Five Year BA–MA

The Political Science Department now offers a five year BA–MA in political science and International Affairs. If you are admitted to this program, you may count some courses taken during your senior year toward both your BA and an MA This will enable you to complete both a BA and an MA in five years instead of the six that would normally be required.

The Department’s MA programs in Political Science offer courses that can take you far beyond the undergraduate level. Those who have completed our MA have gone on to some of the finest graduate schools, launched careers in a variety of government agencies, and gained employment in various settings in the private sector.

Graduate courses in our program offer students the possibility to pursue topics of interest to them in more depth than they are able to in undergraduate classes. These courses couple smaller class sized and more opportunities for participation with an emphasis on the refinement of student research skills.

The BA–MA program is open to both Political Science and International Affairs majors. Students applying to this program should be juniors, or in special circumstances, first semester seniors, must have completed three upper division courses in political science, and must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better in their political science courses.

Applicants must submit a graduate school application form, three letters of recommendation, and transcripts to the director of Graduate Studies in the Political Science Department. Applicants to the five year BA–MA are not required to submit GRE scores or pay application fees.

If you are admitted to the Five Year BA–MA program, you will receive a letter that will guaranty your admission to our graduate program immediately upon completion of your BA You will, however, remain an undergraduate until that time, and thus will continue to have access to undergraduate financial aid.

Once in the program, any graduate seminars that you complete will count toward fulfillment of both undergraduate and graduate requirements. In addition, if you complete upper division political science classes that are not needed for either college or major requirements, you may count these toward completion of your graduate degree.

The department recommends that students in the Five Year BA–MA program complete at least 9 credits that can be counted toward their MA during their senior year. In general, undergraduates should not take more than one graduate seminar per semester. During their first semester as a graduate student they may complete a normal full load for graduate students, e.g., 12 hours of credits, including two graduate seminars and two upper division courses. During their second semester as a graduate student, they will want to take less credits, probably 9, in order to leave time to prepare for their comprehensive exams.

If you might be interested in this program, please see the Director of Graduate Studies in the Political Science Department, Dr. Lowell Barrington. His office is in WW468. Dr. Barrington can be reached at Lowell.Barrington@marquette.edu or 288-6842.