Accelerated Programs and Partnerships
Accelerated programs and partnerships at Westminster allow you to build on a liberal arts education by gaining faster acceptance into select professional or graduate degrees, whether you study here or at another institution.
Accelerated Master of Arts in Teaching
The Accelerated Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program is for students who want to go beyond teaching and become a highly qualified, sought-after, and impactful teacher. The accelerated program can be completed in 1 calendar year (summer, fall, and spring semesters, starting in either the summer or the fall), allowing students to obtain a bachelor’s and a graduate teaching degree in 5 years. Learning from faculty who have spent years in the classroom and gain hands-on skills in a student-teaching environment, you’ll begin your career a step ahead of the competition.
The Master of Arts in Teaching is for students who already have earned a bachelor’s degree and want to teach at an elementary (grades K-6) or secondary (grades 7-12) level. Students can also pursue additional training to teach special education. The program combines classroom instruction and extensive experience in diverse K–12 classrooms.
The Accelerated MAT program is open to graduates of Westminster College who complete EDUC 302 Foundations of Education in a Diverse Society and EDUC 312 Specialized Education Services as undergraduates. Completing these requirements early reduces their course load for the MAT program.
The Westminster MAT program prepares graduates to teach all students using effective, differentiated teaching strategies. Graduates will know how to design curriculum that connects to the knowledge and skills of students and their families. Once MAT students complete their courses, they undertake a full-time student teaching experience for 12 weeks (16 weeks if seeking an endorsement in special education).
Upon completing an MAT, students also have the option completing an MEd, with possible areas of focus in Trauma, Resilience, and Restorative Justice Emphasis or a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Endorsement
Students typically complete the MAT in one calendar year (summer, fall, and spring semesters, starting in either the summer or the fall), allowing them to obtain a bachelor’s and a graduate teaching degree in five years total. Completing the accelerated MAT reduces students’ course load in the graduate program, making it easier to balance course work and student teaching.
The MAT program prepares students for licensure in Elementary (K-6) or Secondary (6-12) education, with additional licensure available for Special Education. Recommendation for licensure is made upon successful completion of the MAT degree requirements. Students in the program study learners and their development, effective curriculum and assessment, classroom management, reflective teaching practice, and the cultural and social context of education.
Accelerated Master of Accountancy
The Accelerated Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program at Westminster College fits into the lives of busy working professionals through a fifth-year, full-time evening program that can be completed in less than a year. The program prepares students for the CPA exam and a successful, professional career in accounting as they apply their knowledge through Westminster’s focus on hands-on learning and benefit from personal attention in small classes, visits to government and business offices, and interactions with visiting professionals.
The Master of Accountancy program is designed as a fifth-year, full-time evening program to satisfy the requirements for CPA licensure. We encourage our students to hold daytime jobs in accounting and will offer assistance in locating students in local CPA firms. Students who follow our program should be fully licensed as CPAs within 12 months of finishing their undergraduate accounting degree.
Courses in Westminster’s MAcc program are scheduled to fit into the lives of busy working professionals, taking place either on a limited number of weeknights or online. Students apply their knowledge through Westminster’s focus on hands-on learning and benefit from personal attention in small classes, visits to government and business offices, and interactions with visiting professionals.
MAcc classes are structured to be completed in under a year. MAcc Early Entrants have a reduced course load, making it easier for them to balance school and work.
MAcc graduates generally pursue a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license after completing the CPA Exam. Our MAcc courses integrate CPA Exam simulations with textbook material, experiential learning, and research projects. MAcc students are encouraged to sit for and pass one section of the CPA Exam at the conclusion of each block. To become licensed as a CPA in Utah, students must apply with the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing.
In addition to mastering accounting skills, our students focus on developing written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills. Each of our students has the opportunity to watch and evaluate their performance in communication exercises.
Accelerated Master of Public Health
With an Accelerated Master of Public Health (MPH) degree, students will master theory and practice with an education that’s complemented by real-world learning experiences in a single calendar year (fall, spring, and summer semesters). At Westminster, faculty invest in your success with teaching that’s focused on one-on-one discussions, hands-on coursework, and personal mentoring. The Master of Public Health can also be easily integrated with an undergraduate public health major so that students can earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s in public health in five years.
The Master of Public Health attracts individuals who want to serve as leaders in promoting and protecting public health and safety through education, service, and the application of evidence-based science.
The MPH embraces the core values of Westminster College: impassioned teaching and active learning, respect for diverse people and perspectives, collaboration and teamwork, personal and social responsibility, college-wide excellence, and high ethical standards.
The program also offers a MPH degree with a Graduate Certificate in Public Health (Cert.PH) that is taught in a format adapted to working professionals. The MPH program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health.
Since the MPH program is designed to be completed in one calendar year (fall, spring, and summer semesters), it can be easily integrated with an undergraduate public health major so that students can earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s in public health in five years.
MPH students receive formal training in the core concepts of public health: analysis and assessment, policy development and program planning, communication, cultural competency, community dimensions of practice, basic public health science, financial planning and management, and leadership and systems-thinking. This comprehensive education prepares practitioners to meet the diverse challenges of public health locally, nationally, and globally.
Law School Early Assurance Programs
Westminster students interested in law can combine their education at a small liberal arts college with a graduate degree at a top-ranked law school. Westminster offers qualifying students an Early Assurance Program for admission to the Colleges of Law at the University of Utah and the University of Arizona.
Students can apply after their junior year and must meet GPA, LSAT, and other criteria to be admitted, with the benefit of early notification and early consideration for financial aid. These colleges know Westminster’s passionate students will be prepared to study law because of the well-rounded approach to reading, writing, research, and critical thinking.
If you’re interested in the Early Assurance Program, contact Westminster pre-law advisor Kara Barnette (kbarnette@westmsintercollege.edu) for more information.
Life Chiropractic College West Priority Applicant Program
Westminster students wanting to pursue a career in chiropractic medicine can be considered for priority admission to Life Chiropractic College West after their third year to complete a Doctor of Chiropractic degree. Priority applicants are guaranteed an interview with the LCCW admissions panel but must still meet LCCW admissions criteria to be admitted. To be considered as priority applicants, students must have at least completed 92 credit hours, including a customized major in kinesiology, and received at least a C in their prerequisite courses. Students interested in pursuing a customized major in kinesiology should contact Julie Stewart (jstewart@westminstercollege.edu) in their first year.
After completing their first year at LCCW, students can receive a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Westminster if they have not already completed their Westminster degree. Completion of the Doctor of Chiropractic degree will require three years of study at LCCW, allowing participants to complete both their Bachelor’s of Science and Doctor of Chiropractic degrees in six years.
Students who would like to pursue a Doctor of Chiropractic degree at LCCW but do not meet the requirements for priority applicants can still apply through LCCW’s regular admissions process.
LCCW is accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education and the WASC Senior College and University Commission.