You would take three graduate courses in your senior year (that simultaneously count toward your BA and MA degrees), pay for one summer school graduate course after you graduate with a BA, pay for three fall grad courses, and then get three free courses to complete your MA program. You are taking ten graduate courses and paying for only four of them. You are getting a full semester’s jump on your MA program while you are still an undergraduate.

Who can apply
Second semester juniors in any Arts department are invited to apply to the BA/MA program in LST if they have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher.

When graduate courses begin
Graduate courses may begin when the student who has been formally accepted into the program holds a “senior” status. A maximum of three graduate courses may be applied toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Undergraduate and Graduate Status

Application Fee is waived for all current Villanova students. Students may download the PDF application.

Until the student earns his/her B.A. degree (typically after Year 4), the student retains an undergraduate status. This ensures that the student will be charged the correct undergraduate tuition (see below) and will graduate with his/her class.

Academic Requirements for Students Accepted into BA/MA Program in Liberal Studies

• The student must maintain GPA > 3.25 in his/her remaining undergraduate courses.
• The student must earn at least a “B” grade in each LST graduate course while an undergraduate. A graduate course with a grade below “B” may not be transferred into the M.A. degree program in Liberal Studies.
• Consistent with current policy, the student must maintain GPA > 3.0 when holding formal graduate status (in Year 5).
  

Full-time and Overload Enrollment
As with the standard master’s programs, full-time enrollment is 9 credits per semester in either the fall or spring semesters or 6 credits in the summer term. (A student enrolled in thesis credit or taking fewer than 9 credits within the typical 2-yr full-time period is considered full-time.) Overload enrollment is discouraged.

Tuition Considerations

Full-Time Undergraduates
Up to 3 graduate courses may be taken while the student is an undergraduate, and these courses apply toward both degrees. The tuition for these 3 graduate courses is covered through the usual full-time undergraduate tuition rate in the fall or spring semesters.

Undergraduates need to fill out a Permission Form for Undergraduates to take a Graduate Course to take any graduate course. Following existing policy, any summer graduate courses, regardless of the undergraduate or graduate status of the student, are charged the usual graduate tuition rate.

Tuition per credit and fees

The individual is eligible for a 9-cr tuition remission for the final 9 credits in the graduate program (but with the exception described below).  If the undergraduate student receives permission to take any graduate course(s) beyond the 3 mentioned above, this course may not be counted toward both degrees. It may be applied toward either the undergraduate or the graduate degree.

If this additional graduate course is applied toward the M.A. degree in LST, then its tuition is not covered by the undergraduate tuition rate and will be subtracted from the tuition remission that is normally applied for the final 9-cr of the program in a credit-to-credit fashion. That is, if the undergraduate takes one 3-cr graduate course beyond the usual three graduate courses, he/she will receive a tuition remission for only the final 6 credits in the program (rather than the usual 9 credits).

Part-Time Undergraduates
In the rare case that an undergraduate who is accepted into the BA/MA program enrolls on a part-time basis, any graduate courses taken in the senior year will be charged the prorated undergraduate tuition rate. For example, if the student were to enroll in one 3-cr undergraduate and one 3-cr graduate course in a given semester, this 6-cr load is 50% of the normal full-time load. The student would be charged 50% of the standard full-time undergraduate tuition.

Graduate Tuition in Year Five
Once the student has been formally accepted into the LST graduate program, the typical graduate tuition rate applies.

Coordination with Other Campus Offices

For the sake of consistency and efficiency, it will be best if you address any questions or problems regarding your BA/MA students to the Graduate Studies Office. This Office will coordinate with the Registrar and Bursar on your behalf.

Courses to credits
In any bachelor-master's program established within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, an undergraduate who is enrolled in graduate courses must earn at least a "B" grade in each graduate course in order for that course to be transferred to his/her graduate transcript. That is, while that course may still apply toward the undergraduate degree, it cannot be applied toward the graduate degree as well. Following our standard policy for transfer credits, only courses in which a grade of "B" or better is earned may be transferred to the graduate transcript.

Students will take their remaining seven graduate courses in their fifth year (for example: 1 course over the summer and three courses in the Fall Semester and Spring Semester). They may elect to write an MA thesis in their fifth year which counts in lieu of two graduate courses. Students with AP credits toward their undergraduate degree may take more than three graduate courses during their senior year, but will have to pay for these courses using graduate tuition rates.

Undergraduates who have been formally accepted into our BA/MA program will still need to complete the pink permission card used for individuals not formally enrolled in Graduate Studies but in need of taking a graduate course.

Completing the Application Process
When a student in this program is entering the last semester of undergraduate studies (typically the eighth semester), the student must fill out the first two pages of the Graduate Studies Application Form. The graduate committee will then evaluate your application; continuation in the MA program is contingent upon your undergraduate cumulative GPA and the grades in your graduate courses.

Each student will be granted complete tuition remission for their final 9 credits in the program. That means students will pay for the three double-counted graduate courses with their undergraduate tuition. They will pay for four graduate courses using graduate tuition rates. They will not have to pay for the final three graduate courses (nine credits). Students must retain at least a cumulative GPA of 3.0 throughout their fourth and fifth years to remain in good standing.