History/International Affairs (BA/MA)
The growing interconnectedness of the world’s almost 200 countries, termed globalization, and the rising impacts of foreign affairs on our daily lives increasingly require individuals with advanced knowledge of International Affairs. The Accelerated BA/MA in History and International Affairs allows students to explore global problems and interactions from an interdisciplinary perspective that makes use of eight Arts and Sciences academic departments and four additional colleges. Students will have the flexibility to tailor their program to fit their individual interests. Students can fulfill a capstone experience by participating in an internship, taking a study abroad class, writing a paper for publication, or writing a master’s thesis.
Loyola University Chicago and the City of Chicago together serve as the ideal location for an MA in International Affairs: Loyola embodies a long commitment to interdisciplinary education; and Chicago is consistently ranked as one of the top ten global cities in the world. The program offers a unique urban setting for students interested in the advanced study of International Affairs.
The majority of full-time students are expected to finish the program in 5 years, as opposed to the six years if both programs are pursued separately. Undergraduate students from participating programs at Loyola will be able to pursue an accelerated BA/MA in History and International Affairs.
Students will also be able to take graduate courses in the School of Communication, the School of Education (International Education), the School of Law, Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health, Quinlan School of Business, and the School of Social Work.
CURRICULUM
For the BA, students will complete requirements for the Bachelor's degree, and graduate level courses may be used as electives. For the MA, students will take a total of ten classes (30 credit hours) to complete the program: Four required core classes, including a capstone experience, and an additional six elective classes, with no more than three offered by a single department in the College of Arts & Sciences or another School at Loyola.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required BA Courses | ||
| Introductory (Core) Courses | ||
| Select two courses, one from each of the following categories: | 6 | |
Tier 1 Foundational Historical Knowledge | ||
| Evolution of Western Ideas Institutions to 17th Century | ||
| Evolution Western Ideas Institutions Since 17th Century | ||
| American Pluralism | ||
| Global History Since 1500 | ||
| Western Traditions - Antiquity to the Middle Ages | ||
| Western Traditions-Renaissance to Modernity | ||
Tier 2 Historical Knowledge | ||
| East Asia Since 1500 | ||
| Pre-Modern Chinese History | ||
| Modern Chinese History | ||
| Survey of Islamic History | ||
| Introduction to Latin American History | ||
| United States to 1865 | ||
| United States Since 1865 | ||
| Introduction to African History | ||
| Methods Courses | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Historical Methods 1 | ||
| Newberry Seminar 2 | ||
| Required Areas | ||
| Select four Upper-Level Courses, one from each of the following: | 12 | |
Upper-Level Pre-Modern History (see course list below) | ||
Upper-Level Modern European History (see course list below) | ||
Upper-Level U.S. History (see course list below) | ||
Upper-Level World History (see course list below) | ||
| Elective Courses 3 | ||
| Select any history courses at any level: 4 | 15 | |
HIST 101 - HIST 399 5 | ||
| Roman Law | ||
| American Economic & Business History | ||
| Christian Thought: Ancient-Medieval | ||
| Christian Thought: Reformation to Modern | ||
| Required MA Courses | ||
| CORE | ||
| INTA 420 | Comparative Political Systems | 3 |
| INTA 430 | Theories of International Politics | 3 |
| INTA 475 | Political Analysis I | 3 |
| Capstone Experience | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Fieldwork in PLSC-Internship | ||
| Directed Readings | ||
| Master's Study | ||
| Electives 3 | 18 | |
| In addition to the four core classes, students will take an additional six elective courses, with no more than three offered by a single department in the College of Arts and Sciences or another School at Loyola. The core INTA courses in Political Science do not count toward this three-course total, and thus a student may take three Political Science courses in addition to the three core (required) courses. | ||
| Total Hours | 60 | |
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To register for HIST 299 Historical Methods Historical Methods, please contact the History Department Administrative Assistant.
