Postbaccalaureate program

{{Short description|Educational program}}

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Postbaccalaureate programs (post-bacc) are reserved for students who are working toward a second entry degree. These programs are offered for those who already have a first undergraduate degree.{{Cite web |title=Postbaccalaureate |url=https://admit.washington.edu/apply/postbac/ |website=University of Washington Office of Admissions}} Post Baccalaureate programs are not considered traditional graduate education, but their standing is typically more advanced than a bachelor's degree. Some of these programs are offered under the umbrella of continuing education and could be a foundational program that leads to a graduate degree. Programs like post-degree diploma,{{Cite web |title=Postdegree dipolma programs |url=http://postdegree.uwo.ca/ |website=University of Western Ontario}} graduate diploma, graduate certificates or a pre-medical to a master's degree in a field such as biomedical or health sciences come under the range of post-baccalaureate programs. In addition, students who wish to pursue a master's degree in a field other than their BS/BA degree, may be admitted to a college or university individualized or preset postbaccalaureate program to earn the necessary entry credits in their new chosen area/subject.{{Cite web |last=Zinger, PhD |first=Joanne |date=March 2020 |title=Psychology post-baccalaureate programs |url=https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psn/2020/03/post-baccalaureate-programs |access-date= |website=apa.org}} These courses of study would include an equivalent blend of foundation year graduate/professional school studies and final year of the specific bachelor's program or essential courses of the specific bachelor's program to take-up a graduate degree in the new field of studies. This also provides opportunity to those who prepare for changing careers and profession or as a supportive for those interested in continuing education to familiarize with new modalities in their particular fields. The usual length of the programs is 8 months to 1 year and the advanced grad-entry program that offers equivalency with first year of a graduate degree is for 2 years.

The first postbaccalaurate program was created in 1955 at Columbia University.{{Cite news |last=Simon |first=Cecilia Capuzzi |date=2012-04-13 |title=A Second Opinion: The Post-Baccalaureate |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/education/edlife/a-second-opinion-the-post-baccalaureate.html |access-date=2024-02-18 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220116030758/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/education/edlife/a-second-opinion-the-post-baccalaureate.html|archive-date=2022-01-16|url-status=live}}