This program provides an accelerated path for undergraduate government majors to obtain a master’s degree in government. The GRE is required for all students applying to the accelerated program by the start of the first semester as full-time graduate students. The GRE will be waived if overall GPA is 3.5 or student is awarded government department honors.

Students are allowed to take up to two master-level courses in their senior year. For each of these graduate courses taken, the student’s undergraduate total credit requirement is reduced by four credits. Students do not receive an undergraduate degree at the end of the second semester of their senior year, instead they continue on as degree candidates in the political science MA programs.

Undergraduate students at Suffolk University, majoring in government (BS or BA), can apply for this joint degree program. Applicants must be a rising senior with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher and a GPA of 3.5 or higher in at least three government major courses taken at Suffolk. Interested students must be nominated by a full-time faculty member in the government department in the form of a written letter of recommendation that is submitted to the director of graduate studies, must complete the standard Application for Graduate Study, must submit a writing sample that is no longer than 20 pages, and must interview with the department’s director of graduate studies. The application deadline is June 15th of the junior year. However, students may apply until November 1st of the senior year if they wish to enroll in graduate courses in the second semester of their senior year. Students can take two graduate level classes during their senior year and they can take them one at a time or both at once. Once two graduate classes have been taken, students can take no more until they have otherwise fulfilled the requirements for their undergraduate degree.

Each student admitted to this joint degree program must meet all the requirements of one of the undergraduate degree programs (BS or BA in Government). In addition, the student must meet all the requirements of one of the master’s degree programs (MSPS). Upon successful completion of all of the degree requirements, a student will be conferred one joint degree.

A student may permanently exit the joint degree program and opt to graduate with a bachelor’s degree if all the requirements of a bachelor’s degree are met, in which case each of the two graduate courses taken in the senior year would be counted as a 4-credit course.