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For information on the Newberry Seminar, please contact the Dr. Shermer at eshermer@luc.edu.
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Two Graduate-level International Affairs courses must be taken Senior Year. These courses can count as major electives or general electives. These two courses double-count for International Affairs MA requirements.
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One of which can be HIST 398 History Internship.
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Any 100-level, 200-level, or 300-level history course can count toward the electives if not used for another requirement in the major.
The participating programs that will contribute classes include: Global Studies, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Theology, Criminal Justice & Criminology, as well as the Schools of Communication, Education, Business, Law, Health Sciences and Public Health, and Social Work.
Additional BA Requirements
Residency Requirements
- At least 6 courses for this major must be successfully completed in residence at Loyola University Chicago.
- At least 4 300-level courses for this major must be successfully completed in residence at Loyola University Chicago.
Portfolio
Every history major must build a portfolio over the course of his/her undergraduate studies. The student must upload the two required documents listed below to a History Department website by Friday of the last week of classes prior to graduation. For more information, please contact the History Department Undergraduate Program Director. The required documents are:
- A historiographical essay (typically a paper from HIST 299 Historical Methods). This paper must both summarize and evaluate historians’ principal arguments about a particular topic.
- A 300-level Research Paper with a bibliography. This paper --- a minimum of 12-15 pages, usually from a 300-level course --- makes use of both primary and secondary sources to prove a historical thesis. All good historical writing has a thesis that the author seeks to establish through interpretation of the primary source evidence. In lieu of uploading a 300-level research paper, students have the option of submitting a platform appropriate project such as a public history or digital history project that makes an analytical argument based on both primary and secondary sources to prove a historical thesis.
Students should submit papers that showcase their best work.
BA Required Areas
Students must take at least one of the course from each of the BA Required Areas.
Upper-Level Pre-Modern History Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 253A | Barbarians and the Fall of the Roman Empire | 3 |
| HIST 254A | The Vikings | 3 |
| HIST 257A | Witchcraft and Science in Pre-Modern Europe | 3 |
| HIST 258A | Blood, Heresy, and Treason: The Tudors and Stuarts | 3 |
| HIST 300B | Topics in Premodern History | 3 |
| HIST 301 | Plagues: The Black Death and Other Pandemics | 3 |
| HIST 303 | Pre-Industrial City in Europe | 3 |
| HIST 307 | Greece to Alexander the Great | 3 |
| HIST 308A | History of Rome to Constantine | 3 |
| HIST 308B | Pompeii and Herculaneum | 3 |
| HIST 308C | History of Early Christianity | 3 |
| HIST 308D | Transformations of Rome in Late Antiquity | 3 |
| HIST 309 | Shipwreck Archaeology | 3 |
| HIST 310 | The Middle Ages | 3 |
| HIST 310A | Medieval World 1100-1500 | 3 |
| HIST 310B | Medieval Culture | 3 |
| HIST 310C | Medieval Women | 3 |
| HIST 310D | Medieval Popular Religion | 3 |
| HIST 310F | Medieval Inquisitions and Heresy | 3 |
