The Bush School of Government & Public Service and the Department of Economics offer a 5-year (3+2) degree program in which students can earn a Bachelor of Arts or Science in Economics and a Master of Public Service & Administration (track in Public Policy Analysis) in only five years.
Description | Eligibility | Curriculum | Course Planner | Admissions | Advising
Description
Students begin their studies at Texas A&M University in the Economics department taking classes toward their undergraduate degree. Throughout the course of the student’s first three years at Texas A&M, the student works with their undergraduate advisor to ensure they satisfy all eligibility requirements listed below prior to applying to the Master of Public Service & Administration (MPSA) – Public Policy Analysis (PPA) track, in the fall of their junior year (when classified as a U3).
If admitted students must ensure they fulfill the rest of the undergrad requirements listed below by the time they enter The Bush School in the fall of their senior year at Texas A&M University when classified as a U4. In the student’s fourth year, they take Bush School graduate level courses; 18 credit hours of which will double count toward their bachelor’s degree. In the student’s fifth year, they are re-classified as a G7 graduate student and take the remaining courses left to satisfy the requirements for the MPSA degree.
After successful completion of both degrees, students receive both Texas A&M degrees, earning a B.A. or B.S. in Economics and a Master of Public Service & Administration at the end of their fifth year. Although they earn both, students will only walk for the MPSA graduation.
Students who choose not to finish the MPSA degree after starting the 3+2 degree program may exit the program at any time. Completed Bush School courses will be applied to their bachelor’s degree in economics, as appropriate. Failure to complete the MPSA program will in no way impede a student’s ability to attain a bachelor’s degree when the requirements for that degree are completed.
Eligibility Requirements
To apply to the 3+2 ECON/MPSA degree program, students must:
- be classified as a U3 majoring in Economics at Texas A&M University, and
- have a 3.25 GPA or above by the start of the fall semester in which they will enter the MPSA portion of the 3+2 program (if admitted), and
- work with their undergrad advisor to map out courses the student must complete prior to entry into the MPSA portion of the 3+2 program (if admitted), and
- have approximately 66-78 credit hours completed by the time they apply to the MPSA portion of the 3+2 program in the fall semester of their junior year, and
- have approximately 102 credit hours completed before entry into the MPSA portion of the 3+2 program in the fall of their senior year (including all required courses for ECON major, college, and Texas A&M), and
- be in good academic standing with their undergrad department, and
- not be expected to graduate during the academic year in which they are applying, and
- understand that failure to satisfy ALL of these requirements will result in
3+2admission (if offered) to the MPSA portion of the 3+2 program being revoked.
Curriculum
A B.A. or B.S. degree at Texas A&M requires a student to complete a minimum of 120 credit hours. In the 3+2 ECON/MPSA degree, students complete a total of 150 total credit hours: 102 credit hours of B.A/B.S. ECON degree requirements + 48 credit hours of MPSA degree requirements. This means a maximum of 18 credit hours of MPSA courses double count toward the student’s B.A. or B.S. ECON degree.
Note: Those pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Economics must also fulfill the foreign language requirement of two years of the same foreign language in High School or complete a two-semester sequence of the same foreign language for university credit (which is an additional 8 credit hours).
Students majoring in Economics at Texas A&M who intend to apply to the MPSA portion of the 3+2 ECON/MPSA degree program must complete the 102 credit hours of their B.A./B.S. ECON degree requirements (+8 hours of foreign language if pursing the B.S. ECON degree) prior to the fall semester in which they intend to enroll in the MPSA portion, if admitted. To help students in planning their undergraduate coursework in preparation for applying to the 3+2 program, we’ve created a 3+2 B.A. ECON/MPSA and a 3+2 B.S. ECON/MPSA Course Planner for them to use throughout their first three years of undergraduate study.
Admitted 3+2 students are required to complete the same 2-year, 48-hour curriculum as other MPSA students in the Public Policy Analysis (PPA) track. The MPSA curriculum consists of ten core courses and six electives. Students are encouraged to use their elective courses to earn a concentration or create their own area of interest. Those without professional experience must complete a non-credit bearing internship in the summer between their fourth and fifth year (first and second year in the MPSA). A capstone project for a “real world” client in the final two semesters concludes the learning experience.
Admissions
Admission into the MPSA portion of the 3+2 ECON/MPSA degree occurs once per year, for fall entry only. Economics majors who satisfy (or are expected to satisfy) all of the eligibility requirements listed above can apply to the 3+2 MPSA program in the fall of their junior year when classified as a U3. Admission criteria for the 3+2 MPSA program is the same as other MPSA students. To apply, visit our 3+2 MPSA Admissions Page. If admitted, students begin the MPSA degree in the fall of their senior year.
Advising
It is imperative for students interested in the 3+2 MPSA work with their undergrad ECON advisor as soon as possible to ensure the student is on track to complete all necessary courses prior to entry into the program, if admitted. The Bush School Admissions Office can help answer questions about the admissions process, but cannot help answer questions about undergrad degree or course requirements. The MPSA department is available to help answer questions about the MPSA curriculum or courses and will be the student’s point of contact if admitted into the 3+2 program.
For questions about undergrad courses or degree requirements in preparation for applying to the 3+2 program:
- Contact Shelby Wallace at swallace@tamu.edu or 979.845.1947.
- https://artsci.tamu.edu/economics/academics/undergraduate/advising.html
For questions about the MPSA curriculum or courses:
- Contact Elaine Lippard at elippard@tamu.edu or 979.458-2276.
For questions about admission into the 3+2:
- Contact the Bush School Admissions Office at bushschooladmissions@tamu.edu or 979.862.3476.
