BA/MA Applicants

BA/MA Programs for Current UChicago College Students

2023-24 Application Deadline Extended for MAPSS and International Relations BA/MA to May 2, 2023

Qualified students in the College who wish to pursue a joint BA/MA degree should consult first with their College Adviser, then with the Assistant Dean of Students for Admissions in the Division of the Social Sciences (Lindsey Weglarz). Interested UChicago students should fill out our BA/MA interest form to be reminded of deadlines, updates to the program, and other items.

The Social Sciences Division offers four BA/MA programs:

• BA/MA in Social Sciences (four-year degree)
• BA/MA in International Relations (four-year degree)
• BA/MA in Computational Social Science (five-year degree)
• BA/MA in Middle Eastern Studies (five-year degree)

Degree Requirements and Logistics

BA/MA students must have completed all College Core requirements by the end of their third year. Students enrolling in a four-year BA/MA degree are dual enrolled in the College and the Social Sciences Division during their fourth year. Students enrolling in a five-year program are dual enrolled during their fourth year in the College/first year in the MA, graduate from the College at the end of their fourth year, and then are solely enrolled in the MA program during their final year.

During the BA/MA year students must meet all MA degree requirements in their MA program. For a four-year BA/MA (MAPSS and International Relations), students must complete a total of 9 graduate courses and submit a faculty-approved MA thesis. Students in a five-year BA/MA (MACSS and Middle Eastern Studies) must complete a total of 18 graduate courses and submit a faculty-approved MA thesis.

By default, the 9 MA level courses during the dual enrollment year (fourth year) can be double-counted as general elective credit towards the bachelor’s degree. BA/MA students may choose instead to double-count MA courses towards BA major or minor electives or requirements, with approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies for their major/minor. Questions regarding double-counting or degree logistics should be directed to Lindsey Weglarz, Assistant Dean of Students (lweglarz@uchicago.edu).

In a four-year BA/MA it may be possible to write a single thesis to meet requirements for both the MA degree and the undergraduate major. Please note that students anticipating this should confirm their major approves when securing approval to apply to the BA/MA (see below under application requirements).

All BA/MA students must meet all BA requirements and graduate by June of their fourth year. BA/MA students in MAPSS and International Relations may complete their thesis and graduate with the MA in the August. Four-year BA/MA students must graduate with the MA in August or they cannot receive the MA.

Application Process

BA/MA students are required to have a 3.55 GPA or higher. There is no requirement for a minimum number of credits completed prior to applying (see below for degree logistics).

BA/MA applicants apply through the regular MA application for admission but indicate their intention for the joint degree on the appropriate question. BA/MA applicants are not required to provide the GRE and automatically receive an application fee waiver. Students must submit a transcript as part of their application, but an unofficial transcript from my.uchicago.edu is fine at the time of application; if admitted and matriculating we will need an official transcript. 

In addition to the standard MA application requirements, BA/MA applicants must submit an approval form (available in the online application) signed by the Director of Undergraduate Studies of the College major. This form confirms their eligibility and allows the major to specify how many, if any, MA courses can count towards major requirements or electives. This form must be submitted as part of the online application. Students anticipating counting MA coursework towards a College minor must also submit a form. Students applying to International Relations must also provide a proposed curriculum document.

Applications are due February 1 of the winter quarter of your third year in the College.

Tuition and Aid

BA/MA students are assessed graduate level tuition during the dual enrollment year (fourth year) but retain their College financial aid package and are therefore not eligible for funding from the MA program. Interested students should speak with their financial aid advisor if they have concerns regarding their aid. Odyssey Scholars: Please contact Assistant Dean of Students Lindsey Weglarz for more information regarding aid.

Students enrolling in a five-year BA/MA program receive a tuition scholarship in the final year of the program based on their performance in the initial 9 MA courses. Students in the fifth year of the BA/MA program are considered only MA students at that point and scholarship aid is awarded according to the rubric in use for all MA students entering their second year in that program.