Departments that offer the BA/MA Program

The MA requires six or more credits in addition to the 32 required for the Wesleyan BA.

MA degree requirements for coursework, thesis and its defense are specific to each department and can be found in the University Catalog:  https://catalog.wesleyan.edu/departments. One credit in each semester will be awarded for Advanced Research (549/550). Research must culminate in an MA thesis.  MA credit is awarded only for courses with a minimum grade of B minus.  

Students who earn more than 32 credits at the time the BA degree is completed may apply excess credits toward the MA degree provided that the credits are for courses relevant to the area of study, the courses have not been used to fulfill any requirement for undergraduate major(s), minor(s), and certificate(s), and the grade of B minus or better was earned.  Students are required to submit a Program of Study form following completion of the BA, signed by their faculty MA research advisor, indicating the courses that will be used to satisfy the MA degree requirements.  

Students in the BA/MA program are required to submit an MA thesis describing the research that they have carried out in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements. Many students in the program choose not to write a BA Honors thesis because they will be writing a more substantial MA thesis based on the same project the following year. However, there is no prohibition against writing a BA thesis should the student wish to do so. This does not relieve the student of the obligation to submit a MA thesis.

Application deadline

• There is one application period of Sep 1 – Jan 15 for both fall and spring entry terms.
• The online application opens on Sep 1 and closes on Jan 15, 5:00 pm, eastern.  
• Students completing the BA in six or eight semesters apply to the BA/MA program by Jan 15 just prior to their final semester.
• Students completing the BA in seven semesters apply to the BA/MA program by Jan 15 just prior to their sixth semester.

Outline of the application process

• Sep 1 – Jan 15:  Application submission. 
• By Jan 31: Academic departments complete review of applications to their department and rank their candidates.
• By Feb 28: The Director of Graduate Studies and the BA/MA committee of the Graduate Council review applications and department recommendations, and complete the admission decisions.  Admission decisions are released to applicants.

To start an application for the BA/MA program you must first create an account:  On-line application

Notes About the Online Application

• It is important to use both upper and lower case letters, as appropriate.
• You may save your work on your application and return to complete it.
• Applications must be submitted to be reviewed.
• You will not be able to edit your application after you submit it.

Financial Aid

Applicants admitted to the MA that received Wesleyan grant aid during their final year of the BA program may qualify for financial aid for the two semesters of the MA.  Applicants who do not meet this criterion and feel that financial aid would be required in order to participate in the program may contact Matthew Akre, Associate Director of Financial Aid, makre@wesleyan.edu not later than December 15. Financial aid is to assist with expenses such as housing, food, and health insurance. The goal of financial aid is to ensure that participation in the program is not limited for financial reasons.  

There is a place in the online application for applicants to request financial aid.The request for financial aid is not factored into the evaluation of applications.  In terms of admission, there is no clear advantage to requesting aid or not. The decision to request aid or not should be based on what the applicant would need to participate in the program.

Upload the required supplemental materials with the application:

1. A Statement of Purpose that includes information such as your academic background, abilities, interests and objectives; what attracted you to your chosen course of study; your research experience (if any); whether your transcript and college record are an accurate reflection of your academic ability; and why you feel Wesleyan's BA/MA program is suited to your academic and professional goals.  This statement is limited to 2 pages, single spaced, 12-point font.

2. A Research Proposal that describes the research you propose to carry out as an MA degree candidate. In your own words, discuss the problem your research will address and the ways in which this work will lead to progress in the field.  Your proposal will be evaluated by a committee of graduate faculty who may be outside your department.  This statement is limited to 3 pages, single spaced, 12-point font, including (optional) figures and references.

3. Recommendations: At least two letters of recommendation, one from your faculty research advisor and one from an additional Wesleyan faculty member.

4. Transcript: A copy of your unofficial undergraduate transcript(s). If you wish, you may include a statement of why you feel your transcript is not an accurate reflection of your academic ability.

Tuition for two semesters of post-BA work toward the MA degree is waived, including courses offered during summer and winter sessions. The tuition waiver is not applicable to study abroad courses or to coursework beyond the two semesters after the BA.  In the exceptional case that a student needs an additional semester to complete the MA thesis, the student will be charged a continuation fee of $250 per semester. 

BA/MA students are financially responsible for their housing, food, health insurance, and graduate student activity fee. Applicants admitted to the MA that received Wesleyan grant aid during their final year of the BA program may qualify for financial aid for the two semesters of the MA. Applicants who do not meet this criterion and feel that financial aid would be required in order to participate in the program may contact Matthew Akre, Associate Director of Financial Aid, makre@wesleyan.edu not later than December 15.  Financial aid is to assist with expenses such as housing, food, and health insurance. The goal of financial aid is to ensure that participation in the program is not limited for financial reasons.  

There is a place in the online application for applicants to request financial aid.The request for financial aid is not factored into the evaluation of applications.  In terms of admission, there is no clear advantage to requesting aid or not. The decision to request aid or not should be based on what the applicant would need to participate in the program.

BA/MA students are required to have health insurance and must provide proof of health insurance coverage. Students may opt to participate in the graduate student health plan offered by the university.  BA/MA students who select student insurance are responsible for the full premium.  Please see Health Insurance Options.

BA/MA students are not eligible to receive a graduate stipend from the University.  Some BA/MA students may elect to work as TAs and are paid by their department on an hourly basis. 

The student's Student Account must be in good financial standing after completing the BA in order to continue onto the MA. 

BA/MA students are eligible to apply for Wesleyan graduate student housing.  Graduate student housing generally becomes available in late August. University housing for BA/MA students is not guaranteed. 

