The combined program provides an opportunity for students of recognized academic ability and educational maturity to fulfill integrated requirements of undergraduate and master's degree programs from the beginning of the junior year. The BA in Public Policy, Political Science, Sociology, History and a BA or BS in Economics can be combined with the MPA.

Why a Master's in Public Administration?

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) is a nationally-ranked program that prepares graduates to excel in careers in public and nonprofit organizations. This interdisciplinary degree allows students to choose from two types of concentration areas: concentrations that emphasize process and techniques in analysis and management, and concentrations that focus on a substantive policy area.

Analysis and management concentrations may include: public management, non-profit management, public economics and finance, homeland security, and human resources management. Public policy concentrations may include health policy, urban policy, global affairs, and women in public policy.

Further, students in our program obtain practical job experience by serving in an internship in a state agency, legislative office, non-profit organization, or local government.

The Advantages

You can be admitted to graduate school as a current undergraduate student, without taking the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

You can complete a master's degree more quickly. The combined program should allow you to finish the master's degree in about one-and-a-half years after completing the bachelor's degree rather than the standard two years. This essentially shortens the length of time it takes to complete the MPA by one semester.

• Undergraduate students in other departments should check with their academic advisor to see if any coursework from the MPA program can be substituted for requirements in their undergraduate major.

• For students in any major, the 12 credits of graduate level coursework may be applied as general electives to meet the 120 credits needed to graduate.

• Students in the combined program are still required to meet all University and undergraduate department requirements in qualifying for the BA, including general education requirements and residency requirements.

Students may apply to the combined degree program after the successful completion of 56 credits. A cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher is required for consideration. In addition you must have taken two quantitative courses and recieved a grade of a B or higher.

Students apply to the combined program through the same process as any student applying for graduate study at the University at Albany.

For application materials go click here.

For application deadlines click here.

Students applying to the combined program are waived from taking the GRE. Be sure to write “Combined BA/MPA” at the top of your application so there will not be a delay while waiting for GRE scores.