Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Programs Framework between Smith College and WPI

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

1. Framework Description 

This Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Programs Framework between Smith College and WPI allows undergraduate students from Smith College to apply to and, after graduating with their bachelor’s degree from Smith College, pursue a master’s degree at WPI in an accelerated manner. This may include B.A., B.S., and other bachelor’s degrees at Smith College, 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 Smith College 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 Smith College courses that satisfy the rules specified in the following sections. 

The administration of this Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Programs Framework will be led by two Collaborative Framework Coordinators, one at Smith College and one at WPI, who will oversee the implementation and administration of this Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Programs Framework.

2. Participating Master’s Degree Programs at WPI

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

M.S. in Computer Science

3. Student Admissions Requirements and Application Process

Eligibility:

  • Students from Smith College in majors relevant to the WPI master’s degree program 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 Smith College and at WPI with supporting documentation before they apply to the CAMP for special eligibility consideration.
  • Interested students should seek academic advice from the Collaborative Framework Coordinators at Smith College and at WPI, their academic advisor at Smith College, 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 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 Smith College. 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 Smith College. 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 Smith College. 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 Smith College.

Becoming a Graduate Student at WPI:

Students accepted into an academic program within this Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Programs Framework will become graduate students at WPI only after they have completed their undergraduate degree at Smith College and register for graduate courses at WPI.

4. Course Cross-Registration at WPI

Full-time, matriculated, undergraduate students at Smith College who have been admitted to a CAMP pathway are eligible to cross-register up to two approved WPI graduate courses prior to the completion of their undergraduate studies, with one cross-registration of a WPI graduate course permitted per semester. WPI graduate courses designated for cross-registration require no additional tuition for undergraduate students at Smith College admitted to a CAMP pathway. Beyond the two courses noted above, Smith College students will be charged WPI tuition for any WPI undergraduate or graduate courses. Undergraduate students from Smith College admitted to a CAMP pathway who are planning to cross-register for a WPI course should consult with their undergraduate academic advisors and with the appropriate WPI Pathway Coordinator to ensure that they possess the necessary course prerequisites and/or recommended background before registering for a WPI course. WPI and Smith College will develop a process to facilitate cross-registration while the student admitted to the CAMP pathway program is still an undergraduate at Smith College.

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

  • Students enrolled in a Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Program as part of this Collaborative Framework must satisfy all the program requirements of their bachelor’s degree at Smith College 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 Smith College, the WPI Coordinator of the specific master’s program being pursued by the student, the Collaborative Framework Coordinators at Smith College 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 Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Programs Framework described here, and must be approved by the WPI Coordinator for the specific CAMP to be pursued by the student.

6. Course-Counting Rules at WPI

  • 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 Smith College that satisfy all of the following conditions:
    • The course is included on the list of eligible courses from Smith College provided in the Plan of Study Form for the 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 Smith College.
  • If applicable, eligible 4000-level or graduate level courses taken at WPI while the student is still an undergraduate at Smith College may also count toward the student’s master’s degree. Eligible 4000-level WPI courses are listed on the internal Bachelor’s/Master’s program entry of the WPI Graduate Catalog, and eligible WPI graduate courses are listed on the master’s degree entry of the WPI Graduate Catalog. These eligible courses also appear on the “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 Program Coordinator, the Collaborative Framework Coordinator at WPI, and, if applicable, the Collaborative Framework Coordinator at Smith College.
  • All other existing WPI credit transfer and double-counting rules apply to students in this collaborative framework. No more than 40% of the credit hours required for the master’s degree may come from the total aggregate of graduate-equivalent credit hours from the two Smith College eligible courses, and from WPI courses, taken while the student was still an undergraduate at Smith College. 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 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, the limit is specified in the “Plan of Study Form for the Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Program.”
  • Unless otherwise noted, Smith College 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 Smith College and WPI will be jointly administered by a Collaborative Framework Coordinator at Smith College and a Collaborative Framework Coordinator at WPI who will oversee all administrative aspects of this Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Programs Framework. They will 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 Smith College:

  • Justin Cammy, Associate Dean of the Faculty and Director of Graduate and Special Programs

Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Programs Framework Coordinator at WPI:

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