In the beginning of the second semester of their Junior Year (normally January), qualified PSC majors will be invited to apply to earn an MA in political science in conjunction with their BA degree. Interested students who meet the requirements (see box) may apply by submitting a personal statement and three academic letters of recommendation. The 5-Year BA/MA program allows undergraduate students to earn a Master's degree in half the time and half the price of a regular M.A. degree. Masters degrees are increasingly expected for many entry level positions in the public and non-profit sector as well as for acceptance in competitive Ph.D. program.
Students who are accepted to the program will take three PSC graduate courses and any remaining upper level PSC undergraduate courses in their Senior Year. The three graduate courses will be applied to both the BA and the MA degrees. Students will also take their remaining seven graduate courses in their fifth year (for example: 1 course over the summer and three courses in the Fall Semester and Spring Semester).
Each student will be granted complete tuition remission for their final 6 credits in the program. That means students will pay for the three double-counted graduate courses with their undergraduate tuition. They will pay for five graduate courses using graduate tuition rates. They will not have to pay for the last two final graduate courses (six credits).
Continuing in the Program
Undergraduates who have been formally accepted into our BA/MA program will still need to complete the gold permission card used for individuals not formally enrolled in Graduate Studies but in need of taking graduate courses.When a student in this program is entering the last semester of undergraduate studies (typically the eighth semester), the student must fill out the first two pages of the Graduate Studies Application Form.
The PSC Graduate Committee will then evaluate the application; continuation in the MA program is contingent upon your undergraduate cumulative GPA and the grades in your graduate courses. Students must retain at least a cumulative GPA of 3.0 throughout their fourth and fifth years to remain in good standing.
For more information contact Diane Mozzone, Program Coordinator.
