Political science students may select from a wide array of university-wide bachelor's /master's combined degree programs. These programs allow qualified students to start graduate study in their senior year and count three courses toward both degrees.
Please refer to a program’s graduate admission guidelines for eligibility and admission criteria. Combined degree options in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences include:
- Applied Diplomacy, MA
- International Public Service, MS
- International Studies, MA
- Nonprofit Management, MNM
- Public Administration, MPA
- Public Health, MPH
- Public Policy, MPP
- Sociology, MA
- Sustainable Urban Development, MA
- Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse, MA
PSC BA/JD 3+3 Program
In the 3 + 3 BA/JD Program, high-achieving first-year undergraduate students are admitted simultaneously to the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (LAS) and the College of Law. Students complete their first three years in the College LAS and their final three years in the College of Law. Students receive the Bachelor of Arts degree after successful completion of their first year of law school. Throughout the program, BA/JD students should meet regularly with advisors in both colleges and will have access to a variety of resources to ensure their success.
Key Program Features
- Students earn a law degree (Juris Doctor) in a total of six years (three years undergraduate and three years in law school).
- Students save one year's worth of undergraduate tuition and living expenses while gaining a head start in entering the legal profession.
- Students benefit from new curricular offerings and collaborative activities created to prepare them for law school.
- Students receive early (conditional) admission to the College of Law.
- Credits earned in the first year of law school apply toward the BA degree.
- Students may opt out of the College of Law segment of the program at any time and complete their undergraduate degree in four years with no penalty.
If students withdraw after the first semester in the College of Law, they return to the College that hosts their BA program for the winter quarter. Degree Requirements
In order to maintain status in the program, students must demonstrate satisfactory progress toward completing their undergraduate coursework in three years, including meeting the Modern Language Requirement and necessary Liberal Studies Program or Honors Program requirements. Students who enroll in the BA+JD program in 2022 or later must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.7 by the end of their second year of undergraduate study and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.7 in their third and final year of undergraduate study. Students who enrolled in the BA+JD program prior to 2022 must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.35 by the end of their second year of undergraduate study and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.35 in their third and final year of undergraduate study.
In addition, students must complete a series of two-credit courses, taught by College of Law faculty, prior to matriculation in the College of Law. They are designed to help students understand many aspects of the legal system as well as to complement their undergraduate course of study. The courses are as follows:
In order to be enrolled in the College of Law, students will be required to register with the Law School Admission Council, submit the College of Law's online application, comply with all character and fitness requirements for admission, and submit an LSAT score. The activities should be completed no later than February 1 of the participant's third undergraduate year. The LSAT score will only be used for consideration of merit scholarships; it will not be a factor in the admission of the participant to the program.
Financial Aid
BA/JD students are not eligible for undergraduate scholarships once they start law school. All students will receive a merit scholarship from the College of Law, with merit scholarships beginning at $1,500 per academic year. Students who earn an LSAT score and GPA at or above the College of Law's median LSAT and GPA are the most likely candidates for larger merit scholarships. College of Law students are not eligible for the Double Demon discount.
Frequently Asked Questions for Political Science Majors in the BA/JD 3+3 Program
The first thing you should do is meet with your academic advisor. The 3+3 program consolidates 4 years of undergraduate education into a three-year timeframe. It does this by eliminating nearly all of your open electives and replacing them with your first year of law school. This means that students in 3+3 must be very organized and have a clear plan for fulfilling their required courses. It is imperative that you work closely with your academic advisor to make sure that you are on track to finish the program on time. The academic advisor for political science is Estella Sorenson. You can schedule a meeting by emailing her at esorens6@depaul.edu.
The second thing you should do is schedule a meeting with a prelaw advisor. A prelaw advisor can explain what the law school experience is like, tell you more about the legal profession, and give you advice on how best to prepare for law school. The political science department has three prelaw advisors who are available to meet with students. You can schedule a meeting with any of them directly by emailing Professor Williams, david.williams@depaul.edu; Professor Mello, jmello1@depaul.edu; or Professor Rivers, crivers@depaul.edu.
