3+1.5 Program

• Highly selective program for academically talented students
• Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in four-and-a-half years
• Politics, Government & Law track
• International Studies track
• Opportunities to study abroad as an undergraduate and graduate student
• Problem-based learning and research models

This accelerated program integrates undergraduate and graduate training and provides comprehensive global learning opportunities. Arcadia’s undergraduate programs in Politics, Government & Law and International Studies enrich the multidisciplinary perspectives inherent in the field of international peace and conflict resolution.

This accelerated program meets the needs of students who want to pursue accelerated training in IPCR, allowing for an intensive and rigorous four-and-a-half-year academic program that includes international experiences and practical fieldwork. This program allows talented students to pursue an accelerated option that is both more affordable and custom-designed to prepare them for a highly competitive job market.

Arcadia’s Master’s program in International Peace and Conflict Resolution educates and trains students to be advocates, activists, and social entrepreneurs who develop innovative approaches to global and local peace building from the ground-up. Preparing especially for careers in the non-profit/NGO sector as well as other public, private, and academic fields, IPCR students engage in project-based learning, global fieldwork, and internships. They work with an interdisciplinary group of faculty scholars to understand the social, political, historical, and economic contexts in which peace and conflict are produced, and they learn practical, operational skills including program planning, program evaluation, mediation, and conflict assessment. 

Students in the graduate program in International Peace and Conflict Resolution pursue a Master’s degree that consists of three terms of intensive academic training at our Glenside campus including coursework, an internship, and capstone project.

Visit the IPCR website for more information.

Students must meet the minimum criteria for the Honors Program in order to be conditionally admitted to the accelerated program as a first-year student. Students also may apply for entrance to the 3+1.5 program at the end of the first year.

For continuation on to the MA level in the fourth year, the following criteria must be met:

• Completion of the appropriate required undergraduate courses in the major.
• The maintenance of a 3.5 GPA.
• Submission of the online IPCR application including essays and the recommendation of at least one faculty member in the Department of Historical & Political Studies by the application deadline.
• Completion of an IPCR Interview process.
• Official acceptance by the IPCR Director and/or the IPCR admissions committee.

The specific course sequence for each track is available on request. Overall, a student will complete at least 120 hours toward the BA degree in either Politics, Government & Law or International Studies and at least 30 hours toward the MA degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution.

This is achievable in four-and-a-half years as some of the IPCR courses that students take in the fourth year will count toward the undergraduate degree. This allows accelerated students to begin their graduate studies in the fourth year, together with all the incoming IPCR graduate students, while completing remaining undergraduate credit requirements. Students complete their undergraduate senior capstone project during their third year as the fourth year is spent on graduate methods training, internship and preparation of the master’s Capstone.

Master of Arts in International Peace and Conflict Resolution and Bachelor of Arts in International Studies (3+1.5 program)

Students wishing to pursue the four-and-a-half-year accelerated BA in International Studies and MA in International Peace and Conflict Resolution will complete all requirements for the BA in International Studies and the MA in IPCR in four-and-a-half years.

In years one to three, students are expected to complete all Undergraduate Curriculum requirements as well as most requirements for the International Studies major, including the majority of their coursework, study abroad, the language requirement, and Senior Thesis, which is done in the third year. In year four, they complete the International Studies major as well as all first-year requirements for the IPCR degree. This is made possible through a number of courses that count for both the IS major and the IPCR degree. In the fall semester of the fifth year, they complete their IPCR requirements, including the master’s Capstone.

The International Studies major is highly flexible. It requires 12 courses in the major (typically 46-48 credits) plus the completion of the intermediate level (202-level) of a modern language other than English. In addition, International Studies majors must study abroad, or engage in an approved immersive, global experience.

Students must take the following four required classes: Introduction to International Studies (IS 101), International Studies Research Writing (IS 201), and the Senior Seminar sequence. Students must take one class from each of the following disciplines to meet the Interdisciplinary Core requirement: Politics, Government and Law; History; and Anthropology. Students must take at least three courses with an IS designation to meet the International Studies Core requirement. At least one of the IS Core classes must have a writing designation. Students must take two elective classes. At least three courses in the IS Core, the Interdisciplinary Core or the Electives must be taken at the 300 level. Appropriate courses taken abroad count toward the major.

Master of Arts in International Peace and Conflict Resolution and Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Government & Law  (3+1.5 program)

Students who want to pursue the accelerated BA in Politics, Government & Law and MA in International Peace and Conflict Resolution will complete all degree requirements in four-and-a-half years.

In years one to three, students complete all Undergraduate Curriculum requirements as well as most of the requirements for the Politics, Government & Law major, including the Senior Thesis, which is done in the third year. In year four, students complete all requirements for the Politics, Government & Law major and begin coursework for the IPCR master’s program. This is made possible as a number of IPCR courses are cross-listed as Politics, Government & Law courses and will be counted as undergraduate credits. In the fall semester of the fifth year, students complete their IPCR requirements, including the master’s Capstone.

Most Politics, Government & Law majors in the accelerated program will choose the International Relations concentration. To complete this concentration, of the 44 credits required by the Politics, Government & Law major, 20 must be selected from approved international offerings. All Politics, Government & Law majors must take PS 101 (American Politics), 150 (Comparative Politics), 241 (International Relations), 245 (Political Thought) or 330 (American Political Thought), and 490 and 491 (Senior Thesis Seminars). Additionally, Politics, Government & Law majors must take four electives, at least two of which must be at the 300 level.