Accelerated BA to MPA – Public Administration Program Policy

Please see the Graduate College’s Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s Program webpage and official Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s Program Policy for information pertaining to all Accelerated Programs.

Admissions Requirements

Students interested in pursuing the Accelerated BA in Political Science or International Studies to Masters in Public Administration must complete the following application requirements:  

1.      By the start of Accelerated status, they must have either:

- 75 credit hours earned and an overall BGSU GPA of at least 3.2[1], or

- 90 credit hours earned and an overall BGSU GPA of at least 3.0;

2.      A completed Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s Program Application;

3.      Official transcripts from all universities attended;

4.      Two  letters of recommendation from a full-time BGSU faculty member, preferably from graduate faculty within the student’s major or targeted graduate program;

5.      A statement of purpose (250-500 words) highlighting how the MPA program aligns with the applicants professional interests and objectives. 

Accelerated BA in in Political Science or International Studies to MPA Program Plan  

Students enrolled in the Accelerated BA in Political Science or International Studies to Masters in Public Administration (MPA) program should follow the following course schedule for planning out graduate work that begins while still enrolled as an undergraduate student, followed by the courses taken when fully enrolled as a graduate student in the MPA program.  In order to complete this plan in an accelerated format, it is strongly recommended that students choose the Plan II option (non-thesis).  Students who choose the thesis option should expect the completion of their master’s degree program to take longer than an additional extra (5^th) year. 

Undergraduate Accelerated Status (limited to 9 credits maximum)

Courses that may be taken while an undergraduate student with Undergraduate Accelerated Status that will overlap between the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees (up to 9 credit hours):

POLS 5xxx (any 5000 level POLS course)

POLS 6750. Research Methods

POLS 6210. Administrative Theory and Behavior

POLS 6280. Government Budgeting and Fiscal Policy