Three Year Accelerated Degree--
Frequently Asked Questions 

 

Will the Accelerated Degree from Georgetown guarantee my admission to Oxford?

No college or university can guarantee admission to Oxford University.  As with college pre-law and pre-medical curricula, the Accelerated Degree prepares students for further studies, but there are no guaranteed admissions.  

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What if I don't get accepted by Oxford or decide not to attend? 

The Accelerated Degree is a fully accredited baccalaureate degree of the highest caliber.  We believe that students with this background will score highly enough on graduate school examinations to gain admission to American universities without further training.  The inter- and cross-disciplinary nature of the program insures an excellent education with both unique breadth and considerable depth within the student's chosen subfields.  Your Georgetown letter writers will highlight the intensive nature of the degree and the remarkable achievement of completing a third more upper level hours than your peers in a shorter period of time.  In sum, high achievement within the Accelerated Degree should open many possible doors to you.  The Liberal Studies curriculum of the Accelerated Degree can, however, be readily converted to a standard four-year degree with major and minor at any time.    

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What if I decide to switch to a four year degree?

All courses in the Accelerated Degree curriculum apply to graduation requirements and electives in the standard four year degree.  You can convert to the four year program at any time in your college career.   

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Am I the type of student who can succeed in the Accelerated Degree?

The Three Year Accelerated Degree is academically rigorous, and success in this degree requires a special combination of intelligence, drive, and focus.  You might determine whether or not this program is a good fit for you by asking yourself the following questions:  Do you read broadly, and do you purposefully take on books and projects which take you out of your depth for the sake of learning more?  Do you find enjoyment in the development of your skills in critical thinking and writing even if it takes hard work and even if involves subjecting your self to constructive criticism? Do you love to be challenged?  Do you love learning for its own sake?  If so, and if your high school performance has been excellent, then you should certainly apply.  Though there are exceptions, most of the students who have succeeded in this program have applied with a superb high school GPA and an ACT composite score above 30.     

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When do I apply for this program?

You should first apply for general admission to Georgetown College in the fall or spring of your senior year.  After notification of acceptance, you should send in a separate application found here for the Three Year Accelerated Degree.  The Three Year Accelerated Degree application is due by July 10th of the year you will begin your college career.          

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Will my Georgetown financial aid package apply to the second degree if admitted?

Because your Georgetown degree will be completed prior to beginning the second degree, none of your federal, state, and Georgetown aid will apply to the second degree.  There are several scholarships available for international study, and the Director of International Programs will assist interested students in identifying those sources of funding.       

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Can I participate in the Georgetown Oxford Tutorial Program as a part of the Accelerated Degree?

Yes.  With careful planning, many students are able to spend a term at Oxford as a visiting student in the fall of their third year.  For more on the Oxford Tutorial Program at Georgetown College, click here.       

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Besides the abbreviated time it takes to graduate, what are the main differences from the four year degree?

The curriculum of the Three Year Accelerated Degree can be found here.  The general education requirements for Accelerated Degree students are slightly less than for those in the standard four year degree program.  Rather than taking a major and a minor, Accelerated Degree students will work in four disciplinary areas, developing as much breadth in upper level work in those areas as possible.  While those in the standard four year degree are only required to have 39 upper level hours to graduate, those in the Accelerated Degree will have at least 57 upper level hours.  Accelerated degree students must also pass two tutorial style courses to hone skills in independent research and thinking.        

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The standard undergraduate degree at Oxford takes three years.  Why would this program open the door to a two year version of that undergraduate degree?

Because you'll leave Georgetown with a completed BA or BS in Liberal Studies, you'll be qualified to apply to Oxford at "Senior Status."  Given a successful evaluation of your application and a successful interview, you may be allowed to pass over the typical first year of study in the Oxford BA syllabus.        

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To finish in three years, will I have to take a heavy course load each semester? 

It's likely that you will indeed have several semesters with heavy course loads, but we are conscious of the difficulties that this creates for our students.  With that in mind, we encourage students to take some summer courses, and we only grant admission to those students who already have at least some college credit earned (through dual credit or AP courses or CLEP, etc.).  If you wonder whether you will have enough credit to finish on time, please contact the Director of Oxford Programs.        

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 Why should I take on the challenges of this program?

We honestly believe that those who are able to successfully complete the Three Year Accelerated Degree and obtain a place at Oxford for a second undergraduate will have the perfect combination of two styles of educational philosophy.  The Georgetown degree will provide an excellent breadth of liberal arts study while providing depth in upper level work in four different disciplines.  The Oxford degree will allow the student to narrow the focus entirely to one discipline or course of study and enjoy the fruits of the tutorial method of study:  independence in learning, the development of intellectual creativity, and access to some of the finest minds in the world.  And even if you decide not to pursue Oxford at the end of your three years at Georgetown, you'll be leaving with the most intensive academic training that Georgetown College offers--excellent training for future graduate study, law school, and many other career and life paths open to our other graduates.        

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