Yes, students enrolled in 3+3 should plan on taking the LSAT during the Fall Quarter of their junior year at DePaul (or the Summer before).You can register for the LSAT through the Law School Admission Council’s website. The test is offered at specific times each year from October to June. Students must register in advance. Students who do not complete the exam will not be allowed to begin law school courses.
Yes, students enrolled in 3+3 will need to complete a senior capstone seminar during their junior year. The course is usually only available to seniors, so you will need to request permission to enroll in it early. This can be done by talking to your academic advisor.
No, unfortunately it is not possible to double major while in the 3+3 program.
Yes, you can participate in a study abroad program while in 3+3, but you will need to make sure that the credits you earn while studying abroad will satisfy your learning domains or major requirements. Some, but not all, study abroad programs will allow you to do this. If you are interested in study abroad, please contact your academic advisor to discuss the feasibility of doing so early in your academic career.
Even though students enrolled in the 3+3 program finish taking undergraduate courses after three years, they will not earn enough credits to receive their undergraduate diploma until they have finished their first year of law school.
Students can withdraw from the 3+3 program without penalty at any time up until the end of their first year of law school. If you choose to leave the 3+3 program you will be required to complete the standard graduation requirements for your major. Any law courses that you took as part of the 3+3 program will count as open electives. Students interested in withdrawing from the 3+3 program should contact Randy Honold, Assistant Dean of Academic Services, at rhonold@depaul.edu.
Political Science (BA) + Secondary Education Social Science (MEd)
The TEACH Program combines a Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (LAS) undergraduate Social Science major (Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, or Sociology) or a Science and Health (Psychology) major with a graduate level College of Education (COE) master’s in Education Program. Students graduate with a BA or BS in their disciplinary major and a MEd in Education with State of Illinois Secondary Social Science licensure.
Students may apply to the TEACH Program during the spring of their junior year. They must enroll in the Junior Year Experiential Learning course, TCH 320, and meet other application criteria; these include completion of at least 16 quarter credit hours at DePaul and a 3.0 GPA. During their senior year, students are required to complete a TEACH Program capstone course, TCH 390, and three 400-level courses that count toward both their undergraduate and graduate degrees:
Junior Year Coursework: 4 undergraduate quarter hours required
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| TCH 320 | EXPLORING TEACHING IN THE URBAN HIGH SCHOOL (fulfills the Liberal Studies Program experiential learning (EL) requirement) | 4 |
Senior Year Coursework: 4 quarter hours required
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| TCH 390 | CAPSTONE: INTEGRATING EDUCATION & DISCIPLINARY FOUNDATIONS (fulfills undergraduate Capstone requirement; major area may require a separate Capstone course) | 4 |
Undergraduate/Graduate Double-Counted Courses: 12 undergraduate/graduate quarter hours required, grade of C or better required.
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| TCH 402 | INTRODUCTION TO MIDDLE GRADES AND SECONDARY EDUCATION | 4 |
| TCH 412 | THE NATURE OF HISTORY AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES | 4 |
| TCH 422 | INQUIRY & APPLICATION IN DEVELOPING HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCES PEDAGOGY | 4 |
Social Science Content Area (grades of C or better required for licensure):
The following Social Science content area requirements are required. These can be taken as part of the major, liberal studies or open elective requirements:
- HST 298
- HST 299
- 3 United States History courses
- 2 Non-United States History courses
- 6 from the political science major
- Additional licensure requirements: (one course in each area required)
- Economics (ECO 106 recommended)
- Geography (GEO 101 recommended)
- Psychology (PSY 105 recommended)
- Sociology (SOC 101 recommended)
- Anthropology (ANT 102 recommended)
This combined degree program of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and the College of Education was collaboratively developed, and is governed and taught by faculty from these units.
The Master’s year comprises teacher-preparation coursework that culminates with student teaching during Spring quarter. Upon graduation and the fulfilling of State of Illinois licensure requirements (which may require some additional course work in the student’s major and related fields), students are eligible to be licensed to teach Social Sciences at the 5th-12th grade levels.
A full description of the TEACH Program can be found here. Students interested in the TEACH Program should consult with the designated TEACH Program advisor in their home department.
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