Senate Bill No. 0203-07
UNIVERSITY SENATE
UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
Introduced by:
Undergraduate Academic Council
Graduate Academic Council
Date:
April 21, 2003
PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH B.A./M.A. PROGRAM
POLITICAL SCIENCE / PUBLIC AFFAIRS & POLICY
IT IS HEREBY PROPOSED THAT THE FOLLOWING BE ADOPTED:
1.
1. That the University Senate approve the attached “Proposal to Establish a
Combined Degree Involving the BA in Political Science and the MA in Public Affairs and
Policy” as approved by the Graduate and Undergraduate Academic Councils.
2.
2. That this proposal be forwarded to the President for approval.
PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A COMBINED DEGREE INVOLVING THE BA IN
POLITICAL SCIENCE AND THE MA IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND POLICY
The Department of Political Science is proposing a new combined degree program, joining the
undergraduate major (BA) in Political Science (POS) with the Master of Arts in Public Affairs
and Policy (MA) in the Department of Public Administration and Policy. This program will
allow a student to earn a BA in POS and the MA in Public Affairs and Policy in approximately
one less semester than otherwise would be required.
This new combined degree will remedy what is an anomaly in Rockefeller College
programming. An undergraduate major in POS clearly is complemented effectively by the focus
on policy analysis covered in the MA degree. While the Department of Political Science already
offers a combined BA in Political Science with the Master in Public Administration (MPA), the
relatively new Master of Arts in Public Affairs and Policy was never articulated within the
combined program. The rationale for this combination is at least as strong as those for the
combined degree programs already in place. Indeed, many of the undergraduate and graduate
courses in public policy are taught by faculty from the Department of Political Science.
In order to complete the combined degree program, students would need to meet all the
requirements for the BA in Political Science, including all major requirements, the minimum
liberal arts and science graduation credit requirement, the residency requirement, the General
Education requirement and a 400 level writing intensive course. Students could take up to 12
graduate credits during the senior year which would be applied toward the credits required for
the BA in Political Science, as well as to the 40 credits required for the MA degree. Finally,
students would need to meet the requirements for the MA. (An attachment lists all requirements
for both degrees.) Applicants to the program would need to have a 3.2 GPA and, as in the case of
the other programs, the GRE would be waived.
APPROVED BY THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS & POLICY FACULTY
________________________________ DIRECTOR
_____________________ DATE
Irene Lurie
APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND POLICY
________________________________ CHAIR
_____________________ DATE
David McCaffrey
APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
________________________________ CHAIR
_____________________ DATE
Bruce Miroff
COMBINED PROGRAM WITH THE BA IN POLITICAL SCIENCE
AND THE MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION AND POLICY
1. 1. Students must meet the requirements for the undergraduate major in political science and
all of the requirements for the MA degree in Public Affairs and Policy.
2. 2. In qualifying for the undergraduate degree in POS, students must meet all the University
and College requirements for the BA majoring in Political Science.
3. 3. In qualifying for the MA degree, students must meet all University and College
requirements as outlined in the Graduate Bulletin, including completion of the 40 graduate
credit requirement.
4. 4. A maximum of twelve graduate credits may count toward the credit hour requirements of
both the BA in POS and the MA in Public Affairs and Policy.
5. 5. Application process to be considered for admission to the combined degree program:
Students may be admitted to a combined degree program at the beginning of their
junior year and after successful completion of 56 credits. A GPA of 3.2 or higher,
three supportive letters of recommendation, and a written personal statement and
other information as outlined in the application are required. The GRE
examination will not be required for BA/MA applicants.
BA IN POLITICAL SCIENCE
MA IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS
AND POLICY
Undergraduate Courses
Required in Program (36
credits)
Undergraduate courses
that can be replaced by
courses required for MA
Courses Required in Program
(40 credits minimum)
POS 101M or 101G
POS 102M or 102G
POS 103M or 103G
At least 18 credits from Political
Science courses at or above the
300 level and at least 3 credits
from courses at the 400 level that
require a major research writing
project. Majors in Political
Science must pick an upper-
division area of concentration in
American Politics, Global
Politics, Public Law, or Political
Theory and take at least four
courses in this area of
concentration at the 300 or 400
level. It is recommended, but not
required, that students take the
400 level writing intensive
course that is part of the major in
their area of concentration. (See
attached list of courses.)
POS 416Z: Research
Methods I
PUB 504 Data, Models, and
Decisions I (4)
POS 417z: Research
Methods II
PUB 505 Data, Models, and
Decisions II (4)
POS 406Z:
Implementation and
Impact
PUB 506 Implementation and
Impact (4)
POS 439Z: Topics in
American Politics
PUB 522 Politics and Policy (4)
POS 328: Law and Policy
POS 330: Laws, Courts,
and Politics
PUB 529 Law and Policy (4)
PUB 503 Public Economics and
Finance I (4)
PUB 514 Economic Analysis
for Public Affairs II (4)
PUB 507 Professional
Applications (2)
PUB 508 Current Research
Topics in Public Policy (2)
PUB 698 Master’s Essay (4)
A minimum of three courses in
a Public Policy Field
Internship
American Politics
R Pos 303 (R Pub 303, R Pad 304)
R Pos 304 (R Pub 304)
R Pos 305 (R Pub 305)
R Pos 320
R Pos 321 (R Pub 321)
R Pos 323
R Pos 324 (A Lcs 375)
R Pos 325 (R Pub 325)
R Pos 329 (R Pad 329)
R Pos 331
R Pos 332
R Pos 334
R Pos 337
R Pos 339
R Pos 341
R Pos 365
R Pos 402Z (R Pub 402Z)
R Pos 406Z (R Pub 406Z)
R Pos 411Z (R Pub 411Z)
R Pos 424
R Pos 430
R Pos 433 (A Wss 433)
R Pos 433Z (A Wss 433z)
R Pos 435Z
R Pos 438Z
R Pos 439
R Pos 439Z
R Pos 495Z
Global Politics
R Pos 350 (R Pub 350)
R Pos 351
R Pos 352
R Pos 353
R Pos 354
R Pos 355
R Pos 356
R Pos 357 (A Lcs 357)
R Pos 358
R Pos 359 (A Jst 359)
R Pos 370
R Pos 371
R Pos 373
R Pos 374
R Pos 375
R Pos 376
R Pos 380
R Pos 383
R Pos 384
R Pos 385
R Pos 395 (R Pub 395)
R Pos 396 (R Pub 396)
R Pos 398 (R Pub 398)
R Pos 444
R Pos 444Z
R Pos 452Z
R Pos 461Z
R Pos 469
R Pos 469Z
R Pos 472Z
R Pos 473Z
R Pos 479
R Pos 479Z
Political Theory
R Pos 301
R Pos 302
R Pos 306
R Pos 307
R Pos 308
R Pos 310
R Pos 313
R Pos 314
R Pos 419Z
Public Law
R Pos 328 (R Pub 328)
R Pos 330
R Pos 333 (A Wss 333)
R Pos 335
R Pos 336
R Pos 363
R Pos 410Z (R Pub 410Z)
R Pos 426Z
R Pos 427Z
R Pos 428
R Pos 429Z
R Pos 437Z
R Pos 449
R Pos 449Z