| HIST 310G | Supernatural in the Middle Ages | 3 |
| HIST 310L | Love and Violence in Medieval Culture and Society | 3 |
| HIST 311B | The Crusades: Christianity and Islam | 3 |
| HIST 312 | England to 1485 | 3 |
| HIST 314 | Renaissance | 3 |
| HIST 314A | The Jesuits: Life and History | 3 |
| HIST 315 | The Reformation | 3 |
| HIST 316 | History of Poland | 3 |
| HIST 317 | Age of Absolutism & the Enlightenment | 3 |
| HIST 318A | Early Modern England 1485-1760 | 3 |
| HIST 318B | English Social History 1450-1750 | 3 |
| HIST 318C | London 1550 - 1715 | 3 |
| HIST 342A | African History to 1600 | 3 |
| HIST 345A | Traditional China from Antiquity to 1550 | 3 |
| CLST 362 | Roman Law | 3 |
| THEO 317 | Christian Thought: Ancient-Medieval | 3 |
Upper-Level Modern Europe Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 265A | The First World War | 3 |
| HIST 267A | Modern German Culture and Ideas I | 3 |
| HIST 267B | Modern German Culture and Ideas II | 3 |
| HIST 300C | Topics in European History (Post-1700) | 3 |
| HIST 320 | Era French Revolution & Napoleon | 3 |
| HIST 321 | 19th Century European Culture and Ideas | 3 |
| HIST 322 | Modern France: From Empire to Postcolonial Nation | 3 |
| HIST 324 | Italy 19th & 20th Centuries | 3 |
| HIST 325 | Modern Britain: Empire, Industry, Democracy | 3 |
| HIST 325A | The British Empire: From Barbados to Brexit | 3 |
| HIST 326 | Ireland: Colony to Nation State | 3 |
| HIST 327A | The Balkans: History, Fiction, Film | 3 |
| HIST 328 | Russia Pre-1917: Empire Building | 3 |
| HIST 328A | Russian Empire and Literature | 3 |
| HIST 329 | Women's Sphere in Past Society | 3 |
| HIST 329C | Empire, Sex, Violence: European Colonial History | 3 |
| HIST 329N | Modern European Nationalism: Myth and Reality | 3 |
| HIST 330 | Europe in the Age of Catastrophe, 1900-1945 | 3 |
| HIST 330F | Fascinating Fascism: 1919 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 331A | Food, Hunger and Power in the Modern World | 3 |
| HIST 334A | The Nazi Revolution | 3 |
| HIST 334B | The Holocaust: History and Memory | 3 |
| HIST 335 | The Second World War | 3 |
| HIST 336 | Contemporary Europe 1945 to Present | 3 |
| HIST 337 | Rise & Fall of Soviet Union | 3 |
| HIST 337A | Women in Russia and Eurasia, 1860-Present | 3 |
| HIST 338A | History of European Communism | 3 |
| HIST 338B | Eastern Europe in the 20th Century | 3 |
| HIST 339C | Modern Europe and the Arts | 3 |
| HIST 339F | History of Feminist Thought and Social Action | 3 |
| THEO 318 | Christian Thought: Reformation to Modern | 3 |
Upper-Level World History Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 275A | The Silk Roads: Global Trade, Culture, & Politics | 3 |
| HIST 278A | Violence Drug Trafficking & Crime in Latin America | 3 |
| HIST 279C | History of Computing | 3 |
| HIST 279E | Climate and History | 3 |
| HIST 300E | Topics in World History | 3 |
| HIST 340B | Introduction to Islamic History | 3 |
| HIST 341 | Modern Middle East | 3 |
| HIST 341B | Arab-Israeli Conflict | 3 |
| HIST 341C | Tunisia On-Site: Arab Spring, Democratic Change, Islam | 3 |
| HIST 342B | African History Post-1600 | 3 |
| HIST 342C | The History of Islam in Africa | 3 |
| HIST 342D | African Diaspora in the Middle East and South Asia | 3 |
| HIST 342M | African Music's Influence on American Music | 3 |
| HIST 343 | Modern South Asia | 3 |
| HIST 346A | Early Modern China: 1550-1800 | 3 |
| HIST 346B | Reform & Revolution in China, 1800-1949 | 3 |
| HIST 346C | History of Christianity in China | 3 |
| HIST 347A | China Since 1949: The People's Republic | 3 |
