B.A./M.A. Program for Columbia Undergraduates

The B.A./M.A. option is a program available to Columbia undergraduate English and Comparative Literature majors who would like to pursue an M.A. in a condensed time frame and at a reduced cost. The Graduate School's full description of the program can be found here.

If admitted to the program, students take graduate-level coursework while still enrolled as undergraduates, and take classes in excess of the credit requirements for the B.A. and in excess of all credit and distribution requirements for the English major. Students then apply those extra credits toward the M.A. at a later date, after they have graduated. Students exercising the B.A./M.A. option enter our M.A. program with advanced standing: they can be credited with up to three courses, or 0.5 Residence Units; in exceptional circumstances, and in consultation with the DUS and ADGS, this could be extended to four courses, or 1.0 RU. Once they are enrolled, these students work to complete the remaining requirements for the M.A. 

Undergraduate students interested in the B.A./M.A. program are encouraged to apply in their junior year, and may also apply in the first semester of their senior year. If admitted, students plan their subsequent academic schedules with our Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) and Associate Director of Graduate Studies (ADGS), to ensure that they are on track to exceed our B.A. requirements and earn transfer credit. Students who apply later than the fall semester of their senior year should submit the standard M.A. application, and transfer eligible credits upon enrolling in the M.A. program.

The deadline for applications is Thursday, April 23, 2026 for juniors, and November 2026 for seniors. Applications can be submitted at the GSAS portal, and will be reviewed expeditiously. When applying, please be sure to consult with the English and Comparative Literature Department's DUS and ADGS.