CEDARVILLE —Cedarville University has the reputation of preparing its students for the workforce. In the most recent National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) survey, 97.5 percent of Cedarville’s recent graduates were employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of commencement.

Cedarville University is now building on this success by providing undergraduates with accelerated pathways to completing both their bachelor’s degree and an M.B.A. in four or five years.

In these new accelerated pathways, students will be able to complete their undergraduate degree while simultaneously completing MBA prerequisites and two master’s level courses. Then, they can complete their MBA online within 12 months.

These plans not only save students time and money, but they also increase graduates’ employment options in the marketplace and provide the opportunity for higher earning potential immediately.

For now, students working toward a bachelor’s degree in communication or psychology are eligible for this dual combination. The university expects to add accelerated pathways to the M.B.A. from its English, music, science, math and intercultural studies programs in the near future.

“These programs allow students interested in a liberal arts education to add a recognized, career-focused professional degree,” said Dr. Janice Supplee, vice president for marketing and communications and dean of graduate studies. “These graduates will combine the excellent communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills that employers are seeking with professional preparation that is applicable in multiple settings and industries.”

As an example, Supplee cited music business, industrial psychology, human resources, event management, and business communication as career fields that would directly benefit from combining an appropriate undergraduate degree with an M.B.A.

Although the academic process is accelerated, the B.A. and MBA programs themselves remain unchanged.

“The academic rigor and quality are maintained in these new pathways,” Supplee said. “One of our goals is to make graduate education more accessible to students, which we believe the B.A./MBA degree will do.”