Plan of Study must comply with all the regulations of the CAMPs Framework described here. This Plan of Study must be approved by the WPI Coordinator of the specific CAMP to be pursued by the student. The Plan of Study Form for each master’s degree participating in this Framework is available from the respective link in Section 2 above.

6. Course-Counting Rules

  • Students enrolled in a CAMP through this Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Programs Framework will be allowed to count toward their master’s degree at WPI up-to two advanced, senior level courses from Holy Cross that satisfy all of the following conditions:
    • The course is included on the list of eligible courses from Holy Cross provided in the Plan of Study Form for the specific Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Program; this form also provides the equivalent number of graduate credits carried by each eligible course.
    • The student receives a grade of "B-" or higher on the course.
    • The student takes the course while still being an undergraduate at Holy Cross.
  • If applicable, eligible 4000-level or graduate level courses taken at WPI while the student is still an undergraduate at Holy Cross may also count toward the student’s master’s degree. Eligible 4000-level WPI courses and eligible WPI graduate courses are listed on the specific CAMP information linked from Section 2 above. These eligible courses also appear on the corresponding Plan of Study Form for the Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Program.
  • Courses not on the aforementioned lists of eligible courses may also count if approved by the WPI Coordinator of the specific CAMP, the Collaborative Framework Coordinator at WPI, and, if applicable, the Collaborative Framework Coordinator at Holy Cross.
  • All other existing WPI credit transfer and double-counting rules apply to students in this Collaborative Framework. In particular, no more than 40% of the credit hours required for the master’s degree at WPI may come from the total aggregate of graduate-equivalent credit hours from the two Holy Cross eligible courses, and when applicable from undergraduate and/or graduate WPI courses, taken while the student was still an undergraduate at Holy Cross. A typical master’s degree at WPI requires 30-33 graduate credits, so up to 12 graduate credits or equivalent undergraduate credits that meet the requirements for the specific master’s degree can be counted. Some master’s degree programs at WPI may have a more restrictive limit (e.g., 30%); in that case this limit is stated on the specific CAMP information linked from Section 2 above and in the corresponding Plan of Study Form for the Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Program.
  • Unless otherwise noted, Holy Cross undergraduate courses carry 3 undergraduate credits at WPI and are subject to the same internal credit conversion rule used at WPI, namely 3 undergraduate credits are equivalent to 2 graduate credits. 

7. Program Administration

This Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Programs Framework between Holy Cross and WPI is jointly administered by a Collaborative Framework Coordinator at Holy Cross and a Collaborative Framework Coordinator at WPI who oversee all administrative aspects of this CAMPs Framework. They coordinate academic advising aspects of the specific bachelor’s and master’s degrees being pursued by a student with the student’s undergraduate academic advisor and the WPI Coordinator of the specific CAMP.

Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Programs Framework Coordinator at Holy Cross:

  • Elisabeth Hiles, Associate Provost, Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff.

Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Programs Framework Coordinator at WPI:

  • Carolina Ruiz, Professor of Computer Science and Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences.