Political Science/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 Political Science 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 Political Science 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Political Science BA Requirements | ||
| Select three of the following: 1 | 9 | |
| Political Theory | ||
| American Politics | ||
| International Relations in an Age of Globalization | ||
| Comparative Politics | ||
| 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 | |
| International Affairs MA Requirements | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| CORE | ||
| INTA 475 | Political Analysis I | 3 |
| INTA 420 | Comparative Political Systems | 3 |
| INTA 430 | Theories of International Politics | 3 |
| Capstone Experience | 3 | |
| Electives | ||
| 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. | 18 | |
| Total Hours | 63 | |
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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.
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
| 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 |
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This course is Engaged Learning.
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This course is Writing Intensive.
Political Theory
| 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
| 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 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
| 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 |
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This course is Engaged Learning.
List of MA Elective Courses
The participating programs that will contribute classes to the MA Electives 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.
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 371 | International Business Trans 1 | 1-3 |
| LAW 388 | Global Access to Medicine: A Patent Perspective | 3 |
| LAW 459 | Intro to English Legal Profession | 1 |
| LAW 176 | International Trade Law 1 | 1-3 |
| LAW 372 | International Law and Practice | 3 |
| 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. However, 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.
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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.
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Programs with specialized accreditation requirements that allow programs to offer graduate curriculum to undergraduate students will conform to those specialized accreditation requirements.
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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.
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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]
- Demonstrate an understanding of the structures and functions of political systems. [Political Science]
- Be able to apply political theories and concepts when interpreting past and current events. [Political Science]
- Recognize the influence of cultural, social, and historical contexts on political behavior, values, institutions, or policies. [Political Science]
- Characterize the roots of enduring social disagreements and conflicts. [Political Science]
- Evaluate normative or empirical claims about political phenomena. [Political Science]
- Demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively about complex political issues. [Political Science]
- Develop research skills to gather, evaluate, and synthesize information from multiple sources to support arguments or theories in political science. [Political Science]