B.A./M.A. program for Columbia Undergraduates

Columbia and Barnard undergraduates who wish to earn the M.A. degree in political science may apply for early admission to the M.A. program. This enables qualified undergraduates to make progress toward the M.A. degree during their senior year.

Students should apply during the fall semester of their senior year for admission to the program in the following fall semester, after completion of the B.A. degree. The department and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences may award up to one-half Residence Unit and/or up to three courses of transfer credit for graduate courses (4000 level or above) completed at Columbia in excess of the requirements for the Columbia bachelor's degree, as certified by the dean of the undergraduate school awarding the bachelor's degree.

Information about how to apply may be found on the Graduate Admissions page of this site.

B.A./M.A. students fulfill the same requirements as students admitted to the M.A. program through the regular admission process.

Please visit the M.A. program overview section of this website for a detailed description of requirements.

B.A./M.A. students may be granted up to one-half Residence Unit (.5 R.U.) and/or up to three courses (nine to twelve credits) of transfer credit for graduate courses (4000 level and above) taken in excess of the requirements for the Columbia bachelor's degree, as certified by the dean of the student's undergraduate school. These courses and/or the half Residence Unit can be used to fulfill the requirements for the M.A. degree.

Courses used to fulfill undergraduate major or concentration requirements or the 124-credit B.A. requirement cannot be used to fulfill M.A. requirements. Students should consult closely with their undergraduate deans and advisers before the senior year when selecting courses for completion of the B.A. and then the M.A. degree.

Regardless of the number of credits students accumulate before the fall of their senior year, students must register for at least one-half Residence Unit in the fall semester following their senior year. Since two Residence Units are required for the M.A. degree and GSAS will grant at most one-half Residence Unit for courses taken as an undergraduate, it is recommended that students register for a full residence unit in the fall following their senior year.

In addition to registering for courses, students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences are required to register for an enrollment category. In all Ph.D. and almost all M.A. programs, this is typically done by registering for Residence Units, which provide the basis for tuition charges.

Please visit the GSAS website for additional information about Residence Units.