The B.A./M.A. Program

The B.A./M.A.. joint degree program allows students to apply credit jointly to a B.A. and an M.A. degree in order to complete both degrees in five years. Students must meet all application requirements, submit an application to participate in the program (usually by the end of their sophomore year), and apply to the M.A. program specifically during the fall semester of their senior year.

Students who are allowed to participate in the program after their sophomore year may count four graduate politics courses toward both the B.A. and M.A. degrees. They normally take one pre-approved graduate politics course per semester (two in their junior year and two in their senior year) that could count towards both degrees. If they are subsequently admitted to the M.A. program, those four courses are officially counted towards both the B.A. and M.A. degrees, and they then complete the remaining requirements of the M.A. program in their fifth year of study (including six additional graduate courses in politics and passing a written comprehensive exam). They must fulfill all distribution requirements for the undergraduate degree in the College of Arts and Sciences and all requirements for the B.A. and M.A. in politics.

Students interested in the B.A./M.A. joint degree program should contact the Department Chair or Director of Undergraduate Studies by the beginning of their sophomore year to develop a possible program of study. Those who have begun the program in their senior year and are applying to the M.A. program are encouraged to contact the Director of Graduate Studies for guidance.