4+1 Master of Arts in Political Science

 
The 4+1 pathway toward the MA in Political Science provides Duke undergraduate students with an opportunity to deepen their expertise in political science research and methodology while earning a Master's degree in an extra (fifth) year at Duke. 
 
4+1 timeline with border to fit site
Who is the 4+1 Program for?

The 4+1 MAPS program will provide substantial value for some students, especially: 1) Those considering research-oriented career paths who are not yet ready to commit to a PhD program, and 2) students who desire additional analytical skills to compete for positions in the private and public sectors. 

Students who have majored in political science or adjacent disciplines in the social sciences may have interests in developing skillsets related to research design, data analysis and formal theory. They may also enjoy the development of breadth and depth of understanding of state-of-the-art political science research.

 

Application Process

  1. Students in their junior year will pre-apply during the spring semester using this Qualtrics survey. Required documents include a personal statement, unofficial transcripts, and at least three recommendation letters (GRE scores are optional at the pre-approval stage). Note: Pre-approval is not a guarantee of acceptance into the 4+1 program. Students who are pre-approved will meet with the DGS of the MAPS program to discuss course selection during the student's senior year.
     
  2.  The formal application is completed in the senior year by the published DGS application deadline, which is typically in mid-February using the Graduate School's portal (Slate). GRE scores are required. See application instructions here.

 

Admission Considerations

In deciding if this program is suitable for you, please keep in mind that this is a complete Master’s program on a compressed timeline and therefore is demanding in terms of time and effort. Admission is based in part on whether your record shows that you can meet the demands of the program.

Admission to 4+1 is provisional and contingent on completing your undergraduate degree with an acceptable performance in the extra graduate courses taken during the senior year. By the end of your senior year you should have completed all requirements for the undergraduate degree, including any major and minor requirements. As a 4+1 student, you are considered an undergraduate until the completion of your undergraduate degree, after which you are a graduate student.
 

MAPS Degree Requirements

  • In order to obtain a 4+1 degree, students who are selected for the program must fulfill the requirements of the regular MAPS as listed here. Our MAPS program requires 30 credits (10 regular courses). Students enrolled in the 4+1 program will complete these credits within 5 total years at Duke. After the completion of your undergraduate degree, you will have two semesters as a graduate student to fulfill the remaining MAPS degree requirements. See the Bulletin of the Graduate School for information and policies from Duke's Graduate School.
  • Up to 12 graduate credits (4 regular courses) completed during your undergraduate years may count toward the MAPS degree. All graduate-level POLSCI courses are eligible (500-level and above). We recommend enrollment in two or three eligible graduate-level courses during your terminal undergraduate year, in addition to courses that fulfill your undergraduate degree requirements. 
  • Check the MA in Political Science requirements carefully. In particular, note that any course you plan to count toward the master's degree – even if it is taken as an undergraduate – must be a graduate course (numbered 500 or higher) and not also used to meet any requirement for the undergraduate degree.
  • Because of the compressed nature of the coursework, students in the 4+1 program will only be permitted to complete the non-thesis-track option.
Fields of Study

Fields of study for the MA program vary slightly from the undergraduate program. Students in the 4+1 program must take three courses in one graduate field of study and two courses in a second graduate field of study. See the graduate fields of study here

 

Tuition and Financial Aid

You are charged undergraduate tuition until the completion of your undergraduate degree, and Graduate School tuition subsequently. MAPS 4+1 students will typically incur two full-time semesters of tuition (flat rate) to the Graduate School in year five. Financial aid during that period can be discussed with the Director of Graduate Studies. Undergraduate financial aid does not continue after completion of your undergraduate degree.
 

Contact

For questions about the program or the application process please contact Elizabeth Leslie at the Political Science graduate program office: elizabeth.leslie@duke.edu

For questions about course planning please contact Tosha Marshall at the Political Science undergraduate program office: am350@duke.edu

Please direct questions about the graduate application process to The Graduate School.