| HIST 347C | Cultural Revolution-China | 3 |
| HIST 347D | Modern Chinese History through Film | 3 |
| HIST 349 | Contemporary Global Issues: Historical Perspectives | 3 |
| HIST 349A | Women in East Asia | 3 |
| HIST 350 | Colonial Latin America | 3 |
| HIST 351 | Latin American Independence, 1750-1830 | 3 |
| HIST 352 | Latin America in the 19th Century | 3 |
| HIST 353 | Latin America in Recent Times | 3 |
| HIST 355 | The Caribbean & Central America in Colonial/Modern Times | 3 |
| HIST 356 | Mexican History-Ancient to Modern Times | 3 |
| HIST 357 | The Mexican Revolution in Popular Imagination | 3 |
| HIST 358 | Women in Latin American History | 3 |
| HIST 359 | Teaching World History | 3 |
| HIST 359C | Nationalist Politics: A Global Perspective | 3 |
| HIST 359D | The Ottoman Empire: A Global Perspective | 3 |
| HIST 359E | Concentration Camps: A Global History | 3 |
| HIST 359F | Genocides in the Modern World | 3 |
| HIST 359H | Anti-Colonial Resistance in the Twentieth Century | 3 |
Upper-Level U.S. History Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 280A | Pirates and Sailors in the Revolutionary Atlantic | 3 |
| HIST 290A | History of Sexuality in the United States | 3 |
| HIST 291A | American Icons: Heroes, Images, Ideas | 3 |
| HIST 297E | North American Environmental History | 3 |
| HIST 298A | History and the Public: Intro to Public History | 3 |
| HIST 300D | Topics in U.S. History | 3 |
| HIST 360 | Community and Culture in Colonial America | 3 |
| HIST 360A | Slavery and Abolition: Then & Now | 3 |
| HIST 361 | The American Revolution, 1763-1815 | 3 |
| HIST 362 | America in the Age of Slavery and Capitalism | 3 |
| HIST 363 | Civil War & Reconstruction 1850-1877 | 3 |
| HIST 366A | World War I and American Culture | 3 |
| HIST 367 | United States from Great Depression to Recession | 3 |
| HIST 369 | 20th Century Popular Culture | 3 |
| HIST 370 | American Business, Wealth, and Inequality | 3 |
| HIST 372 | American Constitutional & Legal History to 1865 | 3 |
| HIST 373 | US Law & Public Policy | 3 |
| HIST 373A | Crime and Punishment | 3 |
| HIST 374 | Black Politics | 3 |
| HIST 375 | Digital History | 3 |
| HIST 376 | History of the American Frontier Movement | 3 |
| HIST 376A | History of the American Indian | 3 |
| HIST 377 | African American Women's History | 3 |
| HIST 378 | Latina/o History | 3 |
| HIST 379A | Italian Americans in World War II | 3 |
| HIST 379B | History of Italians in Chicago | 3 |
| HIST 380 | Introduction to African-American History | 3 |
| HIST 380A | Islam in the African-American Experience | 3 |
| HIST 381 | Rebels & Reformers in U.S. History | 3 |
| HIST 382 | Teaching Race, Class, and Gender | 3 |
| HIST 384 | Irish Diaspora in America | 3 |
| HIST 385 | Chicago in America | 3 |
| HIST 386 | Creation the American Metropolis | 3 |
| HIST 388 | U.S. Wars | 3 |
| HIST 388A | Vietnam War | 3 |
| HIST 389B | Topic: Gender, Race, & Class in US History | 3 |
| HIST 389C | Gender Benders | 3 |
| HIST 389F | The Sixties | 3 |
| HIST 389K | Autobiography and Memoir in Recent US History | 3 |
| HIST 389N | Anti-Immigrant Politics in U.S. History | 3 |
| HIST 389W | Races to the White House: Presidential History | 3 |
| ECON 327 | American Economic & Business History | 3 |
List of MA Elective Courses
Please note that the courses listed might not be offered every year and new courses may be added to this list. Students should talk with the Graduate Program Director if they want to take a course that is not on the list of elective courses to see whether the course can serve as an elective.
