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Accelerated BA/MA in Political Science

Saint Louis University's accelerated B.A./M.A. program allows qualified political science majors to start taking graduate courses before they have completed requirements for the B.A., reducing the amount of time that it takes to earn both degrees.

Application is easy and no application fee or standardized test scores are required.

Applying to the Program

Ordinarily, you must be a political science major with an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.4, overall and in political science courses, to be admitted. You should apply as soon as you want to start taking graduate courses which could be as early as the spring semester of your sophomore year.

You must provide an application form, a one-page statement of purpose and the names of suggested faculty to provide letters of recommendation. Everything should be submitted to the department's director of graduate studies.

Register for Graduate Classes

Up to four graduate classes can count toward both the B.A. and the M.A. You may take additional graduate classes while completing the B.A. that count only toward the M.A. if the credit hours earned are in excess of the total number needed to earn the baccalaureate degree and you successfully petition for admission to the master's program.

Once you are admitted to the accelerated program but prior to earning the B.A, you will follow this procedure to register for graduate classes:

  • Email the associate dean for graduate education with the courses you would like to take. Include your Banner ID and the CRN for these courses.
  • The associate dean will clear you for registration, and you will be able to register yourself.

In the final semester of the B.A. portion of the degree and after you have applied for graduate, you need to petition for formal admission to the M.A. program.

On this petition, list any graduate or 400-level coursework in excess of the total hours required for the bachelor's degree. Once approved, your status will change "undergraduate" to "graduate" and the listed courses will be shifted off your undergraduate transcript.

Petition for Admission to the M.A. Program

Once your status has been changed to "graduate," you become eligible for graduate fellowships and assistantships. If you have incomplete or missing grades on your undergraduate transcript, you will not be permitted to advance to the master's level until those issues are corrected.

Additional Information

Course Requirements

The requirements for the degree are the same as for the M.A. program.

Assistantships and Other Graduate Fellowships

Students who have not yet completed the B.A. are not eligible for graduate fellowships or assistantships.