Can You Earn a Master's Degree without a Bachelor’s?

Yes, it is possible to earn your master’s degree without previously having earned your bachelor’s degree. However, it is not the traditional pathway. Typically, master’s programs require proof of a bachelor’s degree as part of the admission requirements. 

Applying to a master’s degree without a bachelor’s degree will likely limit the types of programs you can apply to and what you can study. That being said, it is still possible to move forward with graduate school without completing an undergraduate education first. 

How to earn a master’s degree without a bachelor’s degree

A master’s degree builds on what you learn in a bachelor’s degree, even if you end up studying a different subject. The coursework tends to be more challenging and the subject matter tends to be more advanced, which is why most graduate programs expect you to go through the rigor of a bachelor’s degree and get the academic training you’ll need to continue progressing in your education. 

Still, there are ways to earn your master’s degree when you don’t have a bachelor’s. 

1. Enroll in a combined degree program.

Some universities offer combined bachelor’s and master’s programs. Technically, this option still requires you to earn your bachelor’s degree, but you’ll do so much more quickly than if you pursued both separately. These programs accelerate the process of gaining both degrees typically into five years, rather than the traditional five years for a bachelor’s degree and two or three years for a master’s. 

Not all schools offer combined degree programs, however, and many programs will be limited to certain subject areas. Examples of combined degree subjects include: 

• Business: BA/MBA

• Computer science: BS/MS

• Public health: BPH/MPH

• Social work: BSW/MSW 

• Nursing: BSN/MSN

If you’re interested in this option, conduct an internet search for combined degree programs available online or in-person in your area to see if any could be a good subject matter fit. 

2. Apply your professional experience.

Some schools will take your professional experience into consideration if you’ve acquired a good deal of it but haven’t earned a bachelor’s degree. Your experience can translate to skills earned, especially in fields like business and computer science. 

Advanced standing is the process of using professional experience in lieu of a bachelor’s degree, allowing you to receive college credit for your work experience. Every university examines advanced standing differently, but many use five years of managerial experience as a benchmark. Some universities may require additional credits—or even an associate degree—before admitting you into a master’s degree. 

Using experience to gain admission to a master’s works well for fields like nursing. For instance, some programs allow registered nurses with enough professional work experience and some coursework to obtain their Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) without possessing a bachelor’s degree in nursing. 

If you’re interested in this option, conduct an internet search for available programs in your area or online, or reach out to the schools that you’re interested in attending to see if they might consider a professional applicant. 

3. Earn a master’s degree from select universities on Coursera.

Some university partners on Coursera, like the University of Colorado Boulder, do not require a bachelor’s degree to enroll in one of their online master’s degree programs. Instead, Boulder uses performance-based admission, which allows applicants to prove their knowledge by taking and passing a certain number of required courses—usually around three—in order to gain full admission into the program. 

Explore the university’s Master of Science in Computer Science, Master of Science in Data Science, Master of Engineering in Engineering Management, and Master of Science in Electrical Engineering.

Learn more: How This Self-Taught Web Developer Went Straight to a Master's Degree

Accelerating your time to a bachelor’s degree

Knowing that a bachelor’s degree can open up the number of master’s programs you can apply to—not to mention the variety of subjects you can study—it may be worthwhile to first earn your bachelor’s degree to meet that requirement. 

In that case, it’s possible to accelerate the time it takes to earn your bachelor’s degree. 

• Accelerated degrees: Some universities offer accelerated bachelor’s degrees in certain majors, which usually means you can earn your undergraduate degree in three years. These programs tend to be quite rigorous, however, because you will take more coursework each session or semester than the average student. 

• Online degrees: Online bachelor’s degrees often feature asynchronous, self-paced learning, so you can plan your studies around your other responsibilities. In that case, you may be able to sign up for a higher number of courses per session to accelerate the time it takes to finish your degree. 

• Transfer your previous learning: If you’ve previously earned some college credit or have completed other kinds of learning, such as certifications or Professional Certificates, you may be able to transfer them and lessen the coursework you need to complete to earn your bachelor’s.

• Bachelor’s completion programs: These transfer-friendly completion degrees are designed for returning learners who want to finish their bachelor’s without starting over again. 

Earn your master's without a bachelor's through Coursera.

Explore master’s degrees available through Coursera that do not require a bachelor’s degree. The University of Colorado Boulder has four master’s programs in technical fields that allow performance-based admission, so you can show what you know in order to gain full admission. Get started with an open course, such as Project Management: Foundations and Initiation for the Master of Engineering in Engineering Management or Algorithms for Searching, Sorting, and Indexing for the Master of Science in Data Science, to see whether the curriculum is a good fit.