Accelerated Masters
Our accelerated degree option offers undergraduate students to opportunity to complete their BS and MA in Political Science in five years. Undergraduate students begin graduate-level coursework in their 4th year and ultimately complete 120 undergraduate level credits and 30 graduate-level credits at Boise State.
The MA course sequence covers the full range of Political Science subfields in terms of both subject and methodology. Students will have the opportunity to take classes in Comparative Politics and International Relations. Furthermore, our research methods sequence requirements will provide valuable skills to answer complex questions about political systems.
Minimum Requirements
- Students must have completed 75 credits toward their Bachelor of Science degree at Boise State.
- Political Science, Environmental Studies, Global Studies, or Urban Studies Major at Boise State.
- Environmental and Urban Studies students should also complete either Comparative Politics (POLS 305) and International Relations (POLS 306) or one of those courses (POLS 305/306) and another POLS 400 elective in comparative politics or international relations. We will consider students that are actively fulfilling this requirement at the time of their application
- 3.0 GPA overall; 3.3 GPA within major.
- Statement of purpose with a discussion of how the student’s personal and professional goals are enhanced by the enrollment in the MA program.
- Three Letters of Recommendation are required for all applicants. Professional supervisors, as well as one’s professors, may write letters in support of traditional MA program applicants.
- A ten-page writing sample that demonstrates the applicant’s ability to sustain an argument and present evidence to support claims.
- Unofficial transcripts.
- Submit all application materials to the graduate program coordinator at pols-ma@boisestate.edu
- Once department approval is received, students must apply online to the Graduate College.
(* Students who are denied admission to the accelerated master’s program will be considered for admission to the master’s program on a non-accelerated basis.)
The accelerated version of the Master of Arts in Political Science is designed to give selected undergraduate students the opportunity to be admitted into the master’s degree program and begin their graduate coursework while completing their undergraduate degrees. Students in the accelerated master’s program can enroll in up to six credits of 500-level courses during the last two semesters of their undergraduate career. These two 500-level courses can be used to satisfy the degree requirements for both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The remaining requirements for the master’s degree are satisfied by the student in the semesters subsequent to the award of the bachelor’s degree. All requirements for both bachelor’s and master’s degrees must be met.
- For Political Science students, the six credits will count towards the upper-division area of emphasis credits.
- For Global Studies students, POLS 500 courses will count towards their area of emphasis credits.
- For Environmental Studies students, graduate courses will count towards any upper-division systems requirements.
- For Urban Studies students POLS graduate courses, graduate courses will count towards any upper-division credits.
Content on this page is provided as a quick reference for planning. All official course descriptions, degree requirements, admission standards, program learning outcomes, etc. are published on the Graduate Catalog site.
Accelerated Master’s Contact Information
Lisa Meierotto, Ph.D.
Program Lead, Global Studies and MA Political Science
Environmental Research Building 2151
lisameierotto@boisestate.edu
(208) 426-2658