SKIP TO COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Students should refer to the program requirements for the Individualized Degree Program, which starts with the required course, PRSP 301: Perspectives.
Students planning on applying to the 4+1 program must include in their degree plan (created while enrolled in PRSP 301) the MAPL courses they plan on taking while still pursuing
their bachelor’s degree. These courses should connect to the learning goals in their degree plan. Any changes to this plan will need to be approved by an individualized studies faculty advisor, using the degree plan amendment process.
If students have previously completed PRSP 301 and wish to begin the 4+1 program, they can work with an advisor and faculty to complete a degree plan amendment adding the specific MAPL courses they will take as a bachelor’s student. This amendment should include any related changes to their undergraduate learning goals.
Students who start and then choose not to continue in the 4+1 pathway may, likewise, seek to amend their degree plans to remove the MAPL courses and update their learning goals.
Overview
Metro State’s College of Individualized Studies and College of Community Studies and Public Affairs jointly offer this accelerated option for individualized program students to pursue a Masters in Advocacy and Political Leadership (MAPL). This "4+1" opportunity allows students to complete 4-15 credits of coursework towards the MAPL degree as part of their undergraduate program, shortening the time to completion of the master's program.
This opportunity is best-suited for students who are completing their undergraduate degree with substantial real-world community experience. These enterprising students will be allowed to enroll in graduate courses and will be able to double count the credits towards both their undergraduate and graduate degrees.
If you are an individualized studies student interested in advocacy and politics, pursuing a MAPL degree might be a natural extension of your educational plan. This opportunity allows you to access graduate program faculty, advising, and courses so that you can gain the competencies that are critical to your learning goals.
If you are interested in pursuing a MAPL degree but have not yet earned an undergraduate degree, this accelerated option is an efficient pathway. You don't have to complete an enter bachelor's program before starting on the program you're truly interested in. You can make real progress, sooner, getting where you want to go.
All individualized program students create a degree plan in a foundational course, PRSP 301: Perspectives, Educational Philosophy and Planning. Student pursuing this 4+1 option simply include 4-15 credits of masters-level MAPL courses in their individualized degree program. Only students who have applied and been accepted into the 4+1 pathway are allowed to included these courses in their undergraduate plan. After completing their individualized BA or BAS degree, students will have 36-25 credit remaining to complete their MAPL degree.
To be admitted into the IS+MAPL 4+1 program, students must meet the minimum requirements (below), and must be referred by a professor or advisor. Then, prospective undergraduate students must arrange a one-on-one meeting with a MAPL program representative. After their 4+1 undergraduate plan is approved, conditionally admitted students will be eligible to take masters courses that fit into their undergraduate degree plan. To be then be formally admitted into the MAPL program, students must complete the MAPL program application, which they should do in the final semester of their undergraduate degree. Students are not required to continue on in the MAPL program, if they decide not to, and can still use MAPL courses to satisfy BA degree requirements. Students must apply to enroll in MAPL within 5 years of completing their individualized studies degree in order to count courses taken as an undergraduate towards their graduate degree.
Undergraduate students who participate in the IS+MAPL 4+1 program may use undergraduate financial aid to pay for tuition and course fees related to graduate courses that count towards their bachelor degrees. In order to apply undergraduate financial aid to MAPL courses, each specific graduate-level course must be included in the student’s degree plan. Once they have satisfied requirements for their undergraduate degree, students are required to complete bachelor's degree program. When students continue in the MAPL program at this point, they are classified as graduate students for the purpose of financial aid. A student cannot continue taking graduate courses while they are classified as an undergraduate student if they have met the requirements to complete their undergraduate degree.
It is important for students to note that graduate tuition is more costly, on a per-credit basis, than undergraduate tuition. Prospective students are encouraged to meet with their
academic advisor and financial aid representative to determine effects that participating in this program may have on financial aid.