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1-year and 18-month Programs

We understand that some of our graduating students may be unable to return home due to COVID-19 and may be looking to extend their studies at Illinois by earning another master’s degree. To assist those who are interested, we have put together a list of 1-year and 18-month master’s programs that are accepting applications for admission for Fall 2020. Please reach out to the individual programs of study with any questions you may have.

ADVERTISING

The Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising offers an on-campus, Master of Science in Advertising that can be completed within 12 and 18 months. For additional information about the program, please visit the department’s website.

AGRICULTURAL AND APPLIED ECONOMICS

The non-thesis Master of Agricultural and Applied Economics (MAAE) is a professionally oriented degree that can be completed as a stand-alone master's degree or, for ACE students only, a combined bachelors plus master's (4+1 MAAE). The 4+1 MAAE combines the ACE Bachelor's of Science, and it can be completed one additional academic year. The standalone MAAE is designed for students from any other major or with a Bachelor's degree to complete over a 1 to 2 year period based on their interests and ability to take partial to full course loads during each semester of study; it is open to any student with a bachelor’s degree that meets the program admission criteria. The MAAE is a STEM-designated master's program.

BUSINESS

The Gies College of Business has a number of 1-year on-campus and flexible online master’s programs in Accountancy, Business Administration, Finance, Management, and Technology Management. A comprehensive listing of these programs is available on the Gies website. Gies Management programs are offering a $10,000 tuition discount to continuing Illinois graduate students enrolling in one of our residential management programs (MS-Management, MS-Technology Management, or MS-Business Administration).

ECONOMICS

The Department of Economics offers an on-campus, 18-month Master of Science in Policy Economics (MSPE). Additional information about this program is available on the department's website.

ENGINEERING

Grainger Engineering offers 12 on-campus, non-thesis professional master's degrees that are structured to be completed in 2-3 semesters of full-time study. Several of these programs are professionally-oriented master’s degrees that are designed to prepare students for careers in corporate environments, technology innovation, and management.

*Available online as well as on-campus.

GERMAN

The Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures (GLL) offers a one-year MA in German in the context of our five-year BA/MA program. Undergraduates who are already completing advanced coursework in German often are well positioned to earn the MA during a single fifth year at the University. GLL typically pays tuition and fees plus a living stipend during that fifth year. Under some conditions it is also possible for students who are not enrolled in the five-year BA/MA nevertheless toe arn the MA in either one year or 18 months. Additional information and contact details are available on the five-year BA/MA site and the regular MA and other graduate options site. 

HEALTH TECHNOLOGY

The College of Applied Health Sciences in collaboration with the Grainger College of Engineering offers the one year (12 month), professional Master of Science in Health Technology (MSHT).  The MSHT combines human factors, engineering principles, and design in a one-year professional program that culminates in an applied capstone project with industry or community partners.  The MSHT is accepting applications on a rolling basis and scholarships are available. 

Information Sciences

The iSchool offers two 18-month master’s programs, the MS in Library and Information Science (ranked #1 in the nation) and the MS in Information Management. Both programs provide students with a great deal of flexibility and allow them to customize their degree to suit their individual career goals. More information is available on the iSchool website. The application portal will remain open until August 1, 2020.

JOURNALISM

The Department of Journalism offers an on-campus, professional Master of Science in Journalism that can be completed in two or three semesters of full-time study. Additional information about this program is available on the department's website.

LAW

The College of Law offers two on-campus, 9-month master’s programs, the Master of Studies in Law (MSL) and the Master of Laws (LLM). The MSL degree is for non-lawyers who wish to have a background in law. The LLM degree is for those who have a first law degree, but want to further expertise in US law or in areas such as Intellectual Property, Business Law, or Criminal Law. Both the MSL and LLM can be started in the fall or spring semester. The MSL is also a full-time or part-time degree program. Both programs are offering a 50% tuition discount to continuing Illinois graduate students.

Mathematics and Applied Mathematics

The Department of Mathematics offers master's degree programs in Mathematics and in Applied Mathematics that can be completed in two to three semesters. For both programs, a master's thesis is optional and students have a wide range of courses to choose from. Please see our website for program requirements. Questions and application materials can be sent to math-grad@illinois.edu. A new online application is not required.

PROFESSIONAL SCIENCE MASTERS (PSM)

The Illinois PSM offers programs in Agricultural Production, Bioprocessing & Bioenergy, Food Science & Human Nutrition, Geographic Information Science, Plant Biotechnology, and Technical Systems Management. Additional information about these programs can be found on the PSM website.

PUBLIC HEALTH

The College of Applied Health Sciences offers a Master of Public Health (MPH) professional degree that can be completed in 18-months. Scholarships are available and range from $1,000 - $10,000. Visit the MPH program website to learn more about the MPH curriculum, career opportunities in public health, and the application process.  Applications due July 1.

RECREATION, SPORT AND TOURISM

The online Master of Science in Recreation, Sport and Tourism is a 36-credit hour, 18-month degree with cohorts beginning in December, April and September. This degree provides you a quality and highly accessible education, ensuring that you are prepared to meet the changing requirements of the leisure services industry. The demand for professionals with an advanced degree in the leisure service industry continues to increase. Job opportunities in parks and recreation, sports management, hotel management, convention and tourist bureaus, health and fitness clubs, and volunteer and youth agencies, just to name a few, are on the rise. Employees with graduate degrees will have the best opportunities for supervisory or administrative positions.

STATISTICS

The Department of Statistics offers a 32-36 credit hour general non-thesis Statistics-MS program and a 36-40 credit hour non-thesis Analytics Statistics-MS program. The traditional Statistics-MS program offers the flexibility to customize your curriculum to pursue a multitude of fields that utilize statistics and data science. The more focused Analytics Statistics-MS program combines the mathematical and statistical training of the general Statistics-MS program with enhanced computational and data analytic training for those planning careers in information intensive industries or research. The Department of Statistics welcomes all current and recently graduated University of Illinois students interested in pursuing their MS in Statistics to submit their application before June 28 for consideration to the Fall 2020 term. Most students are able to complete either program in 12 to 18 months.

STRATEGIC BRAND COMMUNICATION

The Sandage Department of Advertising, in collaboration with the Gies College of Business, offers an online, professional Master of Science in Strategic Brand Communication that can be completed in 16 months. The curriculum is designed to train future leaders in global brand management, and delivered with the flexibility to complement a full-time working schedule. Additional information about this program is available on the SBC website.

SUSTAINABLE URBAN DESIGN

The Department of Landscape Architecture offers a one year Master of Sustainable Urban Design (MSUD) program that provides a resiliency-based curriculum for the development of urban design skills. It aims to equip candidates with the expertise needed to help resolve complex, 21st-century urban design and sustainability challenges.

SUSTAINABLE URBAN MANAGEMENT

The Department of Urban & Regional Planning offers a 9-month, on-campus Master of Science in Sustainable Urban Management (MSSUM) program. Additional information about this program can be found at on the department's website.