Students can earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in just five years with Adelphi’s time-and-tuition-saving 4+1 accelerated programs.
Students at Adelphi can speed their path to a career with an option to skip a full year of time and a full year of tuition. Our accelerated 4+1 programs, which give students the opportunity to earn some of their graduate credits as an undergraduate, offers students the best of both worlds—less time in the classroom and a convenient way to ease the cost of a college education.
Adelphi is offering more than 20 4+1 programs that meet many different career goals—from the liberal arts to sciences and social sciences, from business and education to health and wellness programs.
By opting into a 4+1 program in their second year, students can earn both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in just five years. And every program is designed to ease the financial burdens of students and their families.
STEP Up to a Teaching Career, Faster
With options like Special Education (Teaching Students with Disabilities) and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)—our 4+1 Scholar Teacher Education Program (STEP) readies students for teaching careers in five years.
“STEP offers an innovative pathway for aspiring educators to earn both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, plus New York state certification, in just five years,” said Emily Kang, PhD, Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences associate dean for academic affairs.
“Students gain invaluable hands-on experience through extensive classroom fieldwork woven throughout the entire program,” she added. “This comprehensive approach ensures our graduates enter the profession as confident, well-prepared educators ready to make an immediate impact in their classrooms.”
STEP alumna Autumn Majorana ’24, MA ’25, reported that STEP “taught me so much about education and what it takes to be a great teacher. It gave me the chance to study abroad in Norway and learn about education in different parts of the world. She continued, “It also helped me grow both personally and professionally.”
A Win-Win Program for Future Teachers
Students are eligible for New York state Pre-K–12 teacher certification in physical education and health education after earning their BS and MA degrees in five years.
According to Kevin Mercier, EdD, professor and chair of the School of Health Sciences, the Physical Education and Health Education 4+1 program features small classes and extensive fieldwork opportunities led by expert faculty. “Adelphi’s strong reputation in physical education and health has helped students gain teaching jobs on Long Island, in New York City and throughout the country,” he noted.
With its balance of theory and practical experience, the program carved a path to a career that current educator and coach and recent 4+1 graduate Melissa Duffy ’24, MA ’25, is passionate about. She said the faculty was “genuinely supportive, helping guide my growth every step of the way. Not only did I build strong connections, but I gained enormous confidence.”
She added, “The program gave me the tools to teach and inspire young people in the classroom and on the athletic fields. Adelphi paved the way for my future, and I’m positive I’ll make a difference in students’ lives.”
A Faster Path to an Accounting Career
MaryAnne Hyland, PhD, dean of the Adelphi University Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, said, “Our 4+1 BBA/MBA in Accounting equips students with the problem-solving and strategic skills needed for today’s careers. Our graduates are not only CPA ready—they’re ready to take on the complex challenges of the business world.”
Students like Arshdeep Kaur ’25, who earned his BBA this past May and expects to receive his MBA this December, are prepared for careers in accounting in private and public sectors, while at the same time completing the credit hours needed for New York state CPA licensure.
Kaur praised the program’s well-rounded academic experience, which includes strong faculty support, access to real-world applications, and opportunities to network with peers, alumni and industry professionals. He said the program helped him “gain professional experience, clarify my career goals and build the confidence to pursue them.”
Reducing the Cost of a Computer Science Graduate Degree by 40 Percent
Kees Leune, PhD, associate professor and chair of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, described the 4+1 program in computer science as an “excellent proposition.”
It gives students the tools to launch a variety of careers in a dynamic, fast-growing field, ranging from software and systems engineers and web application programmers to mobile app developers and systems architects.
According to Dr. Leune, students can take up to 12 credits in graduate courses during their junior and senior years—reducing the overall cost of a graduate degree in computer science by 40 percent.
“While a graduate degree is not technically required to find a job in the computer science field, it is extremely helpful to start a career,” he explained. “4+1 students have better subject-specific knowledge and are trained to a higher degree than undergraduate students.”