Last year, Concordia piloted the integrated path (IP) initiative, which allows undergraduate students to take graduate-level courses in lieu of some of their undergrad classes. If they choose to continue their studies, and meet the minimum grade requirements, the credits they earn can then be applied toward a future Concordia graduate degree.
A dozen programs across disciplines from all four faculties took part in the pilot year, and a couple more - in Economics and Applied Linguistics - are coming on board for 2026-2027.
The IP in Economics allows students enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts in Economics to take up to 15 graduate credits toward a future Master of Arts in Economics. With the IP in Applied Linguistics, students in the Teaching English as a Second Language Bachelor of Education program can take up to 12 credits from the Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics.
Though not offered in fall 2026, the IP in Accountancy, which was part of the pilot year, will be offered again as of January 2027.
A popular and beneficial option
At the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science, where all departments are participating in the IP initiative, the option is proving to be a popular one.
"We get a lot of questions on integrated paths," says Brian Vermeire, associate dean of graduate studies. He sees clear benefits to encouraging students to start thinking about grad studies a year or two ahead of time.
"Getting them on the grad school path earlier helps students quite a bit in terms of thinking about a thesis supervisor, what kind of research they want to do and how the funding works."
Accelerated progress
In most participating programs, students can apply once they have completed 45 credits. If accepted, they can begin their integrated path after having earned 60 credits. The number of graduate-level courses they can take varies, from the equivalent of nine credits in many paths to as many as 16 in some engineering programs.
This allows some Gina Cody students to complete almost all of their graduate coursework while still at the undergrad level. This way, students can dive into master's research almost immediately after beginning their program, Vermeire points out.
Students must have and maintain a minimum GPA to be accepted into an integrated path. While the initiative can speed up the time it takes to complete a graduate degree, admission into the student's desired graduate program is not guaranteed.
A smooth transition
In 2025-2026, 86 students enrolled in an integrated path, including Sara Howie. While finishing her Bachelor of Art History and Studio Art, she took a graduate-level seminar in the winter semester.
"I found it really engaging," she says, having appreciated the "really lively discussions from the entire class."
Transitioning from undergraduate to graduate classes can be a bit daunting, making one question their abilities, she explains. She says she is happy to have broken the ice before beginning her grad studies in September.
"I was really glad to do that during my undergrad, because I feel like I'll be much more prepared for the discussions and less worried about whether I should even be here!"
She'll be even better equipped after the summer, as she is one of this year's Next-Generation Scholars, Concordia's summer program for undergraduate students interested in hands-on research.
"It's a good transition to starting to do my own research."
Learn more about Concordia's Integrated Paths initiative.
