The dual BA/MA program allows our best undergraduate Political Science majors to pursue the BA and MA in a shorter period of time than if both programs were pursued separately.  Students typically complete the dual BA/MA program in 5 years, as opposed to the 6 years if both programs were pursued separately. 

CURRICULUM

Students admitted to the Political Science BA/MA Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's program may apply up to 12 semester hours of credit earned toward the 120 semester hours needed for the BA toward the 30-hour requirement for the MA degree. The 12 hours must be 400- or 500-level credit. The 12 hours of credit applied toward the MA degree are in addition to the 33 semester hours of credit normally required for the undergraduate political science major. The application of the 12 hours of credit toward the 30-hour MA requirement means that students will only be required to take 18 additional semester hours of coursework beyond the 120 hours required for the BA degree. As a result, students will be able to complete the MA degree in less time than normal. The four graduate courses that students take in their senior year will count towards their major in PLSC.

Course Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Political Science BA Requirements
Select three of the following:		9
PLSC 100	Political Theory
PLSC 101	American Politics
PLSC 102	International Relations in an Age of Globalization
PLSC 103	Comparative Politics
BA Subfield Requirements
One (1) course in American Politics Subfield		3
One (1) course in Political Theory Subfield		3
One (1) course in Comparative Politics Subfield		3
One (1) course in International Relations Subfield		3
Four (4) PLSC Electives		12
Political Science MA Requirements
Political Science Methods
PLSC 401	Intro to Research Design & Method	3
PLSC 475	Political Analysis I	3
PLSC 476	Political Analysis II	3
Seven Electives from Two MA Subfields 2		21
The MA subfields that may be chosen from are International Relations, Comparative Politics, American Politics, and Political Theory.
International Relations Courses
PLSC 430	Theories of International Politics
PLSC 431	Formulation US Foreign Policy
PLSC 432	Comparative Foreign Policy Analysis
PLSC 433	International Organization
PLSC 435	International Political Economics
PLSC 436	International Conflict
PLSC 437	Selected Problems International Law
PLSC 439	Selected Problems in International Politics
PLSC 531	Seminar: International Politics
Comparative Politics Courses
PLSC 420	Comparative Political Systems
PLSC 421	Democratic Political Systems
PLSC 422	Authoritarian Political Systems
PLSC 423	Soviet & Post-Soviet Politics
PLSC 424	Politics of Developing Areas
PLSC 425	Sub-Saharan Africa
PLSC 426	Latin American Politics
PLSC 427	Politics of the Middle East
PLSC 428	Political Violence
PLSC 429	Comparative Politics Selected Problems
PLSC 520	Seminar: Comparative Politics
PLSC 521	Seminar Western European Politics
PLSC 532	Soviet/Post-Soviet Foreign Policy
American Politics Courses
PLSC 404	Selected Problems in American Politics
PLSC 405	American Executive Branch
PLSC 406	American Legislative Branch
PLSC 407	Public Policy-Making & Implementation
PLSC 410	Urban Politics
PLSC 411	American Political Parties/Electoral Process
PLSC 412	Constitutional Politics
PLSC 417	The American Legal System
PLSC 418	Political Psychology & Socialization
PLSC 419	Managing Urban Government
Political Theory Courses
PLSC 440	Ancient Political Thought
PLSC 442	Modern Political Thought
PLSC 444	Great Authors
PLSC 446	Political Ethics
PLSC 447	American Political Thought to Civil War
PLSC 449	19th Century Political Thought
PLSC 543	Liberalism
PLSC 546	Political Philosophy Selected Problems
Total Hours		63

¹

If students take PLSC 100, 101, or 102 as the three required courses for the major, they can  also take PLSC 103 and have it count as an elective in the major. Students in the BA/MA Political Science and Students in the BA/MA in  International Affairs can count two of the graduate level courses (at the 400 or 500 level)  that they take in their senior year as electives in the PLSC major, alongside the other two courses at the 200 or 300 level.

²

Seven elective courses should be chosen from at least two subfields: International Relations, Comparative Politics, American Politics, or Political Theory. With approval of the Graduate Program Director, up to six (6) hours may be at the graduate level in related disciplines.

BA Curricular Notes

• The Political Science internship program (PLSC 370), a 3- or 6-credit hour course, counts as one of the four Political Science electives. Only 3 credits of PLSC 370 may count toward the PLSC major, the other three will be counted as general electives. An exception is made for students who complete an internship in Chicago as well as an internship via the Washington, DC program. In that case, 3 credit hours from each internship may be applied to the major.
• The following courses do not fulfill subfield requirements but do count as electives toward the PLSC major:  PLSC 396 Directed Readings and PLSC 216 Political Numbers (PLSC 216 also fulfills the core quantitative reasoning requirement for PLSC majors only.) 
• The following courses neither fulfill subfield requirements nor count as electives toward the PLSC major: PLSC 395 Political Science Honors Seminar.  This is an extra course that students take beyond the major requirements in order to graduate with Honors in Political Science. 

