In the 21^st century, the fields of business administration and political science intersect, in that sustainable business development requires an understanding of the political environment, while political theory and practice must address the role of the business community in economic development. Providing students with both the business foundation and the political knowledge enhances their ability to succeed in our ever-changing political world.

The UCD Master of Arts in Political Science (MA) degree offers an in-depth understanding of the political environment, locally, nationally and globally, emphasizing the development of academic and practical skills in key areas of the discipline, and  centering on the major fields of American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory and public policy. The UCD Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree provides a strong foundation in business knowledge in such areas as organizing teams, developing marketing plans, using data analysis and technology in decision making, economics, financial management and strategic planning.  The MBA develops skills required for competent and responsible administration of an enterprise viewed in its entirety, within its social, political and economic environment. 

The Dual Master’s Degree in Political Science (MA) and Business Administration (MBA) is designed for students whose interests overlap business and politics or business and international affairs. This program is jointly sponsored by the Department of Political Science of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Business School. This program enables students to simultaneously earn an MA in Political Science with an MBA.

The dual degree program provides a more comprehensive education to the next generation of professionals in the non-profit sector, corporate arena and governmental organizations. Dual degree students are able to complete both degree programs in less time, and with fewer total credit hours (66 for both), than if both degrees were pursued separately (48+33 = 81). The program keeps the core of each program intact, including some electives from both programs, and enables students to choose two additional electives from either business or political science to best suit their career and personal goals. Furthermore, the interactions between the students enrich the students in both programs, as well as the organizations that employ them. 

Admission Requirements

Students must apply separately to, meet the admission requirements of, and be accepted by each program. It is possible for students currently admitted to one program to learn about the dual degree and choose to apply after admission to the other program.

GPA Requirements

Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher across all courses that are applied to the dual degree. Any political science course in which a student receives a final grade lower than B- cannot be counted toward the total credits for the dual degree. Any business course in which a student receives a final grade lower than C cannot be counted toward the total credits for the dual degree. All graduate courses will be included in the cumulative GPA. 

Transfer Credits

No more than 9 semester hours of business credits from an AACSB Business School with a grade of B or better and no more than 6 semester hours of political science credits may be transferred into this dual degree program. The Business School will evaluate transfer hours in business and the Political Science Department will evaluate transfer hours in political science.

Graduation

Students must complete all the requirements for both programs before they apply to graduate, and must apply to graduate in the same term for both programs.

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