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Josef Korbel School of International Studies

Dual Degree BA/MA Program in International Studies

The Dual Degree BA/MA Program allows exceptional undergraduate INTS majors at the University of Denver, the opportunity to earn a Master of Arts degree in only one year beyond the traditional four-year BA. Prospective students must be in touch with BA Program advisors well in advance of applying in order to plan accordingly and must meet normal standards of graduate admission at the time of application. Please see section below, "Admission to the Josef Korbel School as a Dual Degree Student," for important dates and processes.

How the BA and MA Programs Merge

The dual degree program allows qualified INTS majors who have been accepted into the program to begin taking graduate-level courses during their senior year as an undergraduate at the University of Denver. Remaining graduate-level requirements are completed in the fifth (and final) year of the program.

As part of their undergraduate studies, dual degree candidates are required to take six, 4000-level graduate courses* for a total of 30 credits. Ultimately, dual degree students will double-count these 30 credit hours toward both their BA and MA degrees. In the fifth (and final) year of the program, students must complete an additional 60 hours of graduate-level coursework, in order to satisfy the remaining requirements of the MA component.

*Note: Potential candidates are required to complete at least two, 3000-level INTS courses, with a grade of "A-" or better, before they are eligible to begin taking 4000-level courses during their senior year, however 3000-level courses count only toward the undergraduate degree and are not eligible to be included among the credits that are double-counted toward the dual degree BA/MA program.

Admission to the Josef Korbel School as a Dual Degree Student

Applicants must be current and declared INTS majors at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, and are only eligible to apply for the dual degree BA/MA program once during their academic tenure at DU. Candidates must meet all admission criteria for JKSIS graduate programs (other than receipt of the baccalaureate degree), and the minimum required GPA is 3.70. These admission standards are nonnegotiable and will be enforced.

Given the need for significant advance planning prior to the formal application, students interested in pursuing the dual degree BA/MA Program are required to submit a non-binding, informal application and a letter of intent to the Associate Director of the BA Program. The informal application may be accessed online, and is due no later than May 1 of the student's freshman year. Failure to submit the informal application on time will invalidate a student's eligibility to participate in the program.

An official application to the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, including application fee, online application, statement of purpose, resume, official transcript(s), three letters of recommendation (at least two of these must be from INTS faculty members), and the Graduate Records Exam (GRE), is required by February 1st (Winter Quarter) of the student's junior year. An interview with the Admissions Committee will also be requested. For more details on the application process and required application components, please review the "How to Apply" section.

DEADLINE FOR FORMAL APPLICATION: All official application materials must be received no later than February 1st of student's junior year. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Dual degree applicants are subject to the standard application fee.

Additional Information

Click here for detailed information on dual degree requirements, policies, and procedures.

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