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Accelerate Your Path to an Education Career Combine your BA with an SOE MA, MAT, or MEd degree

Two AU graduates who raised their hands for equity in education.The Combined BA/MA, MAT, or MEd program is an opportunity for advanced AU undergraduate students to begin a professional master’s degree program in education while completing your bachelor’s degree. By taking shared courses that count towards the requirements of both degrees, our BA/MA, MAT, or MEd option can open doors to more advanced careers more quickly, saving you time and money.

Potential Benefits

  • Save more than $18,000 in tuition costs by sharing credits between the two degrees. There are credit limits, so please talk to your academic advisor early.
  • Reduce the overall time required to earn both degrees.
  • Obtain a competitive edge in the job market.
  • Earn an advanced degree from the #1 ranked school of education in Washington, DC.
  • Graduate courses meet in the evening so you may work or intern during the day.

Program Details

  • Undergraduate students may apply up to 9 credit hours of approved, graduate-level coursework to satisfy undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. Complete your Master’s in as few as 3 semesters!
  • Shared credits vary depending on a student’s current major/minor and master’s degree program.
  • A minimum of 18 credit hours in graduate studies must be completed in residence after the undergraduate degree has been awarded.
  • Interested students should meet with their undergraduate academic advisor and are encouraged to meet with a career advisor (or we could add the graduate advisor for the master’s program of interest)

Examples of Credit Sharing

Every student’s credit sharing can look different depending on their majors, minors, and the school where the degrees are earned. Connect with an advisor to discuss your individual plan of study.

Here is an example of one student’s undergraduate work in the School of Educaiton combining their Master of Arts in Teaching Special Education: Learning Disabilities.

Graduate Course Semester Application to BA Application to MAT
EDU-619 Child Lit: Crit Literacy Perspective Spring (Junior) Required Core Course
EDU-603 Teaching Math in Elem School Fall (Senior) Methods Core Course
EDU-601 Teaching Literacy in Elem School Fall (Senior) Methods Core Course

Here is an example of one School of Public Affairs undergraduate student with an Education Studies minor combining their Master of Education in Education Policy and Leadership.

Graduate Course Semester Application to BA Application to MEd
EDU-638 Social Movements and Educational Change Spring (Junior) Minor Elective
EDU-610 Qual and Quant Research Strategies Fall (Senior) Minor Core Course
EDU-631 Educational Leadership and Org Change Fall (Senior) Minor Core Course

Eligibility

Admission to the combined BA/MA program requires completion of 75 credit hours. Interested students are encouraged to meet with their academic advisor earlier to discuss an academic plan. SOE also welcomes applications from non-SOE AU undergraduate students seeking a career in the field of education. Non-SOE students should meet with their undergraduate advisor as early as possible to discuss credit-sharing opportunities.

Program Options

The following SOE Master’s programs are available for the BA/MA combination:

Scholarship Process

BA/MA students will be considered for the Double Eagle Scholarship in support of their enrollment in a fully residential MA program at SOE. BA/MA students will receive a guaranteed 30% tuition discount towards their MA, inclusive of any credit-sharing. There is no further action needed and students will be notified of their final graduate funding decision the semester before they start their master’s degree.

BA/MA Application Checklist

  1. Meet with your undergraduate advisor to learn more about the BA/MA program (please note that this is not required for you to submit an application).
  2. Meet with the graduate advisor of your desired master’s program to determine shared credit options.
  3. Complete online graduate application by submitting the following documents (more details):
  4. If admitted, contact the graduate program advisor to accept your offer of admission; BA/MAs do not need to submit the enrollment deposit.

Next Steps

Freshmen

Discuss your interest in the BA/MA program with your advisor.

Sophomore

Discuss your interest in the BA/MA program with an SOE academic advisor.

Junior

Discuss the BA/MA program with your academic advisor. Follow the BA/MA application checklist to apply after you have completed 75 credits (ideally no more than 90 credits).

Junior/Senior

After being admitted to the BA/MA program, begin taking shared graduate courses.