BA/MA students who are required by their academic department to be on campus conducting research in the summer between the completion of the BA and the start of the MA who wish to live in Wesleyan graduate student housing in the Fall, may apply to live in graduate student housing during the summer.  Residential Life will make every effort to accommodate these requests.

Priority will be given to housing applications submitted by May 1. Residential Life makes every effort to match a graduate student’s preference for housing with the available housing stock and considers requests in the order in which applications are received. 

BA/MA students who are required by their academic department to be on campus conducting research in the summer between the completion of the BA and the start of the MA who do not plan to live in Wesleyan graduate student housing in the Fall, should make arrangements to move into an off-campus location for the summer. 

Wesleyan Graduate Housing Options: https://www.wesleyan.edu/reslife/grad_housing/grad_options.html

Wesleyan Graduate Housing Application: https://www.wesleyan.edu/reslife/grad_housing/housing_applica

BA/MA students are full-time, on-campus, graduate students during the two semesters that immediately follow the completion of the BA degree requirements.  

The Office of Graduate Student Services will review the academic records of BA/MA students at the end of the first semester of the graduate program.  Academic review warnings will be sent to students and the research advisor who are in danger of not fulfilling course requirements for the MA degree by virtue of having received a failing grade (B- or below) in a course. A student with no chance of fulfilling the requirements for the MA degree by the end of the second semester may be required to withdraw from the university. 

BA/MA students who have completed all of the course requirements for the MA degree but have not completed the thesis will be classified as ABD-NOT Enrolled and may continue as ABD-NOT Enrolled for a maximum of two years. Students classified as ABD-NOT Enrolled may submit and defend their thesis to complete the degree requirements.  In exceptional circumstances, students may petition their academic department for a one-year extension beyond the two-year limit for ABD-Not Enrolled status. 

Students classified as ABD-NOT Enrolled do not enroll in courses, do not conduct research in campus labs, are not eligible for tuition remission, are not eligible for the meal plan stipend, are not eligible for federal student loan deferment, are not eligible for graduate housing, and pay a continuation fee of $250 per semester. 

The experience of BA/MA students varies as much as the breadth of research topics and the personalities of students and faculty mentors.  Explicit and clear expectations and communication will help you succeed. 

Advisor and Committee 

Your advisor is your mentor and essential to your success.  Some departments, though not all, form committees made up of faculty who will monitor your progress, provide feedback on your work, help you with research problems and arbitrate disagreements between you and your advisor.  In some departments, other faculty serve as “readers” of the final thesis.

It is recommended that you discuss these topics with your advisor:

• What your advisor expects from you (in the lab, in research, in writing).
• How often you will meet.
• When to select your committee members or readers and how to select them.

Courses

Confer with your advisor about course selection.  You are required to submit a Program of Study after you matriculate to the MA via your WesPortal>Academics>Program of Study to indicate the courses you will use to satisfy the requirements of the MA degree. The Program of Study will be routed to your faculty research advisor for approval.  If there are changes to your Program of Study in your second semester of MA, follow the same process to submit a Revised Program of Study by the end of the Add/Drop period of your second semester. 

Research and Thesis 

Make a comprehensive plan with your advisor.  Unspoken expectations on both sides can cause problems.

It is recommended you discuss these topics with your advisor: 

• What to do when you run into trouble with research.
• How you will know when you have enough data.
• How you will know when it is time to start writing.
• Sharing data and written work with your advisor.
• Reasonable expectations for feedback after you have shared what you’ve written.

The online MA Graduation Requirements contains deadline dates for people who complete the degree requirements in May.  People who complete the degree requirements in December use the same exit packet and forms and disregard the dates. 

Students who complete the MA in May must complete the exit process before the deadline of the exit period in order to receive the degree in May.

Students who complete the MA in December must defend the thesis and complete the exit process before the start of the enrollment period for the subsequent spring semester.  Preferences vary by department – check with your advisor.

Each Department has its own variations on the protocols and the following information is generalized. Make sure to check the details of the requirements with your own department.

• MA students are required by their departments to participate in an oral exam. Your department will schedule your oral exam. If you are completing in the Spring semester, your oral exam will be scheduled to occur during the MA Oral Exam Period. If you are completing in the Fall semester, your oral exam will be scheduled at a time that works for your exam committee members. Check with your department Administrative Assistant for scheduling your oral exam.
• You will need to submit a copy of your thesis to your thesis readers/committee members approximately two weeks before your scheduled oral exam date. Check with your faculty research advisor about the latest date they would like you to submit your thesis to your readers/committee.
• Committees often require a student to make edits to the thesis after the oral exam.  You must make all edits before uploading the final document to WesScholar.  After you have defended, made edits to your thesis, and uploaded the final document to WesScholar, you must exit through the Office of Graduate Student Services. Electronic Graduate Exit Forms must be completed and approved before the exit appointment.
• Instructions for scheduling an exit appointment are included in the online Graduation Requirements:

http://www.wesleyan.edu/grad/academics/graduationrequirementsma.html. 

It is highly recommended that students establish a timeline to pace their progress and discuss their timeline with their faculty research advisor.  Below is one example of a timeline for progress on the thesis.  Timelines vary based on field and project.  

May Completion: 

• By end of the first semester of MA – complete majority of experiments
• By end of winter break - write draft of introduction to your thesis
• By end of spring break - write draft of methods and results
• By end of first week of April - write draft of abstract and conclusion
• By end of second week of April - revise and edit with your advisor

December Completion: 

• By end of the first semester of MA – complete majority of experiments
• By end of summer break - write draft of introduction to your thesis
• By mid-October - write draft of methods and results
• By end of first week of November - write draft of abstract and conclusion
• By end of second week of November - revise and edit with your advisor