Accelerated Degree Programs

Unlock your future faster with our accelerated degree programs

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At CIIS, we offer a range of high-impact programs designed for motivated students ready to leap ahead in their academic and professional journeys.

If you're looking to complete your bachelor's in three semesters or less and fast-track to a master's degree, our accelerated options provide the flexibility and support you need to achieve your goals swiftly.

Benefit from expert faculty, cutting-edge resources, and a vibrant learning community, all while saving time and reducing tuition costs. Propel your career forward and join us for an educational experience that sets you on the fast track to success.

15-25%

A study from Burning Glass Technologies found that early-career professionals with master’s degrees earn about 15-25% more than those with only a bachelor’s degree.

42%

According to a 2021 report by LinkedIn, people with master's degrees have 42% more likelihood of being promoted within the first five years of their career compared to those with only a bachelor's degree.

30%

Take control of your future and double your impact. Around 30% of CIIS students who complete one of CIIS' bachelor completion programs go on to complete their master's degree at CIIS.

How to Apply for Accelerated Bachelor's-to-Master's Programs

Goal or Purpose Statement: A one-to-two page (typed, double-spaced) goal statement that includes a prospective area of emphasis and/or intended dissertation topic that is consistent with the program's mission and expertise of the faculty. Talk about your personal, professional, and academic goals.
Resume/CV
Learn about the Master of Arts in Anthropology and Social Change
Only B.S. in Psychology and B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies applicants are eligible to apply, and students must be in California, Nevada, or Oregon to enroll in Community Mental Health courses. B.S. in Psychedelic Studies applicants will be eligible to apply starting Fall 2026.
Goal or Purpose Statement: please address the following two questions in a four-to-six page (typed, double-spaced) reflection:
What do you understand psychotherapy to be? In your own words (without jargon), please define psychotherapy and describe how you think that it works. In the context of psychotherapy, what is the process of healing and growth? (We are not seeking a textbook or academic definition, but rather a window into your thinking and perspective on psychotherapy).
Reflect on the considerations unique to providing psychotherapy for historically marginalized, under-represented, and/or oppressed individuals, communities, and populations? What qualities of a therapist or therapy do you think are most important in this context? Please give an example of one such quality that you possess or are working on cultivating.
Resume/CV
Academic Writing Sample: A writing sample of five-to-seven pages (typed, double-spaced) that demonstrates your capacity to think critically and reflectively, and demonstrates graduate-level writing abilities. A sample that uses outside sources must include proper citations. You may submit copies of previous work, such as an academic paper, article, or report that reflects scholarly abilities.
Learn about the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with a Concentration in Community Mental Health
Goal or Purpose Statement: A one-page (typed, double-spaced) goal statement of your educational and professional objectives.
Autobiography: A two-to-four page (typed, double-spaced) introspective autobiographical statement discussing your values, emotional and spiritual insights, aspirations, and life experiences that have led to your decision to apply.
Learn about the Master of Arts in East-West Psychology
Autobiography: One-to-two pages (typed, double-spaced). Please discuss the following:
What are you experiences and conditions of your upbringing and early adult years that made you who are today?
How have these experiences informed your interest and future goals?
How do you envision your career path with this degree?
Goal or Purpose Statement: A two-to-three page (typed, double-spaced) statement of your educational and professional objectives. Why are you choosing this degree and what do you hope to do with it after graduation?
Resume/CV
Optional: Submit an academic writing sample OR sample of your work (e.g. recorded talk, presentation slide deck, wellness program description, blog).
Learn about the Master of Arts in Integrative Health Studies
Goal/Purpose/Vision Statement: A one-page statement speaking to the following:
What do you hope to accomplish during your time with us and how do you hope to develop professionally?
What do you hope to achieve artistically and professionally in the next five years?
How is the MFA important to helping you achieve these things?
Resume/CV
Art Sample: For writers, 15 to 30 pages of poetry, prose, script, or mixed genre work. For visual, performing, sound or interdisciplinary artists, please provide links or URLs. Artists working in more than one form may submit samples in multiple forms.
Learn about the Master of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts and Writing
Goal or Purpose Statement: A one-page (typed, double-spaced) statement of your educational and professional objectives.
Resume/CV
Learn about the Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership
Goal or Purpose Statement: A six-page maximum (typed, double-spaced) short answer essay questions:
What inspires you to apply to the Master of Arts in Women, Gender, Spirituality, and Social Justice? Please name your specific goals and how they align with the program's mission and vision.
What does women's spirituality mean to you?
What courses or topical areas are you most interested in and why?
Our program is academically rigorous. Describe how your previous or current professional and/or academic work has prepared you for our program. What tools have you developed to manage your time, engage in complex projects, and meet deadlines?
Our program centers on collaboration and community. What skills and capacities do you bring to learning in community?
We value diversity in identity as well as perspective (for example, race gender, identity, disability, age). Conflicting points of view will emerge in the classroom and community spaces. Tell us about an experience where you encountered conflict in a community setting. How did you navigate this situation? What did you learn from it?
What inner resources have you developed for handling stress, challenges, and disappointments?
Tell us about a time when you had to receive difficult feedback on your academic or professional work. How did you intergrate this feedback and grow from this experience?
Resume/CV
Academic Writing Sample: A writing sample of five-to-seven pages (typed, double-spaced) that demonstrates your capacity to think critically and reflectively, and demonstrates graduate-level writing abilities. A sample that uses outside sources must include proper citations. You may submit copies of previous work, such as an academic paper, article, or report that reflects scholarly abilities.
Learn about the Master of Arts in Women, Gender, Spirituality, and Social Justice

A silhouette of a person standing against a striking sunset with colorful clouds. The sky is filled with shades of deep pink, purple, and orange, creating a dramatic scene. The person appears to be gazing at the horizon, possibly overlooking a body of water, with clouds scattered across the sky. The overall mood of the image is serene and contemplative.

Apr22