School of Public Policy

The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, in collaboration with the School of Public Policy, has developed a joint bachelor's/master's (BA/MPP) program for undergraduate students. This program allows qualified University of Maryland undergraduate students to earn their bachelor's degree in one of the many College of Behavioral and Social Sciences majors and their master's degree in public policy.

Once admitted to the program, students will spend their junior year completing most of the undergraduate CORE and major requirements. Assuming they maintain at least a 3.5 undergraduate GPA, in the next two years they will take graduate level public policy courses.

Up to 18 credits of these courses may count toward both the bachelor's and master's degrees. This is the maximum number of graduate level, public policy credits that can taken by undergraduate students and be applied to the public policy graduate program. The remaining 30 credits of graduate course work must be taken as a graduate student. This allows students to complete both degrees in five years.

Application deadlines:

• Spring admission: November 1 or January 1
• Fall admission: April 15 or July 1
  

Criteria to apply for the program:

• Plan to pursue a major in: African American Studies; Anthropology; Criminology & Criminal Justice; Economics; Geography; Government & Politics; Psychology; Sociology; 
• A 3.5 cumulative grade point average;
• Are within two months of completing at least 60 undergraduate credits; 
• A combined SAT score (verbal plus quantitative) of at least 1270; if SAT score is lower than a 1270 then a GRE (Graduate Record Examination) score is necessary.

Application requirements:

• An application
• Statement of purpose essay - submit a statement no longer than two typed, double-spaced pages explaining your interest in the field of public affairs and examples of any relevant experience 
• A minimum of three letters of recommendation from faculty (preferably in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences) whose course you have taken
• Most recent, official transcript
• SAT scores (if not already on file with the University of Maryland, College Park) 
• Academic audits must be completed with the department(s) of your major(s) and the college advising center
• GRE scores if SAT scores are below 1270
• A resume

Undergraduate requirements:

• As a student enrolled in this program you must complete MATH 140 or MATH 220 and ECON 200, each with a “C” grade or better. Students who do not meet this requirement will be held from graduation.  Furthermore, MATH 140/MATH 220 and ECON 200 must be completed prior to registering for any graduate level public policy course.
• Once a student is admitted to the BA/MPP program they are required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher for the remainder of their undergraduate curriculum.

Tips for being admitted*:

• Completion of MATH 140/MATH 220 and ECON 200 is recommended prior to applying to the BA/MPP program.
• Although a grade of a “C” or higher will satisfy the requirement for each of these two courses (MATH 140/MATH 220 and ECON 200), it is recommended to obtain a “B” grade or better in each course.
• Students interested in applying to this program and those enrolled are recommended to complete ECON 201 with a grade of “B” or better.
• Students may wish to enroll in other quantitative courses such as statistics so that they may become more competitive in the applicant pool.
• Although a resume is optional as part of the application, you are encouraged to submit one.
• You should earn a minimum of 15 credits each fall and spring semester.
• Your coursework should demonstrate academic rigor and your intellectual ability.

 *Completion of these tips does not guarantee admission under any circumstance.