College of Arts and Sciences
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice and Criminology Department | ||
| CJC 416 | International Criminal Justice | 3 |
| Methods Courses | ||
| CJC 403 | Research Methods and Program Evaluation | 3 |
| CJC 404 | Applied Data Analysis and Interpretation | 4 |
| History Department | ||
| HIST 441 | Women's & Gender History: Europe | 3 |
| HIST 459 | Environmental History | 3 |
| HIST 464 | Transnational Urban History | 3 |
| Methods Courses | ||
| HIST 483 | Oral History: Method and Practice | 3 |
| Modern Languages and Literatures Department | ||
| Language Research Tool: Although there is no language requirement, students interested in honing their foreign language skills will have the option of taking a 400-level language course (i.e., a course beyond 101, 102, 103, and 104), and having that course count as one of the six elective courses. Current language possibilities offered at Loyola include Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. | ||
| MLL also offers graduate-level courses in Spanish as part of their master’s degree in Spanish. These courses are as follows and would be open only to interested students with advanced writing, speaking, and reading skills in Spanish. These courses are as follows: | ||
| SPAN 405 | Critical Methods (pan-Hispanic world) | 3 |
| SPAN 490 | Hispanic Culture & Civilization (Latin American film, with a focus on human rights) | 3 |
| Philosophy Department | ||
| PHIL 459 | Philosophy of Law | 3 |
| PHIL 463 | Virtue Ethics (includes non-Western philosophy) | 3 |
| PHIL TBD | Critical Race Theory (originally taught as a “special topics” course; is being turned into a permanent course) | |
| PHIL 480 | Social & Political Philosophy (focuses on global development on a regular basis) | 3 |
| Methods Courses | ||
| PHIL 400 | Philosophy Research Tools | 3 |
| Political Science Department | ||
| PLSC 421 | Democratic Political Systems | 3 |
| PLSC 422 | Authoritarian Political Systems | 3 |
| PLSC 431 | Formulation US Foreign Policy | 3 |
| PLSC 432 | Comparative Foreign Policy Analysis | 3 |
| PLSC 433 | International Organization | 3 |
| PLSC 435 | International Political Economics | 3 |
| PLSC 436 | International Conflict | 3 |
| Methods Courses | ||
| PLSC 401 | Intro to Research Design & Method | 3 |
| PLSC 476 | Political Analysis II | 3 |
| Psychology Department | ||
| PSYC 460 | Social Psychological Theory | 3 |
| PSYC 461 | Attitude and Attitude Change | 3 |
| PSYC 474 | Research in Group Dynamics | 3 |
| PSYC 484 | Prejudice and Intergroup Relations | 3 |
| Methods Courses | ||
| PSYC 486 | Methods of Program Evaluation | 3 |
| Sociology Department | ||
| SOCL 418 | Demography | 3 |
| SOCL 423 | Social Movements | 3 |
| SOCL 426 | Sociology of Gender | 3 |
| SOCL 441 | Sociology of Religion | 3 |
| SOCL 447 | Sociology of Culture | 3 |
| SOCL 461 | Race & Ethnicity | 3 |
| Methods Courses | ||
| SOCL 410 | Logic of Sociological Inquiry | 3 |
| SOCL 412 | Qualitative Methods in Social Research | 3 |
| SOCL 414 | Statistical Methods Analysis I | 3 |
| SOCL 415 | Statistical Methods of Analysis II | 3 |
| Theology Department | ||
| THEO 459 | Contemporary Theology | 1-12 |
| THEO 460 | Seminar in History of Theology | 1-12 |
| THEO 464 | Religion & Politics in Christian History | 3 |
| THEO 470 | Foundations Crititical Issues Theological Ethics | 1-12 |
| THEO 480 | Seminar in Christian Ethics | 1-12 |
School of Education (International Education)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ELPS 405 | Introduction to Educational Policy Analysis | 3 |
| ELPS 448 | International Higher Education | 3 |
| ELPS 455 | Comparative Education | 3 |
| ELPS 540 | Seminar in the History of Education | 3 |
| ELPS 550 | Seminar on Globalization and Education | 3 |
| ELPS 555 | Seminar Comparative Education | 3 |
School of Communication
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 401 | Foundations of Global Strategic Communication | 3 |
