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Accelerated Master’s Program

Overview

The Department of Political Science participates in UA’s Accelerated Master’s Program (AMP), which allows gifted and highly motivated Political Science and International Studies majors to begin graduate study while completing their Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. Students may apply to either the Master of Arts (MA) in Political Science program or the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program.

Students who are accepted into the AMP program to pursue either the MA or the MPA may count up to 12 hours of graduate courses toward both the BA and the MA or MPA degree. Six hours of graduate PSC courses may be used to meet the BA major requirements; up to 9 additional PSC graduate hours may count as electives to meet the 120-hour requirement for the BA.

Admission Process: Step 1

Political Science and International Studies majors who are interested in applying to the MA or MPA program in the Department of Political Science should first assess if they meet the Department’s requirements to be considered for admission:

  • Overall GPA of at least 3.75 (as computed within the plus/minus system) upon application to the Graduate School
  • Completion of 90 hours or more by start date of the graduate program
  • Meet UA’s residency requirement by start date of the graduate program
  • Completion of the core curriculum with the exception of Writing course(s) by start date of the graduate program
  • Completion of three-quarters of the hours required for the major by the start date of the program. Based on normal 3-hour courses, this means completion of 24 hours, or 8 courses for the BA in Political Science and 27 hours, or 9 courses for the BA in International Studies
  • International Studies majors applying to the MA program in Political Science must have completed a minimum of 9 PSC credit hours by the start date of the graduate program.

Admission Process: Step 2

Students who meet the Department requirements to be considered for admission should contact the Director of Graduate Studies if interested in the MA program or the MPA Director if interested in the MPA program to schedule a meeting. Note that meeting the requirements to be considered for admission does not guarantee admission into the Accelerated Master’s Program in the Political Science Department. The purpose of the meeting with the appropriate Director is to discuss the expectations of graduate degree work, to discuss the student’s career goals, and to discuss how admission to the AMP would affect the student’s graduation trajectory.

After meeting with the appropriate degree Director, the student may submit an application to the Graduate School. The standards of admission and application requirements do not differ for AMP applicants. Students are encouraged to review the Graduate School requirements for admission early in this process to ensure they are prepared to take the GRE, secure letters of recommendation, and write a statement of purpose for the Graduate School application.

Upon admission to the MA or MPA program, AMP students should schedule another meeting with the appropriate Director to be advised regarding selection of graduate courses to ensure they enroll in the correct courses to remain on schedule to graduate.