MA / BA Program

MA / BA Program

The College of Arts and Science (CAS) and the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS), offer students in participating departments the opportunity to earn both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in a shorter period of time and at a cheaper rate. Ideally, students in this accelerated program can complete both degrees in five years. The Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies is a participant in this program. 

A College of Arts and Science brochure outlining general curriculum, admissions, scholarship and financial aid, and advising of this accelerated degree program can be obtained from the College Advising Center, Silver 905. This information can also be found on the CAS Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Program website. As noted in the brochure, students may apply to the program “once they have completed a minimum of 48 credits toward the bachelor’s degree, but not more than 96 credits or six semesters, whichever comes first.

Near Eastern Studies:

Minimum M.A. Credits Before Bachelor's: 8 (two 4-credit courses). Students must enroll in Problems and Methods in Middle Eastern Studies (MEIS-GA 1687) in the Fall of their senior year, and must complete this course with a B or higher to continue on the BA/M.A. track. 

 

Students who are interested in applying to the accelerated B.A./M.A. track in Near Eastern Studies (NEST) should first consult the program requirements for the M.A. degree as listed in the GSAS Bulletin, and the specific application requirements noted below.

Then, students should meet with an adviser in CAS to consider their curricular fit with the accelerated program.

Following your CAS appointment, you must contact the program's Director of Graduate Studies, Jared McCormick, to request a separate meeting to discuss your interest in the B.A./M.A.

You should take a copy of your transcript from Albert to the Director of Graduate Studies meeting.

If the CAS Advising Center clears you for application eligibility and the Director of Graduate Studies agrees that you have things well underway toward satisfying the requirements specific to the NEST BA/M.A. (as noted below), you can apply for the program online, and your application will be sent to the NEST admissions committee for final approval.

Additional Application Prerequisites: 

Prospective applicants must meet with the Director of Graduate Studies before submitting their BA/M.A. application. Accepted applicants must plan to demonstrate intermediate-level proficiency (equivalent to an Intermediate 2-level course in CAS) in a Middle Eastern Language by the completion of their undergraduate degree. This proficiency can be demonstrated via undergraduate coursework, placement test, or, for native speakers, waived in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies. 

 

Additional Application Components:

A writing sample: 15 pages (double-spaced)

A language plan: applicants must upload with their applications a 1-page (double-spaced) statement detailing their experience studying Middle Eastern languages, and their plan for demonstrating the required proficiency by the end of their undergraduate degree.