| COMM 402 | Organizational Leadership and Change Management | 3 |
| COMM 422 | Global and Multicultural Audiences and Stakeholders | 3 |
School of Social Work
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SOWK 502 | Power, Oppression, Privilege, and Social Justice | 3 |
| SOWK 654 | Global Social Work: Reflective Practice for Justice and Peace | 3 |
| SOWK 730 | Immigration Dynamics and U.S. Social Policy | 3 |
| SOWK 731 | Social Work Practice with Refugees and Immigrants | 3 |
| SOWK 732 | Migration, Social Justice, and Human Rights | 3 |
| SOWK 733 | North American Migration Dynamics, Challenges & Opportunity | 1-3 |
School of Law
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LAW 176 | International Trade Law 1 | 1-3 |
| LAW 371 | International Business Trans 1 | 1-3 |
| LAW 372 | International Law and Practice | 3 |
| LAW 388 | Global Access to Medicine: A Patent Perspective | 3 |
| LAW 459 | Intro to English Legal Profession | 1 |
| LAW 568 | European Union Law 1 | 1-3 |
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Explanatory note about 1, 2, 3, and variable credit hour courses from the School of Law: “For the law courses showing a range of hours (e.g., 1-3 credit hours), students have the option to choose the number of credits for enrollment within the range. For students opting for the higher credits (i.e., enrollment in 3 credit hours rather than 1 credit hour would require additional assignments and/or an examination). If the MA students in these courses need to be enrolled in 3 credit hours, the following notation can be included with the course listing: ‘MA students must choose the 3 credit option for enrollment in this course’.” Please note that courses to be included in this MA program will require students choosing the 3-credit option.
School of Law - Classes Offered at the John Felice Rome Center
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PLAW 101 | Comparative and Ethical Lawyering for the Rule of Law | 3 |
| PLAW 102 | History, Theory and Practice of Rule of Law for Development | 3 |
| PLAW 103 | Theory and Practice of Assessments in Rule of Law Advising | 2 |
| PLAW 104 | International Development Architecture | 3 |
| PLAW 105 | Sustainable Development Through International Commerce and Investment | 2 |
| PLAW 106 | Design of Rule of Law Programs and Proposal Preparation | 2 |
| PLAW 107 | Rule of Law in Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding | 2 |
| PLAW 108 | Legal Systems and Methods | 3 |
| PLAW 250 | Research and Writing on the Rule of Law | 3 |
| PLAW 907 | Rule of Law Project Management, Monitoring & Evaluation | 3 |
Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MPBH 400 | Determinants of Population Health | 3 |
| MPBH 414 | Introduction to Global Health | 3 |
| MPBH 417 | Global Maternal & Child Health | 3 |
| MPBH 422 | Population Health Planning & Management | 3 |
| MPBH 424 | Health Economics and Healthcare Financing | 3 |
| MPBH 432 | Health Impact Assessment | 3 |
Quinlan School of Business
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 424 | International Business Economics | 3 |
| FINC 455 | International Financial Management | 3 |
| HRER 422 | Global HR Management | 3 |
| HRER 502 | Global Employment Relations | 3 |
| MARK 465 | International Marketing | 3 |
| MARK 461 | Research Methods in Marketing | 3 |
| MGMT 446 | International Business Ethics | 3 |
| SCMG 486 | Global Logistics | 3 |
Suggested Sequence of Courses
In order to provide optimal flexibility in the program, there is no required course sequence. For the History BA, we strongly recommend that students take HIST 299 as a second-semester sophomore or first-semester junior. For the MA, students are expected to take two graduate-level courses in each semester of their senior year and a total of six graduate-level courses in their fifth year. There is no required course sequence, but we strongly suggest that students first take the required courses (PLSC 420, PLSC 430, and PLSC 475) whenever they are offered before taking elective courses.