BA Subfield Courses

American Politics

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
PLSC 202	Mock Trial 1	3
PLSC 203	Moot Court 1	3
PLSC 208	Representation in the United States	3
PLSC 215	Politics of Marginalized Groups	3
PLSC 218	African-American Politics	3
PLSC 236	Political Communication	3
PLSC 238	Political Advocacy	3
PLSC 251	Women in American Politics	3
PLSC 300A	Contemporary Political Issues: American Politics	3
PLSC 318	Politics & the Economy	3
PLSC 319	Women, Law & Public Policy	3
PLSC 320	Constitutional Law-Due Process	3
PLSC 321	Constitutional Law-Powers of Government	3
PLSC 322	Constitutional Law-Rights and Liberties	3
PLSC 323	Children, Law & Public Policy	3
PLSC 324	Civil-Military Relations	3
PLSC 326	American National Security	3
PLSC 327	Political Psychology	3
PLSC 328	Political Behavior	3
PLSC 329	Interest Group Politics	3
PLSC 332	Politics of American Bureaucracies	3
PLSC 334	Urban Policies and Problems	3
PLSC 335	Urban Semester Seminar	3
PLSC 357	Hollywood and Law	3
PLSC 372	Crime, Race & Violence	3
PLSC 376	Political Behavior and Public Opinion	3
PLSC 377	American Public Policies	3
PLSC 378	Intro to Political Economy	3
PLSC 379	The Legislative Process	3
PLSC 380	Public Policy Analysis	3
PLSC 381	The American Presidency	3
PLSC 384	The Judicial Process	3
PLSC 385	Introduction to Law	3
PLSC 386	Campaigns and Elections	3
PLSC 387	Politics and the Press	3
PLSC 389	State Politics	3
PLSC 390	Urban Politics	3
PLSC 391	Chicago Politics	3
PLSC 392	Environmental Politics	3
PLSC 393	Black Politics	3
PLSC 398	Washington DC Internship Seminar 2	3

¹

This course is Engaged Learning.

²

This course is Writing Intensive.

Political Theory

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
PLSC 300B	Contemporary Political Issues: Political Theory	3
PLSC 301	Political Justice	3
PLSC 302	American Political Thought	3
PLSC 303	Conservatism	3
PLSC 304	Ancient Political Thought	3
PLSC 306	Modern Political Thought	3
PLSC 307	Democratic Theory	3
PLSC 308	Contemporary Political Thought	3
PLSC 309	Socialism	3
PLSC 310B	Catholic Political Thought	3
PLSC 312	Feminist Theory	3
PLSC 313	Resistance and Obligation	3
PLSC 314	Liberalism	3
PLSC 330	Global Justice	3
PLSC 331	Islamic Political Thought	3
PLSC 339	Political Ideologies	3
PLSC 373	Politics and Literature	3
PLSC 388	The Morality and Legality of War	3

Comparative Politics

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
PLSC 232	Politics of the United Kingdom	3
PLSC 300C	Contemporary Political Issues: Comparative Politics	3
PLSC 336	Politics in Contemporary China	3
PLSC 337	Terrorism	3
PLSC 338		3
PLSC 339	Political Ideologies	3
PLSC 342	African Politics	3
PLSC 343	Latin American Politics	3
PLSC 344	Contemporary Issues in Latin America	3
PLSC 345	South & Southeast Asian Politics	3
PLSC 346	East Asian Politics	3
PLSC 347	The European Union	3
PLSC 348	Soviet & Post-Soviet Politics	3
PLSC 349	Eastern European Politics	3
PLSC 352	Canadian Politics	3
PLSC 355C	Women and Politics: A Cross-National Perspective	3
PLSC 359	Revolutions	3
PLSC 360	Western European Politics	3
PLSC 362	Politics Developing Societies	3
PLSC 365	Italian Politics & Government	3
PLSC 366	Dictatorship	3
PLSC 368	Politics of the Middle East	3
PLSC 374	Democracy	3
GLST 303	Technological Change and Society	3

International Relations

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
PLSC 204	Conflict Management	3
PLSC 213	International Human Rights	3
PLSC 252	Capitalism and Its Discontents	3
PLSC 300D	Contemporary Political issues in International Relations	3
PLSC 316	Politics of Genocide	3
PLSC 317	Politics of International Health	3
PLSC 325	American Foreign Policy	3
PLSC 333	Crossing Borders: The Politics of Immigration	3
PLSC 340	International Relations of Africa	3
PLSC 350	Politics of International Economic Relations	3
PLSC 351	Latin American International System	3
PLSC 353	International Law	3
PLSC 354	Global Environmental Politics	3
PLSC 356	Intervent in World Politics	3
PLSC 358	War, Peace and Politics	3
PLSC 358D	The Scientific Study of War	3
PLSC 363	International Politics	3
PLSC 364	UN & International Organization	3
PLSC 367	Model United Nations 1	3
PLSC 369	Politics of Energy	3
GLST 302	States and Firms	3
GLST 305	Globalization and Environmental Sustainability	3

¹

This course is Engaged Learning.

