5 Years BA/MA Programme

The Geneva Graduate Institute partners with leading universities in the United States, China, and Japan to offer selective, accelerated BA/MA pathways. These programmes enable a small number of high-achieving students to complete both a bachelor’s degree at their home institution and a master’s degree at the Graduate Institute in just five years, instead of the typical six. 

Combining the strengths of a liberal arts or interdisciplinary undergraduate education with advanced graduate training in international affairs, this pathway offers an efficient and globally oriented route to further study and careers.

 

contact us
 

Elisabeth Cini

 Elisabeth Cini
 International Programme Office
 International.Programmes@graduateinstitute.ch

how it works
 

Students nominated from our partner universities in China and Japan will spend the first three years of their Bachelor at their home institution; they will then be able to complete their Bachelor (fourth year) while starting their MA at the Graduate Institute in Geneva.

Students can choose from one of the Institute's six Master programmes, based on prior study focus.

 

Application and Admission


NB: Only students duly nominated by our partner institutions are eligible to apply.

  • Once students are nominated for the BA-MA programme, they must submit their application through a special link provided by the home institution.
  • Students will be responsible for meeting all application requirements and submitting all materials to the Graduate Institute in Geneva.
  • The regular deadline for this application is 15 January.
  • Admission to the programme is not final until the Graduate Institute approves the applicant’s file according to its evaluation and selection procedure.

 

contact
 

  • For China Foreign Affairs University:
    Ms Wang Yumeng, International Program Coordinator of Foreign Affairs Office, wangyumeng@cfau.edu.cn
     
  • For The University of Hong Kong, Faculty of Social Sciences: 
    Ms Angel Li, Executive Officer, socscug@hku.hk
     
  • For Peking University:
    Ms Veronica Wang, Programme Officer, Office for International Programmes, sisoip@pku.edu.cn
     
  • For Sophia University: 
    Ms Kazumi Sato, Director of Office of Global Education and Collaboration, kazumi_sato@cl.sophia.ac.jp
     
  • Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies:
    Ms Elisabeth Cini, International Programmes Office, international.programmes@graduateinstitute.ch

How it works
 

Students coming from liberal arts colleges in partnership with the Graduate Institute will spend the fall semester of their senior year in Geneva, at the Institute.

They will return to their home university for their final semester and graduation, after which they will come back to Geneva for a fifth year.

 

Application and Admission


NB: Only students duly nominated by our partner institutions are eligible to apply.

  • Once students are nominated for the BA-MA programme, they must submit their application through a special link provided by the home institution.
  • Students will be responsible for meeting all application requirements and submitting all materials to the Graduate Institute in Geneva.
  • The regular deadline for this application is 15 January.
  • Admission to the programme is not final until the Graduate Institute approves the applicant’s file according to its evaluation and selection procedure.

 

Contact
 

HOW IT WORKS


The new pathway BA-MA programme will allow participating students to spend seven semesters of their studies at McGill University, thereby earning a bachelor’s degree in IDS after three and a half years. In the eighth semester, after successfully graduating from McGill, students will begin their studies at the Geneva Graduate Institute. They will then complete a fifth year at the Graduate Institute to fulfill the requirements for the Master's degree. The BA-MA programme allows students to graduate with two degrees in five instead of six years. 

 

Application and Admission


NB: Only students duly nominated by our partner institutions are eligible to apply.

  • Once students are nominated for the BA-MA programme, they must submit their application through a special link provided by the home institution.
  • Students will be responsible for meeting all application requirements and submitting all materials to the Graduate Institute in Geneva.
  • The regular deadline for this application is 15 January.
  • Admission to the programme is not final until the Graduate Institute approves the applicant’s file according to its evaluation and selection procedure.

 

Contact
 

TESTIMONIALS

CAROLINE LANCASTER

Smith College

"I was first attracted to the partnership program with The Graduate Institute with practicality in mind; its international location, fast-track timeline, and cost savings were outstanding compared to American graduate schools. Once in Geneva, I fully understood the value of the program and The Institute itself. From the access students have to cosmopolitan professors performing cutting-edge research to the exposure to international peers with stimulating and interdisciplinary ideas, I can’t imagine a better program or setting in which to study. Without a doubt, the Joint BA/MA Program was the best choice for me."

CALLIE YUEN KIM

Wellesley

"Partaking in the Joint BA-MA programme was one of the best decisions that I made while at Wellesley: it provided me with a great education and a unique opportunity to experience International Geneva. I was grateful to be surrounded by people from diverse backgrounds and to live right by Lac Léman, which is as spiritual as Lake Waban at Wellesley. I believe that this programme has enabled me to reflect on my own philosophies and to grow positively."

SOPHIA SIMMONS

Smith College

"The BA/MA program tested my adaptability and built my personal resilience. It was a challenge, but a challenge that was definitely worth it. It gave me the opportunity to confront and overcome any intellectual self-doubts I had. It also gave me an affordable MA degree in half the time with twice the adventure. If I could redo Smith, I would always choose this path."

TANISHA RAYAMAJHI

Wellesley

"The Graduate Institute experience is strongly rooted in both professional as well as personal development, and the school gears its abundant global network of partnerships, platforms, opportunities, and connections towards the individual growth of its students. The 4+1 program offered an incredibly seamless transition from my Wellesley Bachelors degree to my Masters along with complete financial support – I could not possibly have stumbled upon a better opportunity!"

KATIE HOEFLINGER

Wellesley

"The Institute offers truly unparalleled education and expertise in international studies and an incredible balance of academic and professional learning. Since starting my studies at the Institute, I’ve been challenged to contribute meaningfully to the field I am working in and  excited about my education like never before! The support offered through the partnership has exceeded all expectations, and the student community is no less welcoming. Geneva is almost spilling over with organizations doing meaningful and fascinating work, and the Institute is essentially the same."

Paola Granados and Maya Mauroof

Mount Holyoke

Toward a global future
Mount Holyoke’s BA/MA programme in Geneva gives students on-the-ground experience in international work and a graduate degree.

Read the article