B.A./M.A. Program

Overview:

The B.A./M.A. Program  (also known as the Shared-Credit or 4+1 Program), is designed for undergraduate students to get a head start on their M.A. degree by putting some course credits towards both the Bachelor's and Master's degrees. There is a two-step application process for this program. For the first step, UNM undergraduate Political Science majors who meet the eligibility requirements may apply to the B.A./M.A. program in their junior year. For the second step, they apply formally to the M.A. program (see Admissions Guidelines and Information) after their first semester taking graduate courses; GRE scores are waived for the formal application to the M.A. program.

Eligibility Requirements:

In order to fulfill the eligibility requirements for the B.A./M.A. program, students must:

  1. Complete POLS 2140 (Introduction to Political Analysis) with a "B" or higher
  2. Complete the rest of their departmental core courses
  3. Complete at least two upper-division courses with a "B" or higher by department tenured/tenure-track faculty
  4. Maintain a GPA of at least 3.5 in their political science coursework
  5. Maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.2
  6. Complete at least 90 credit hours towards their B.A. by the end of their junior year

The first step of the application process involves the Undergraduate Advisor certifying that all of these baseline requirements are met, followed by advising and approval from the Political Science Graduate Director.

See the Eligibility Checklist for more information.

Graduate Coursework:

The graduate coursework for the B.A./M.A. program is the same as the coursework for the Plan III M.A. program. In the fall semester of their senior year, students are expected to take POLS 581, POLS 582, and one pro-seminar. In the spring semester of their senior year, students are expected to take 6 credit hours of POLS graduate courses. In order to meet core course requirements, B.A./M.A. students who have been formally admitted to the M.A. program are expected to take POLS 580 and two pro-seminars in the fall of their plus-one year.

Application Deadline:

May 1st 

March 31st - Best consideration date