Capstone Requirement:  Thesis, Comprehensive Exams, or Internship

Thesis

Students may satisfy six hours (2 courses) by writing a thesis. Students who choose this option will take PLSC 596 Thesis Research for two semesters (a total of 6 credit hours, which count as electives) and take PLSC 595 Thesis Supervision until they are done with the thesis.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Take for two semesters (may satisfy 6 elective hours)
PLSC 596	Thesis Research
Take until done with thesis
PLSC 595	Thesis Supervision

All PhD students and students in thesis-based Master's degree programs must successfully complete UNIV 370 Responsible Conduct in Research and Scholarship or other approved coursework in responsible conduct of research as part of the degree requirements. It is strongly recommended that students complete this two-day training before beginning the dissertation/thesis stage of the program.

 Comprehensive Exam

MA students can choose to take a written comprehensive examination. The student will select five courses from the substantive courses they have taken on which they will be tested. Prior to taking the exam students must finish all incompletes. Students may be currently registered for courses necessary for the degree in the semester in which they take the exam. If the student has fulfilled all degree requirements except for the comprehensive exams, they should register for PLSC 605 Master's Study in the semesters leading up to and including the exam. Students taking comprehensive examinations at the master’s degree level are expected to answer theoretical and substantive questions from a range of five courses they have taken in their coursework. Once a student knows that s/he will take the exam in a particular semester, we highly recommend that they discuss the exam with the faculty members with whom they have taken the five chosen courses. Comprehensive exams will take place during the second half of the fall and spring semesters. Students will answer three questions over a weekend, receiving the exam on a Friday at 5:00 PM and returning the completed examination the following Monday, at 9:00 AM. All three answers must be written during the specified weekend with no outside assistance. Students will write a maximum of 21, double-spaced pages (normal formatting: 1” margins, Times New Roman, 12 pitch font). Each answer should be approximately six or seven pages. Prior to taking comprehensive exams, students must submit to the Graduate Program Director a departmental “MA Requirements and Comprehensive Examination Form,” that lists all of the courses the student has taken and identifies on which courses the student would like to be tested. At the beginning of each semester the Graduate Program Director will distribute this form to all students who will take the exam

Internship

PLSC 470 Fieldwork in Political Science-Internship  offers academic credit toward your major or minor while interning and gaining professional experience at one of several organizations, either here in Chicago or elsewhere. The intent is for students to 1) apply their education to date in a professional setting, 2) gain valuable experience at the start of their professional careers, 3) to explore a particular area of professional interest before embarking on their careers, and 4) to potentially “get a foot in the door” within a particular field or employer with the hope of landing a permanent position upon graduation.  While past interns have received job offers from organization where they have interned, there are no guarantees or promises of employment that accompany taking this course. 

Suggested Sequence of Courses

The below sequence of courses is meant to be used as a suggested path for completing coursework.  An individual student’s completion of requirements depends on course offerings in a given term as well as the start term for a major or graduate study.  Students should consult their advisor for assistance with course selection.

Plan of Study Grid

Year 4
Fall		Hours
PLSC 401	Intro to Research Design & Method	3
PLSC 475	Political Analysis I	3
	Hours	6
Spring
PLSC 476	Political Analysis II	3
PLSC Graduate-Level Elective		3
	Hours	6
Year 5
Fall
PLSC Graduate-Level Elective		3
PLSC Graduate-Level Elective		3
PLSC Graduate-Level Elective		3
	Hours	9
Spring
PLSC Graduate-Level Elective		3
PLSC Graduate-Level Elective		3
PLSC Graduate-Level Elective		3
	Hours	9
	Total Hours	30

¹

If pursuing thesis capstone option, student must substitute this elective for PLSC 596 Thesis Research.

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.

¹

Programs that have specialized accreditation will adhere to the admissions criteria provided by, or approved by, their specialized accreditors.

²

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.

³

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).

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 4.

⁵

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.

DEGREE OUTCOMES AND PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS

The dual BA/MA in Political Science offers students:

• An overview of the theories and scholarly literature devoted to four major Political Science subfields:
  • American Politics (study of U.S. institutions and political processes).
  • Comparative Politics (study of political processes in various regions of the world, such as Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East).
  • International Relations (study of global processes throughout the international system).
  • Political Theory (study of political philosophy ranging from Ancient to Modern and Contemporary political thought).
• Methods training, including research design and statistical analysis, that will enable the successful candidate to effectively design and conduct research.
• Enhanced ability to express their thoughts in writing (all Political Science graduate classes include a significant writing component).
• Preparartion for purposeful careers in politics, government, international affairs, law, the non-profit world, journalism, business, education, social services, and other professions, as well as for further graduate (PhD) study at professional schools and institutions of higher learning, both in the U.S. and abroad.

We also encourage our BA/MA students to take advantage of additional learning opportunities:

• Advanced methodological training
• Advanced language training/proficiency in a language other than English
• Advanced research skills
• International, cross-cultural experience
• Professional development and experience
• Networking opportunities