Guidelines for Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs
Terms
- Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs: In this type of program, students share limited credits between their undergraduate and graduate degrees to facilitate completion of both degrees.
- Shared credits: Graduate level credit hours taken during the undergraduate program and then applied towards graduate program requirements will be referred to as shared credits.
Admission Requirements
Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs are designed to enhance opportunities for advanced training for Loyola’s undergraduates. Admission to these programs must be competitive and will depend upon a positive review of credentials by the program’s admissions committee. Accordingly, the admission requirements for these programs may be higher than those required if the master’s degree were pursued entirely after the receipt of a bachelor’s degree. That is, programs may choose to have more stringent admissions requirements in addition to those minimal requirements below.
Requirements:
- Declared appropriate undergraduate major,
- By the time students begin taking graduate courses as an undergraduate, the student has completed approximately 90 credit hours, or the credit hours required in a program that is accredited by a specialty organization,1
- A minimum cumulative GPA for coursework at Loyola that is at or above the program-specific requirements, a minimum major GPA that is at or above the program-specific requirements, and/or appropriate designated coursework for evaluation of student readiness in their discipline.2
Students not eligible for the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program (e.g., students who have not declared the appropriate undergraduate major) may apply to the master’s program through the regular admissions process. Students enrolled in an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program who choose not to continue to the master’s degree program upon completion of the bachelor’s degree will face no consequences.3
Ideally, a student will apply for admission (or confirm interest in proceeding towards the graduate degree in opt-out programs) as they approach 90 credit hours. Programs are encouraged to begin advising students early in their major so that they are aware of the program and, if interested, can complete their bachelor’s degree requirements in a way that facilitates completion of the program. Once admitted as an undergraduate, Program Directors should ensure that students are enrolled using the plan code associated with the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program. Using the plan code associated with the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program will ensure that students may be easily identified as they move through the program. Students will not officially matriculate into the master’s degree program and be labeled as a graduate student by the university, with accompanying changes to tuition and Financial Aid (see below), until the undergraduate degree has been awarded. Once admitted to the graduate program, students must meet the academic standing requirements of their graduate program as they complete the program curriculum.
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Programs that have specialized accreditation will adhere to the admissions criteria provided by, or approved by, their specialized accreditors.
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The program will identify appropriate indicators of student readiness for graduate coursework (e.g., high-level performance in 300 level courses). Recognizing differences between how majors are designed, we do not specify a blanket requirement.
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If students choose not to enroll in the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program, they still must complete all of the standard requirements associated with the undergraduate degree (e.g., a capstone).
For more information on Admissions requirements, visit here.
Curriculum
Level and progression of courses. The Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs are designed to be competitive and attractive to our most capable students. Students admitted to Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs should be capable of meeting graduate level learning outcomes. Following guidance from the Higher Learning Commission, only courses taken at the 400 level or higher (including 300/400 level courses taken at the 400 level) will count toward the graduate program.1,2 Up to 50% of the total graduate level credit hours, required in the graduate program, may come from 300/400 level courses where the student is enrolled in the 400 level of the course. Further, at least 50% of the credit hours for the graduate program must come from courses that are designed for and restricted to graduate students who have been admitted to a graduate program at Loyola (e.g., enrolled in plan code that indicates the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program, typically ending with the letter “D”).3
In general, graduate level coursework should not be taken prior to admission into the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program. Exceptions may be granted for professional programs where curriculum for the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program is designed to begin earlier. On the recommendation of the program’s Graduate Director, students may take one of their graduate level courses before they are admitted to the Accelerated Bachelors/Master’s program if they have advanced abilities in their discipline and course offerings warrant such an exception.4 Undergraduate degree requirements outside of the major are in no way impacted by admission to an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program.5
Shared credits. Undergraduate courses (i.e., courses offered at the 300 level or below) cannot be counted as shared credits nor count towards the master’s degree. Up to 50% of the total graduate level credit hours, required in the graduate program, may be counted in meeting both the undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. Of those shared credits, students in an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program should begin their graduate program with the standard introductory course(s) for the program whenever possible. So that students may progress through the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program in a timely manner, undergraduate programs are encouraged to design their curriculum such that a student can complete some required graduate credit hours while completing the undergraduate degree. For instance, some of the graduate curriculum should also satisfy electives for the undergraduate major.
