The 4+1 Accelerated Master of Public Policy track is an opportunity for current Duke undergraduate students to complete both their undergraduate and master’s degrees in five years.
How it Works
Over the course of their senior year and their fifth year at Duke, 4+1 students will complete the entire 51 graduate credits required for the traditional two-year MPP degree.
Special Note
This is a continuous enrollment program; students may not take a leave of absence between the undergraduate and graduate portions of their degrees.
Requirements
- Must be a current Duke undergrad.
- Must have an overall 3.5 GPA (must maintain through junior year)
- Must have completed all Trinity College requirements*
- Must have completed all required courses for their major*
- Must submit form of completion signed by Academic Advisor or major DUS.
- Must meet with MPP leadership. Email us: mppadmit@duke.edu
*Note: Applicants are not expected to have completed all 34 class credits as required for an undergraduate degree by the end of their junior year. Rather, students must have completed all specific Trinity College requirements and major requirements. The graduate MPP courses taken during senior year count towards the 34 classes needed to complete a Duke bachelor’s degree.
Depending on exemplary performance in specific Duke undergraduate coursework, 4+1 students may qualify for waivers within the MPP core curriculum. These waivers exempt students from specific courses within the curriculum, not credit hours. Examples can include:
Undergrad Performance |
MPP curriculum waiver |
|
Statistics: Grade of A or higher |
PubPol 812/813/822: Statistics core |
|
Microeconomics: Grade of A or higher |
PubPol 810/811: Microeconomics core |
|
Applied/policy-centric ethics: Grade of A or higher |
PubPol 816: Ethics |
Deadlines
- April 20 (of junior year): Application deadline
- May 1: Notification of admission decision by MPP admissions
- May 15: Deadline to accept/commit to 4+1 program
Begin the Process Sophomore Year
Given the amount of proactive planning needed to complete the requirements, interested students should begin exploring the viability of the 4+1 MPP program during their sophomore year of study at Duke.
Good Financial Sense
Hamza Mohamoud PPS'22/MPP'23 says one key point made his decision easier. Since he would be both a Duke senior and a first-year master’s student, his undergraduate financial aid package would cover his first year of graduate school too. That realization made a huge difference. Choosing the 4+1 program made good fiscal sense. "I made the right decision," he says.
It's Worth It
Kathryn Anderson learned about the 4+1 program during her freshman spring. Her TA was in the program and recommended it. Planning it out took some foresight, she says, but it's worth it. "Now, what is technically my senior year of undergrad, I’m taking first-year courses for an MPP degree. Taking master’s level classes is exciting. It is enriching to have people in the classroom who can draw on their own experiences actually working in the policy field." - Kathryn Anderson PPS’24 MPP’25
Details
- Download document with requirements and course information.
- The 4+1 program is now open to all majors. Read the announcement.