Undergraduate Information
Students who are looking ahead toward careers or post-baccalaureate education may wish to consider the combined bachelor’s degree/master’s degree programs offered jointly by the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (and the Pardee School). In this joint program, students complete all requirements for the Bachelor of Arts and for the Master of Arts or Master of Science. The last two years of undergraduate study are integrated with the first year of graduate work, eliminating duplication of courses and, in some cases, reducing the time required to earn the two degrees. Successful completion of the BA/MA or BA/MS Program may lead to enhanced career employment opportunities, professional training, or doctoral studies.
BA/MA and BA/MS Programs are offered through a number of departments in the College, but not all. Please refer to either the College of Arts & Sciences Bulletin or the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Bulletin for existing BA/MA and BA/MS Programs.
Application Deadlines
- Spring 2023 Admissions: November 30, 2022
- Fall 2023 Admissions: May 1, 2023
BA/MA and BA/MS Program Guidelines
- The College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) Bulletin and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GRS) Bulletin have short descriptions of the individual BA/MA and BA/MS programs.
- Each department has a designated BA/MA or BA/MS advisor who can be contacted for questions and advice about degree requirements and the plan of study. Please note that departmental requirements vary from a total of 36‐40 semester courses (a total of 144-160 credits). In all cases there are at least eight courses required at the 500‐level or above, and these courses must be passed with a grade of B‐ or better. Students are strongly urged to review total credit requirements with their program to ensure all requirements are fulfilled.
Application and Admission:
- The BA/MA and BA/MS programs are not open to students outside of CAS and the Pardee School or to Boston University Dual Degree Program (DDP) students.
- The earliest you may apply is the spring of the sophomore (fourth semester of enrollment) year for admission into the program at the start of the junior (fifth semester of enrollment) year. The latest you may apply is the spring semester of your junior year (sixth semester of enrollment), with a one-time exception for current students who are in your senior year (7th semester of enrollment) in the Computer Science Department.
- Applicants must meet a GPA requirement of at least 3.0 at time of application. (Some departments may have higher requirements; Political Science applicants must meet a GPA requirement of at least 3.5)
Registration and Financial Aid:
Since federal regulations stipulate that persons receiving undergraduate financial aid must be registered in undergraduate programs, all BA/MA and BA/MS students will remain registered in CAS for eight semesters. Students will, however, be able to enroll in graduate‐level courses, as required by the program. In this way, students will remain eligible for undergraduate forms of financial aid for at least eight semesters. BA/MA and BA/MS students continuing work toward one or both degrees will only be registered with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences upon completion of 32 courses (128 credit hours) in CAS.
Required Supplemental Forms/Documents
In addition to the application form found at the bottom of this page, the following documents are also required:
Plan of Study: Consult with the designated combined bachelor’s/master’s degree program faculty director in the department of proposed study to complete the Plan of Study form. The BA/MA or BA/MS faculty director must review and sign your plan of study, which you should then attach to the application form below. For applicants with a double major, a secondary signature is required from the Director of Undergraduate Studies or faculty advisor in the second undergraduate major program.
Letters of Recommendation: Ask two faculty members in the field of proposed study to submit recommendations for you using the Recommendation for Admission form.
Once you have their agreement, you will enter their name and contact information into the online application system. The system will automatically email instructions for the recommendation to the professor.
Unofficial Transcripts: Please upload copies of all unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended to the application form below.
Other Required Documents: Some programs require additional documents such as a Personal Statement. Please inquire with your department/program for more information. These other required documents should be uploaded to the application form below.
BA/MA and BA/MS Application
We welcome your application to the combined bachelor’s degree/master’s degree programs offered jointly by the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (and the Pardee School)! All applications and supporting documents may be submitted through our convenient online application.
A helpful BA/MA Application Guide is available. Please read thoroughly for instructions on submitting your application.
If you have any questions, contact the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Admissions Office by e-mail at grsmams@bu.edu or by phone at 617-353-2696. Please include your BU ID in all email communications with BA/MA or BA/MS included in the subject line.
Apply for Admission Contact Us
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