Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Programs

The College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GRS) jointly offer a number of Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Programs (also referred to as BA/MA or BA/MS programs).

Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Programs are linked bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in which the two degrees are conferred sequentially. These Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Programs allow students to apply a maximum of 8 units from their undergraduate degree toward the associated master’s degree. Students complete all requirements for the Bachelor of Arts and may apply up to 8 units from the undergraduate degree toward the master’s degree for the Master of Arts or Master of Science. The units applied toward the master’s degree must be at the 500 level or above.

Students must apply to Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Programs before the conferral of the bachelor’s degree. Students should consult with the Financial Assistance office to learn how entrance into a Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Program might impact their financial aid.

(See main CAS Programs page or main GRS Programs page for programs of study that offer a BA/MA or a BA/MS option.)

Students in a Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Program, in consultation with their faculty advisor, develop a plan of study that focuses on greater depth and integration of concepts in the chosen discipline, while ensuring that students complete a full BA and a full master’s experience, including theses or capstone components.

Important Notes for Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Students

• Planning ahead. Prospective students are urged to contact the department their advisor well in advance of application to begin development of their plan of study.
• Departmental requirements. Detailed statements of departmental requirements are available from the appropriate advisor in the appropriate department.
• Limited to certain areas of study. In most cases, the Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Programs restrict major fields of study to those fields in which the MA or MS is offered in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences; be aware that the Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Programs are limited to certain areas of study and are not available in all programs.
• Dual degree students. The Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Programs are not available to Boston University dual degree program students.
• BA portion. The Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Programs are designed primarily for students with one CAS BA major. Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Program applications from students with two or more CAS majors will be reviewed by the GRS Associate Dean for satisfactory academic progress, upon a recommendation of admission from the department to which a student applies.
• Restricted to CAS students, with caveats. The Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Programs are restricted to students enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences. Students enrolled in other undergraduate colleges at Boston University must apply for an intra-University transfer into the College of Arts & Sciences before making an application to this program.

Admissions

Information about application requirements and deadlines for bachelor’s-to-master’s programs can be found at The Graduate School’s Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Programs information website.