The School of Public Affairs in collaboration with the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences offers a unique opportunity for highly qualified undergraduate Political Science majors to begin pursuing the Master of Public Administration (MPA) while simultaneously completing the Bachelor of Arts (BA). Accelerated Master’s Program (AMP) students may count up to 9 credit hours of eligible graduate-level Political Science courses toward both their BA and MPA degrees, allowing them to complete both degrees in an accelerated time frame.
The BA in Political Science enables students to understand and write about political and legal questions of governance of global, national, regional, and local significance.
The Master of Public Administration prepares students to take leadership roles in the public and nonprofit sectors. The MPA degree is multidisciplinary and designed to provide graduate professional education for individuals who wish to prepare themselves for administrative and/or policy careers in public, nonprofit, national security, and criminal justice systems.
The BA in Political Science to MPA AMP helps students cultivate self-awareness and understanding of their local, national, and global impact, and be prepared to participate effectively in a society that encompasses diverse political experiences, perspectives, and realities. Graduates will be prepared to take leadership roles in the public and nonprofit sectors.
General Requirements
- The BA in Political Science program requires completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours, including:
- A minimum of 36 credit hours in the discipline, of which 30 credit hours must be with a grade of C or better.
- At least 21 credit hours must be in upper-division courses (3000+ level).
- All students must take an exit exam and complete a portfolio before graduation.
- The MPA degree requires completion of a minimum of 36 graduate credit hours with a total grade point average of B (3.0 on a 4-point scale) or better:
- All courses counted towards the degree must have a grade of B- or better.
- Students without at least one year of professional work experience in a public administration field must complete an additional 3 credit hours of internship, bringing the total number of required credit hours to 39.
- Dual credit courses counting toward both the BA and MPA degrees must be from the approved list below and students must earn a grade of B or better in those courses.
- Students accepted into the AMP program may apply to the Master of Public Administration in the final year of their BA in Political Science program.
Course Requirements
Please refer to the Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Master of Public Administration sections of this catalog for specific course requirements.
BA in Political Science to MPA AMP allows students to count up to 9 credit hours toward both the Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and the Master of Public Administration. In order for credits to be double-counted, the following conditions must be met:
- Dual credit courses must be from among those approved, included in the list of courses approved for dual credit below.
- Dual credit courses must be completed with a B or better.
- Dual credit courses must be taken for graduate credit (5000+ level).
- Student must be admitted to the AMP prior to taking the dual-counted courses. Retroactive approval is not permissible.
Courses approved for dual credit:
Eligibility Requirements
Admission into the BA in Political Science to MPA AMP is competitive. Students must meet the following criteria:
- Current UCCS student with junior class standing or higher who has completed at least 30 credit hours at UCCS.
- Cumulative CU GPA of at least 3.0.
- Declared Political Science major who has completed at least 15 credit hours in the Political Science major.
- Meet the standards and admissions requirements for both programs as outlined in the UCCS catalog (which may include higher standards than those listed above and/or additional criteria).
- Completion of a 1-page (double space, 1-inch margins) essay outlining the student’s career goals.
Tuition and Fees
Students are assessed tuition and fees at the undergraduate rate until the Bachelor of Arts in Political Science degree is conferred. Students are assessed tuition and fees at the graduate level upon formal acceptance to the Master of Public Administration program, which occurs after their completion of the nine graduate credits that count toward both the BA and MPA.
Admission Process
In the junior year, students interested in the AMP program need to schedule an appointment with their undergraduate academic advisor. If it is determined that the student is eligible for the Accelerated BA in Political Science to MPA program, they must fill out an intent application and e-mail a one page essay outlining their career goals to the School of Public Affairs MPA Program Director.
The intent application needs to be approved by both political science and public administration. It will then be routed to Undergraduate Advising to ensure a subplan is placed on the student’s undergraduate account. Approval of the intent application means a student is currently eligible for the accelerated master’s program. If the student continues to be eligible, they will be able to apply to the MPA program as an Accelerated Master’s student during their final year in the BA in Political Science degree program. For students with a cumulative 3.5 GPA or higher, the MPA application is streamlined and applicants will only need to complete the writing prompts, as letters of recommendation and additional transcripts are not required.
- AMP students may start in Fall, Spring, or Summer semesters.
- Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Applications are due at least one week prior to the semester start date.
Policies and Procedures
Refer to the School of Public Affairs section and College of Letters, Arts & Sciences section of this academic catalog for the policies and procedures relevant to this program.
