BA in Criminal Justice/MPA

Florida Bar Foundation President Juliette E. Lippman, BA ’90, speaks at a conference table with sociology students at a GW panel event on the crisis for funding in legal aid. — Florida Bar Foundation President Juliette E. Lippman, BA ’90, speaks with sociology students at a department event on the legal aid funding crisis.

The Department of Sociology and the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration (TSPPPA) jointly offer a combined Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice/Master of Public Administration degree. The BA/MPA program allows students to complete 12 credits as part of the undergraduate program, thereby completing the master’s degree within five and a half years.

BA students taking public policy and public administration (PPPA) graduate courses must work with a TSPPPA advisor in addition to their criminal justice advisor.

Application Requirements

Students do not apply online. All application materials should be turned in, in person, to the Sociology Department director of graduate studies.
Undergraduate criminal justice majors should apply for the MPA during their junior year, once they have completed 75 credit hours, at least 45 of them at GW.
GRE scores are not required.
Students should have a good GPA. They will be assessed and accepted on the basis of their overall background and potential.
Supporting documents include résumés, advisor assessments and letters of recommendation.
If approved by the Sociology Department, all materials should then be turned into TSPPPA by February 1 of the junior year.
Students will be informed of admission decisions by April of that year.

CCAS Guidelines for Applying to Combined Degree Programs

Course of Study Guidance

The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences requires students in this combined degree program to complete their BA requirements before their MPA. BA/MPA students must plan their coursework so as to graduate with their BA before completing the MPA. In order to retain undergraduate financial aid, students must maintain a minimum of 51 percent undergraduate classes. Options include adding a one-credit course to the fourth year or taking one four-credit course rather than a three-credit course in the fourth year.

Years 1-3: Requirements for BA in Criminal Justice
Year four: PPPA 6001, PPPA 6002, PPPA 6003 and either PPPA 6005 or PPPA 6006
Year five and additional semester: PPPA 6004, PPPA 6009 and PPPA 6005 or PPPA 6006; three PPPA courses in a public administration concentration; and three electives
- Recommended: Students should take at least one graduate-level criminology course in the Sociology Department as one of their MPA electives.

Course Requirements

Students take 12 graduate credits as part of their undergraduate program. All requirements for both the BA in Criminal Justice and the Master of Public Administration must be fulfilled.