Admission to Program
The Double Dawgs program was created to give ambitious and motivated University of Georgia students a competitive advantage in today’s knowledge economy. By earning both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in five years, students can save time and money while positioning themselves for success after graduation.
UGA undergraduate majors in Political Science or International Affairs can pursue the MA-T or the MA-NT in Political Science & International Affairs. Students who wish to apply for either Pathway must first discuss their plans with their undergraduate academic advisor and create a full program of study plan for their undergraduate degree.
How to Apply
Step 1: Login to Athena and select “apply” for the appropriate pathway.
Step 2: Complete the SPIA Double Dawg Pathway Application form and submit to your respective undergraduate advisor to confirm eligibility and sign. Below are the minimum requirements for applying to the pathway:
- Minimum 3.5 UGA GPA
- Minimum 60 hours in-progress with at least 30 hours of UGA coursework (excluding AP, IB, or transfer credits)
- 9 hours of major coursework completed or in-progress
Step 3: Meet with your undergraduate advisor to develop a personal program of study using this form. The personal program of study outlines the specific courses and number of hours that the student plans to take each semester to successfully complete the Double Dawg program. Once that has been created students should email the Graduate Program Administrator to schedule a meeting to discuss timelines and sign the form.
Step 4: Submit the materials to the Graduate Program Administrator.
We recommend that interested applicants who are intending to enroll in graduate courses to submit MA Double Dawg Pathway Application materials by Dec 1st for spring semester and May 1st for fall semester. Students will be notified via Athena of their acceptance or denial to the pathway up to 4 weeks after submission.
Curriculum
Graduate-level courses that may be used to satisfy undergraduate and graduate program requirements.
The BS degree in Political Science focuses on methods and theory in Political Science providing an excellent preparation and overlap with the Master of Arts in Political Science and International Affairs (non-thesis) offered by SPIA. Outstanding undergraduates in the BS often possess advanced quantitative skills compared to their peers and are uniquely positioned to benefit from more advanced methods coursework offered in the MA.
Given the curriculum of both programs develop overlapping knowledge and skills, all four graduate courses taken in the pathway may be used in the undergraduate major requirements. To complete the BS degree in Political Science, students will satisfy the existing general education, university, and school-wide requirements with undergraduate credits. For the 30 hours of major courses, 12 credit hours in graduate level POLS courses will apply. The following courses will apply to both the BS and MA simultaneously:
Pre-seminar: POLS 6100 or INTL 6200 or INTL 6300
POLS 7012 Introduction to Political Methodology (Fall)
POLS 7014 Intermediate Political Methodology (Spring)
Seminar: POLS or INTL 8000-level seminar
Additional requirements that are unique to this Double Dawgs program:
Graduate-level courses that may be used to satisfy undergraduate and graduate program requirements.
POLS 6100 OR INTL 6300 OR INTL 6200, 3
POLS 7012, 3
POLS 7014, 3
POLS/INTL Graduate-level Seminar, 3
Additional requirements that are unique to this Double Dawgs program:
To complete the Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science (B.S.), students need to satisfy the existing required courses (30 credit hours) in political science and take up to 12 credit hours in graduate-level courses.
Requirements that are unique to the dual degree program:
By the end of their fourth year (4th), Double Dawgs must have completed:
-POLS 6100 OR INTL 6300 OR INTL 6200: Field preseminar course (3)
-POLS 7012: Introduction to Political Methodology (3)
-POLS 7014: Intermediate Political Methodology (3)
-POLS/INTL Graduate-level seminar (3)
And must have:
-met all undergraduate degree requirements as directed by SPIA’s Undergraduate Advising Office and
-conferred regularly with pathway Director of Graduate Studies
Admission to Graduate Program
1. Online Graduate School Application and $75 fee. Please note that the Graduate School does not issue fee waivers based on financial need. Some applicants, such as McNair Scholars and veterans, may qualify for an application fee waiver: a full list of qualifying programs is here.
2. One unofficial transcript from each institution of higher education attended. Official transcripts are only required for admitted candidates, except for University of Georgia applicants. Official transcripts are on file. You may upload transcripts through the application portal or mail them directly to the UGA Graduate School.
3. The GRE can be waived for Double Dawg applicants depending on their performance in graduate courses.
*UGA students applying to the MA from the Double Dawgs Pathway are not required to submit GRE scores.
4. Personal Objective Form - see program website for a link to the form
5. Statement of Purpose. This document should, in general, be between 1-3 pages long and should address what you wish to study in our MA program, why our program is a good fit for your research interests, and what your career aspirations are following the MA. The best statements avoid broad generalizations, speak in concrete detail, and attend to fit between your research interests and those of our faculty.
6. Curriculum vitae (CV)
7. Three academic letters of recommendation
Letters should be submitted through the online application. The strongest letters will come from faculty who have taught you and/or supervised your academic work and can speak to your work ethic, academic interests and ability, and ability to succeed in a master’s degree program. We strongly discourage submitting letters from elected officials and personal references such as clergy or friends.
8. Graduate Assistantship Application, if desired. See our program website for links to forms.