Bachelor of Arts & Master of Arts

You can do both

The Bachelor of Arts/Master of Arts (B.A./M.A.) program is an excellent option for students seeking advanced training in English at a nationally ranked Research 1 graduate program. The B.A./M.A. will advance the critical and analytical skills of students intending to pursue professional training outside the humanities—for example, law, medicine and business. It will also advance students toward the Ph.D. in English, as well as a number of related academic fields.

To be eligible for the program, students must have completed 116 credit hours, including all requirements for the English major, and must have a minimum GPA of 3.5 overall and 3.7 in the major.

FAQs about the B.A./M.A. program

The B.A./M.A. program in English allows high-achieving English majors early admission to our top ranking graduate program. It is designed so that students can finish both the undergraduate and graduate degree in five years, although there is no requirement to finish in this period.

The B.A./M.A. program reduces the time and therefore the cost of the graduate degree, thereby providing job seekers with a competitive edge and increased earnings potential. It offers invaluable training for students pursuing a number of professional fields, especially law. It advances students toward the Ph.D. and adds substantially to the qualifications of Ph.D. applicants.

Undergraduates may apply in or after the semester in which they complete their 116th credit hour (making sure that all English major requirements are complete). Preferably, a student should apply by the same deadline as PhD applications (early January), but applications may also be considered in the Spring semester up to April 15. If you apply after the usual PhD deadline, alert the English department’s faculty Director of Graduate Studies that you have done so.

No. It is possible for students to complete their final general education requirements after acceptance to the B.A./M.A. program. All requirements in English must be complete, however.

No. B.A./M.A. students are still required to complete the total undergraduate hours toward the B.A., and no courses used to satisfy the B.A. requirements may be applied toward the M.A.

No. B.A./M.A. students do not qualify for departmental support.

It is generally advisable for students who have completed the B.A./M.A. at IU to pursue the doctorate elsewhere; however, under certain circumstances a B.A./M.A. student may benefit from doctoral study here, in which case, s/he may apply for admission to the department’s Ph.D. program through the standard application process. Past training is no guarantee of admission; the IU Ph.D. program is highly selective.