Integrated BA/MA Program

For more information about applying to the Integrated BA/MA Program, visit the application page or contact the Academic Advisor Claudia Hasegawa.

We also offer an early-admission opportunity for eligible AMES majors interested in completing the MA degree in Asian Studies. The integrated BA/MA program enables current University of Minnesota students to complete up to 10 graduate credits during their senior year of undergraduate studies, subsequently completing the MA degree after a fifth year of full-time graduate study.

This program offers many benefits to admitted students, including:

  • Streamlined admissions from the undergraduate to the graduate program
  • Working toward undergraduate and graduate degrees simultaneously, which means that students can finish the master's degree and enter the job market a full year earlier than students in conventional two-year master's programs
  • Saved money by completing graduate credits at the undergraduate tuition rate during their senior year

Undergraduate Component

The Integrated BA/MA option is open to University of Minnesota students majoring in Asian and Middle Eastern studies who have a GPA of at least 3.5 and are within 30 credits of completing their undergraduate requirements. Preference will go to students who already have a high degree of proficiency in their language of concentration.

Interested undergraduates apply for admission to the program in the spring semester of their junior year, and admission to the sub-plan is contingent on a formal admissions process. Students admitted to the sub-plan must maintain timely degree progress to ensure all undergraduate degree requirements are completed by the end of their fourth year.

Visit the undergraduate degree page for more information on the BA in Asian and Middle Eastern studies.

Graduate Component

Upon admission, students may opt to complete either plan A (thesis option) or plan B (non-thesis option) of the MA degree. Up to 10 graduate credits (4xxx, 5xxx, or 8xxx language courses) may be completed in the senior year of undergraduate study. These credits will count towards students' MA requirements and will not double-count to their BA requirements.

In their fifth year, students complete all remaining MA coursework requirements, as well as the final examination or MA thesis, depending on the student’s choice of plan.

Visit the graduate degree page for more information on the MA in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies.

Note: Students cannot count an individual course toward both the undergraduate and graduate requirements simultaneously. Both the bachelor's and master's degrees must be completed in their entirety with no courses shared between them. The graduate degree cannot be earned before the undergraduate requirements are satisfied. Admitted students who decide not to complete the master's degree are permitted to count credits originally planned for the graduate program toward their undergraduate electives.