The program’s Graduate Director will designate credit hours to be shared through the advising form and master’s degree conferral review process. Shared credit hours will not be marked on the undergraduate record as having a special status in the undergraduate program. They will be included in the student’s undergraduate earned hours and GPA. Graduate credit hours taken during the undergraduate program will not be included in the graduate GPA calculation.
- 1
If students wish to transfer credits from another university to Loyola University Chicago, the program’s Graduate director will review the relevant syllabus(es) to determine whether it meets the criteria for a 400 level course or higher.
- 2
Programs with specialized accreditation requirements that allow programs to offer graduate curriculum to undergraduate students will conform to those specialized accreditation requirements.
- 3
In rare cases, the Graduate Director may authorize enrollment in a 400-level course for a highly qualified and highly motivated undergraduate, ensuring that the undergraduate's exceptional participation in the graduate class will not diminish in any way the experience of the graduate students regularly enrolled.
- 4
For example, if a particular course is only offered once every 2-3 years, and a student has demonstrated the necessary ability to be successful, the Graduate Director may allow a student to take a graduate level course to be shared prior to the student being formally admitted to the graduate program. See, also, footnote 3.
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Students should not, for example, attempt to negotiate themselves out of a writing intensive requirement on the basis of admission to a graduate program.
Graduation
Degrees are awarded sequentially. All details of undergraduate commencement are handled in the ordinary way as for all students in the School/College/Institute. Once in the graduate program, students abide by the graduation deadlines set forth by the graduate program. Students in these programs must be continuously enrolled from undergraduate to graduate degree program unless given explicit permission by their program for a gap year or approved leave of absence. In offering the option of an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program, the university is making possible the acceleration of a student’s graduate degree completion. It should be understood that students may not request deferral of their matriculation into the Master’s degree program. If students would like to delay their graduate studies after earning the undergraduate degree, they may apply for admission to the traditional master’s degree program. Any application of graduate credit earned while in the undergraduate program is subject to the policies of the graduate degree granting school.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students will graduate from our program having achieved:
- a foundation for understanding and critiquing research related to International Affairs, including methods training that leverages both qualitative and quantitative data [International Affairs]
- knowledge of the principal theories of comparative politics and international relations, as well as the key areas of research in these two subfields [International Affairs]
- an interdisciplinary understanding and appreciation of International Affairs through coursework available within eight different departments in the College of Arts and Sciences and four additional Schools at Loyola [International Affairs]
- enhanced writing and critical thinking skills and dispositions through class-based projects and a capstone experience [International Affairs]
- strengthened methods, research, or writing skills tailored to students interests with advanced methods courses, language training, or the writing of a master’s thesis. [International Affairs]
- Produce analytical arguments by using evidence and facts to interpret past events, behavior and processes in their own historical writing and projects. [History]
- Identify the arguments put forth by historians in order to compare, evaluate and criticize different interpretations of the past. In doing so, our graduates will be able to evaluate the adequacy of evidence (including a variety of sources: documents, films, diaries, images, oral and digital histories, etc.) that historians use to make truth claims about the past. [History]
- Demonstrate an understanding of the processes of historical change and be able to discuss and evaluate causes, complexities and consequences of change over time in relationship to historical events and processes. [History]
- Demonstrate an understanding that human values and beliefs are shaped by historical context and they will gain the capacity to make informed judgements about past and present behavior and ideas with a goal of fashioning a more just world. In this endeavor, students will gain an understanding of the ethical practices and standards for historical research and writing. [History]