POLITICAL SCIENCE FIVE-YEAR BACHELOR'S/MASTER'S “QUICKSTART” PROGRAM

The Five-Year Political Science Bachelor's/Master's program allows admitted students to double-count 6 graduate credits (taken in their senior year) toward their bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) and toward an M.A. in Political Science. The program offers students an excellent and efficient strategy to attain the skills and capacities necessary for a broad array of career paths.

 

Who Qualifies?

Political Science majors with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher and who have two more semesters of undergraduate study remaining are invited to apply. If you are majoring in a different but related field and are interested in this program, please contact the department requesting a meeting with the Graduate Director to find out if you are eligible (sppais@uwyo.edu).

 

How do I Apply?

Interested students will submit the following through the online QuickStart application (be sure to select the correct application: QuickStart—Political Science BA/MA—College of Arts & Science):

Note: If possible, use the login information you used when applying to your undergraduate program at UW for applying to the QuickStart program.

Unofficial Transcripts: Upload transcripts from all colleges/universities you have attended or are currently attending. *This includes UW transcripts.

Statement of Purpose: A one-page essay addressing the following:

1) your academic background and past experience;

2) the role of obtaining this degree in your future career plans;

3) your plans for research/academic area/Political Science subfield* of focus during the MA program, and why you believe this program is the appropriate place to pursue those plans (include an explanation of which faculty you would like to work with directly and why);

4) how your academic achievements and interests have been shaped by your personal experiences.

*International Relations; Comparative Politics; American Politics; Political Theory

Two letters of recommendation: you will be prompted to provide the contact information for your recommendation letter writers through the online application. Please note that the two letters of recommendation must come from university faculty members, and at least one of the two must be from a UW School of Politics, Public Affairs & International Studies faculty member.

 

Deadline

The deadline for admissions to the Quickstart program for the Fall term (the beginning of the last year of undergraduate studies/first year of graduate studies) is March 31st. Applications are accepted year-round, on a rolling basis. However, applications received by the March 31st deadline will receive priority consideration.

 

Organization of the Program

Qualified applicants will receive provisional acceptance to the program in their junior year. During the senior year, students will take 6 graduate credits to be double-counted toward their Bachelor's and M.A. in Political Science. Students may take an additional 6 hours of credit to be reserved for graduate credit, but these will not count toward the bachelor's degree. To earn graduate-level credit, students must achieve at least a 3.0 in the course. Students will be granted a Bachelor’s upon completion of the credit hours required for the undergraduate degree. Unsatisfactory performance (falling below a GPA of 3.2 in the final year of undergraduate study) will terminate participation in the five-year program. Students in the 5 Year “QuickStart” Program will complete all requirements for the MA in Political Science.

 

Degree Program Requirements

QuickStart students are encouraged to complete a 'Plan-B' project rather than a Thesis for the completion of their Master's in Political Science. The 'Plan B' or Thesis is the culminating project required of all Master's students, and will be defended at an oral examination in the student's final semester.

Two graduate-level research design/methods courses are required (usually offered in the Fall semester). We encourage QuickStart students to take these in the Fall of their Senior year. The 6 credits earned from these two courses can be counted towards the Bachelor's degree. 

A total of 30 hours of graduate credit are required for the Master's degree. In addition to the 6 credits obtained from the required courses, students take graduate-level coursework in Political Science and related disciplines in the student's area of focus, in consultation with the student's advisor. 

 

Retention

Students must maintain a cumulative and departmental GPA of 3.2 and at least a 3.0 in 5000-level courses to remain in good standing in the program. Failure to meet the GPA requirement places a student on probation for one semester. If the GPA requirement is not met after that semester, the student will be suspended from the program.

 

Contact

For more information about the program, please contact sppais@uwyo.edu