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Funding & Cost Overview

Master of International Affairs 5-year (3+2) Degrees

Funding & Cost - MIA 5-Year

Overview | Cost | Funding | Return on Investment

The cost and funding for students pursuing the 3+2 MIA degree with one of the following undergraduate majors at Texas A&M University is unique:

  • International Studies – Politics and Diplomacy track
  • Economics (must pursue IDEP track of MIA)

The cost and funding for the student’s first three years of undergraduate study at Texas A&M University is entirely through the student’s undergraduate program. Refer to the SBS Tuition Calculator for an estimate of undergraduate tuition and required fees. Consult your undergraduate department for funding opportunities.

If admitted into the 3+2 MIA degree program, the student then enrolls in the MIA portion of the degree in their fourth year at Texas A&M University taking 12 credit hours of MIA courses in the fall and spring semesters. However, the student is still classified as an undergraduate (U4) student and therefore, will still pay undergraduate tuition and fees.

*IMPORTANT* Because the student is still classified as an undergraduate student in their fourth year, students need to be aware that only 18 of the 24 MIA credit hours they take in their fourth year will double count toward their undergrad degree. Because of this, students will face difficulty in being eligible for federal financial aid in one or both the fall and spring semesters.

In the student’s fifth year, they are re-classified as a graduate student (G7), are billed MIA tuition and required fees, and all MIA courses they take in their fifth year count toward their MIA degree plan. Therefore, all are federal financial aid eligible and the student is considered enrolled full-time.

Refer to the Cost  & Funding pages for additional information.

Tips for Funding your Education

Students in their fourth year at Texas A&M (first year in the MPSA) are classified as U4 student and charged undergraduate tuition rates. However, students in their fifth year at Texas A&M (second year in the MPSA) are now classified as a G7 graduate student. Graduate aid is packaged differently from undergraduate aid, so familiarize yourself on the various funding options.

For starters, grad school applicants are considered independent, so you are tagged for higher need. This means that you may qualify for aid in the form of loans, especially those with competitive interest rates. But before you start borrowing, be sure to look for money you don’t have to pay back.

Order of Financing

  1. Free Money
    • Scholarships / Fellowships – earned through merit, eligibility criteria, or need
    • Grants – usually given based on financial need; often state based 
    • Waivers – avoiding certain fees based on designations or qualifications; can include waiving non-resident tuition, application fees, and more
  2. Earned Money
    • Work – seek on-campus or off-campus options  
    • Graduate Assistantships – work for faculty or staff in research, teaching, or support roles; most require 20 hours per week and may include some tuition remission and insurance benefits
    • Military Benefits – utilize GI Bill, Hazelwood, and other earned support
  3. Borrowed Money
    • Loans (fill out FAFSA) –borrowed money that has to be repaid, with interest, usually after you graduate/leave the university
      • Subsidized – government pays the interest until you graduate
      • Unsubsidized – you pay interest throughout, including while in school and in deferment periods
      • Private – also pay interest throughout; check those interest rates!

Financial Resources

Check out some helpful financial resources from some sites below to help you learn more about financing your graduate education, navigating student loan options, and what to consider when taking on more debt. These are just a few of the hundreds of sites out there.

Return on Investment: Is it worth it?

We know you are asking yourself “Is a master’s degree really worth it?” As with any decision, you have to look at the whole picture.

Obviously, the biggest benefit of the 5-year/3+2 program is the ability for students to double count 15-18 credit hours of Bush School courses toward their bachelor’s and MIA, allowing them to earn both degrees in only five years. As a result, the student pays tuition and fees for five years, instead of six (4-year bachelors + 2-year MIA).

Not only does the 5-year MIA save students time and money, but also allows them to build specialized skills and expand their career network to match their desired interest in the job market. The Bush School has a dedicated Career & Student Services team committed to helping students in their career development, as demonstrated by our employment statistics. Of course, how quickly you get a job and how closely it matches your interests depend on many factors, including how diligently you search and how prepared you are for your search, the economy, your qualifications, your desired location, your salary expectations, etc. By taking advantage Bush School resources in the Office of Student Services, and by continually developing your network of contacts, you will increase your chances of securing a job upon graduation.

Other factors to consider when determining the value of the MIA:

  • What are your long-term career goals?
    Most students who pursue the 5-year MIA degree are young and lack professional experience. Therefore, some struggle to know with certainty if the International Affairs career field is right for them. We encourage students applying to the 3+2 program to attend lectures, speak to people in a field of interest, complete an internship, or work part-time somewhere prior to applying so they have some idea if an international affairs career is what they want. The more committed a student is to the degree, and can show that growth, the more successful they can be.
  • What salary are you looking to earn upon graduation?
    Most students who earn a master’s degree in international affairs related fields enter careers in the federal government, which uses a General Schedule (GS) pay scale to determine salaries. An employee’s base pay depends on their location, the GS pay grade of their job, and the pay grade step they’ve achieved. Most students who graduate with a Master of International Affairs (or similar degree) enter a federal government career at a minimum of the GS-9 pay grade. Let’s compare two locations for 2022 with and without a master’s degree:
    • Washington, DC – A starting salary for a bachelor’s degree typically starts at a GS-7 pay grade, which offers a minimum salary (step 1) at $50,643 in the nation’s capital. With your master’s degree completed, alumni move to the GS-9 level, which pays a minimum salary (step 1) at $61,947.
    • Houston, TX – A starting salary for a bachelor’s level at a GS-7 pay grade in Houston offers a minimum salary (step 1) at $51,579. With your master’s degree completed, alumni qualify at the GS-9 level, which pays a minimum salary (step 1) of $63,091
      This means that earning your master’s degree helps qualify you for an additional $11,000 per year for the rest of your federal working career. Now, knowing how much you can earn, just how much debt are you willing to take on?
  • How long will it take you to pay off school debt?
    The average interest rate for a student loan is 5.28%. Let’s say you make monthly payments of $600 to pay off your student loans in the amount of $77,369 ($29,314 for fourth year + $8,431 in tuition/fees the fifth year + $20,610 for cost of living in the fifth year). With an interest rate of 5.28%, your estimated payoff date for the loan would be July 2038.

    Using any of the online debt payoff calculators, you can calculate your expected payoff date using the monthly payment you feel you would be comfortable making upon graduation. Keep in mind the salary you will be earning as you decide on the monthly payment you are comfortable making.

We leave it to you to dive deeper into the cost-benefit analysis. After all, you have a better idea/definitive cost of attendance in your undergraduate college (for your fourth year) and how much debt you are willing to take on. You can reach out to us if we can address your concerns or questions. Staff, faculty, and current students are ready to help!