Combined BS/MS/MA/MPA

Early Childhood Education and Human Services majors:
Begin your Masters degree as an undergraduate
 

Get a head start on graduate school!
 

Early Childhood Education and Human Services majors can begin
their graduate education while they are still undergraduates.
They can begin working toward 1 of 3 programs:
 

MS: Human Development and Family Studies
MA: Urban Affairs and Public Policy
MPA: Public Administration
 

Application procedures for these combined programs are detailed below.
 

Application for Combined B.S. and M.S. Option
in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies
 

This program combines the requirements of a student’s undergraduate program and Master of Science Program in Human Development & Family Studies. The combined program enables students to begin their graduate studies while an undergraduate, and to complete their M.S. degree one semester earlier. Majors in the Department of Human Development & Family Studies may apply during their Sophomore or Junior year for admission into the HDFS Combined B.S. and M.S. Program.

Admission to the MS HDFS graduate program is not guaranteed upon acceptance into the Combined Program. A student can only be officially admitted into the HDFS graduate program upon a) successfully and satisfactorily completing their undergraduate major and HDFS graduate courses (while an undergraduate) (grade of B+ or better), b) receiving satisfactory GRE scores, and c) successfully fulfilling HDFS and UD Graduate School application requirements. Successful completion of a student’s undergraduate program greatly enhances the likelihood of admission. Ideally, admission to the Combined Program will enable a student to coordinate their undergraduate and graduate studies and research activities with greater ease, facilitate the transition into graduate school, and provide greater flexibility in scheduling coursework and research experiences once a graduate student. By participating in this program, students can attain a head start on their graduate studies and be able to take 9 fewer graduate credits if later accepted into the HDFS graduate program

Qualifications for Combined Program:

1. Be a Sophomore or Junior HDFS Major in the Department of Human Development & Family Studies
2. Have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.25, and a major GPA of 3.5 or better.
3. Have an academic advisor who will support his or her application to the HDFS Combined Program.
4. Have completed an Application that lists 9 HDFS graduate credits to be completed during Spring semester/Junior year, and/or during Senior year. Courses need to be selected from a list of recommended HDFS courses for the Combined Program and approved by the student’s academic advisor.

Admission is competitive so meeting the minimal requirements for admission does not guarantee admission nor does the failure to meet a requirement result in an automatic rejection. Continuation in the Combined Program is contingent upon maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 in undergraduate courses and in graduate coursework. Students who fail to meet the minimum GPA requirements or fail to show progress toward the degree will be dropped from the Combined Program. They may, however, continue in the undergraduate major, unless their undergraduate progress is unsatisfactory according to the rules in effect for their program. If a student completes a 400-level undergraduate course that has content very similar to that of a parallel 600-level graduate course, the student may petition the Graduate Studies Coordinator to substitute another graduate course for the 600-level course in question. Students who wish to make changes to their program of study must first obtain permission from their advisor. The advisor must then make a written request to the Graduate Studies Committee to revise the program of Study.

Procedures:

1. Prior to, or during the Junior Year, complete an application for the HDFS Combined program, and submit the application to the Graduate Admissions Coordinator in HDFS. Application packets are not submitted to the UD Graduate School.
2. Three letters of recommendation, one from the student’s academic advisor, one from another faculty member, and a third from a professional or faculty member who can recommend the student for graduate studies, need to be submitted with the student’s application. GRE’s are not required for admission to the Combined Program. However, students will be required to submit these scores during their Senior Year if they wish to be accepted into the Graduate program.
3. Complete a Personal Statement by answering the following questions: a). What are your vocational objectives and how will your proposed plan of graduate study relate to them? b). Within your major field, are there special areas of interest to you? Please explain. c). Are there any special circumstances related to your academic record that you feel the admissions committee should know about?

 
Application for Accelerated Program
in the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy
for Human Service Majors with a Concentration in Administration & Family Policy
in the Department of Human Development & Family Studies
 

Students in the Human Services Major in the Department of Human Development & Family Studies may apply during their Sophomore or Junior year for admission into the SUAPP Accelerated Program. Application to the Accelerated Program can be made for either the a) Master of Arts Program in Urban Affairs and Public Policy program with a Concentration in Community Development and Nonprofit Leadership, or the b) Master of Public Administration Program in the School or Urban Affairs & Public Policy. (http://suapp.udel.edu/content/master-public-administration).

Admission to either the MA or MPA graduate program is not guaranteed upon acceptance into the Accelerated Program; however, successful completion of the Accelerated Program greatly enhances the likelihood of admission. Ideally, admission to the Accelerated Program will enable a student to coordinate their undergraduate and graduate studies with greater ease, facilitate the transition into graduate school, and provide greater flexibility in scheduling coursework once a graduate student. By participating in this program, students can attain a head start on their graduate studies and be able to take 6-9 fewer graduate credits if later accepted into the SUAPP graduate program (the number of fewer graduate credits will depend upon whether admitted to the Accelerated MA or MPA program). A student can only be officially admitted into the SUAPP graduate program upon a) successfully and satisfactorily completing the Human Services undergraduate major and SUAPP graduate courses in the Accelerated Program (grade of B+ or better), b) receiving satisfactory GRE scores, and c) successfully fulfilling SUAPP and Graduate School application requirements.

Qualifications for Accelerated Program:

1. Be a Sophomore or Junior Human Service Major in the Department of Human Development & Family Studies
2. Be enrolled in or have completed HDFS 235 (Survey in Child and Family Services), HDFS 347 (Program Development and Evaluation), and POSC 220 (Introduction to Public Policy).
3. Have an academic advisor in the Department of Human Development & Family Studies who will support his or her application to the SUAPP Accelerated Program.
4. Have completed an Area of Emphasis form that lists 6 SUAPP graduate credits (if applying for the MA program), or 9 SUAPP graduate credits (if applying for the MPA program) to be completed during Spring semester/Junior year, and/or during Senior year. Courses need to be selected from a list of recommended SUAPP courses for the Accelerated Program.

Procedures:

1. Prior to, or during the Junior Year, complete an application for the MA or MPA Accelerated program, and submit the application to the Graduate Admissions Coordinator in SUAPP. Application packets are not submitted to the UD Graduate School.
2. Three letters of recommendation, one from the student’s HDFS academic advisor, one from another faculty member, and a third from a professional or faculty member who can recommend the student for graduate studies, need to be submitted with the student’s application. GRE’s are not required for admission to the Accelerated Program. However, students will be required to submit these scores during their Senior Year if they wish to apply to the Graduate program.
3. Complete a Personal Statement by answering the following questions: a) What are your vocational objectives and how will your proposed plan of graduate study relate to them? b) Within your major field, are there special areas of interest to you? Please explain. c) Are there any special circumstances related to your academic record that you feel the admissions committee should know about? Guidelines for completing the essays can be found at: http://suapp.udel.edu/content/application-materials.