4+1 MPA Combined Degree
This program combines two existing degrees - the Bachelor’s degree (from the list of eligible majors below) together with the MA in International Relations in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Students “home college” must be Arts & Sciences/Maxwell to be eligible to apply for the combined program.
Admission Contact
Emily Rutherford
Associate Director of Admission
MaxEnroll@syr.edu
315-443-2319
Advising Contact
In addition to the graduate advising contact below, current undergraduate students are strongly encouraged to speak with their undergraduate advisor regarding their course planning and preparation for the combined bachelor’s/master’s program.
Emily Alber Chase
Associate Director of Student Services
PAIA@syr.edu
315-443-4000
Admission Requirements
Students considering this program are strongly encouraged to speak with an academic advisor as early as possible during their undergraduate program. While all students who apply and are approved for the combined program can begin taking graduate courses early, completing both degrees in an abbreviated timeline requires careful planning.
To be eligible for admission to the combined program, students must have earned a minimum of 75 credits towards their bachelor’s degree (typically during the junior year or 3 semesters before graduating). The admission decision is based on each student’s undergraduate academic record, personal statement, resume, and two letters of recommendation. In particular, students that show successful completion of writing-intensive courses and courses requiring quantitative analysis. Examples of such courses include (but not limited to) MAX 123 Critical Issues for the United States, MAX 132 Global Community, and MAX 201 Quantitative Methods for the Social Sciences.
Program Requirements
Students in this combined program will complete all the requirements for the Bachelor’s degree as well as for the Master of Public Administration degree. Students will receive both degrees, typically receiving the Bachelor’s after four years and the Master’s after the fifth year. The primary benefit of this program is the ability to take up to a maximum of 12 graduate-level credits that will count towards the degree requirements for both degrees, thus providing significant savings in terms of graduate tuition charges. The program can also allow for an accelerated completion of both degrees through careful course planning.
Once admitted to the combined program, students will work with their undergraduate advisor and the PAIA advisor to select and register for appropriate cross-over courses, typically from the MPA program’s core curriculum.
Eligible Undergraduate Programs
- Anthropology, BA
- Citizenship and Civic Engagement, BA
- Economics, BA
- Geography, BA
- History, BA
- International Relations, BA
- International Relations, BS
- Policy Studies, BA
- Political Science, BA
- Sociology, BA
College of Arts and Sciences Requirements
For all Arts and Sciences|Maxwell students, successful completion of a bachelor’s degree in this major requires a minimum of 120 credits, 96 of which must be Arts and Sciences|Maxwell credits, completion of the Liberal Arts Core requirements, and the requirements for this major (30 credits) that are listed above.
Dual Enrollments:
Students dually enrolled in Newhouse* and Arts and Sciences|Maxwell will complete a minimum of 122 credits, with at least 90 credits in Arts and Sciences|Maxwell coursework and an Arts and Sciences|Maxwell major.
*Students dually enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences|Maxwell as first year students must complete the Liberal Arts Core. Students who transfer to the dual program after their first year as singly enrolled students in the Newhouse School will satisfy general requirements for the dual degree program by completing the Newhouse Core Requirements.
Undergraduate University Requirements
The following requirements and experiences apply to all Syracuse University Undergraduate matriculated degree programs.
