We recommend that you apply to the Combined Program when you have completed 75 to 90 credits of your undergraduate degree. Exceptions may be made to that credit hour range, but you will need to seek approval at spacombinedprograms@american.edu. First year students are not eligible to apply, but we encourage all interested students to inquire early so proactive academic planning may take place in preparation for the Combined Program option. 

The School of Public Affairs has rolling admissions which means you are able to submit your application at any time. However, you will not be able to register for shared and approved graduate coursework until you are officially admitted to an SPA master’s degree program. We prioritize a 7-10 business day turnaround on completed application files so you may gain a quick and, ideally, favorable decision! With this, we recommend that you plan ahead so you may build a strong application file and gain admission ahead of when the course registration date opens for the semester you intend to start taking graduate coursework.

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) general test is optional for all of SPA’s master’s as well as graduate certificate programs. Most students considering the Combined Program option are academically strong undergraduate students at SPA; thus, the GRE would not be necessary to include in an application file to build a case for admission. You are encouraged to reach out to spacombinedprograms@american.edu before starting the application process so you may gain insights on how to navigate the online application platform and how to build a compelling application file. 

SPA manages the Spring and Fall admissions process the same. In addition, all admitted students are considered and awarded comparable values of merit aid based on the strength of their application file for each entry term. Combined Program students also have access to a range of graduate course options for both Spring and Fall semesters.

Your entry term is the semester following your undergraduate graduation from American University. This is when you will officially become a graduate student. For example, if you graduate with your bachelor's degree in Spring 2024, your entry term will be Fall 2024. 

Please email spacombinedprograms@american.edu if you need to identify or edit the entry term in your application.

SPA requires two letters of recommendation as part of your application file. The admission review committee prefers academic sources such as School of Public Affairs faculty or professors from other AU departments. We encourage you to contact former or current faculty who would be able to best represent your ability to succeed as a graduate student.

Once an application is submitted and all supplemental materials are added, SPA’s admission team will review your application file to be sure the file is complete before sending it to the appropriate admission review committee for consideration. The review committee will do a comprehensive review rendering decisions in 7 to 10 business days. You will then be informed via email to login to the online application portal using the same username and password established for your account to retrieve the decision.

It is important for students to remember that there will be no changes to their financial aid package associated with their undergraduate studies post-admission to a Combined Program. It is only after a Combined Program student graduates with their undergraduate degree that tuition will be charged at the graduate tuition rate and changes in how a student may fund their graduate degree need to be considered.

Most graduate students use the following sources to help finance their graduate degree:

1. Federal Student Loans - Direct Unsubsidized Loans & Graduate Plus Loans (Administered by American University’s Office of Financial Aid (OFA))
2. Merit Aid – Partial Tuition Remission Awards (Administered by the School of Public Affairs)
3. Personal – Income, Employer Contributions, Military Benefits, Educational Awards, Outside Fellowships

It is important for a Combined Program student to learn all they can about the financial responsibilities associated with graduate study. SPA is here to help, please contact spagrad@american.edu for more information.

SPA prides itself in being incredibly communicative with all incoming graduate students. We strongly recommend that you read and heed all communications coming from “spacombinedprograms”, “spagrad”, and “spagradaffairs”, especially in the semester leading up to your undergraduate graduation. SPA will be sharing important information about merit aid, class registration, events, and onboarding initiatives designed to support you in the transition from undergraduate to graduate student.

Yes. Many students have jobs or internships while they are completing their graduate degrees. SPA’s master’s programs are strategically designed to afford students the opportunity to directly apply their classroom learning to the workplace with classes only one day a week and class times in the evening and, at times, on the weekend. SPA also enables students to switch their enrollments between full- and part-time as needed.

Transferring programs may be possible for you, but this may impact how many shared credits you are able to apply to your new master’s degree. If you are considering transferring programs, you should speak to your graduate advisor about this as soon as you are able. Next, consult with SPA’s admissions team about the steps required to gain admission to the new master’s degree program.

No. Combined Program students need to continue their graduate coursework the semester after graduation. (However, a Combined Program student is not required to take Summer classes following a May graduation, although many choose to do so, since it helps expedite the completion of the master’s degree.)

You will not be charged as a graduate student until your Bachelor’s degree is conferred by American University’s Office of the University Registrar. The conferral process typically takes 2-4 weeks post-graduation. Combined program students will then see an adjustment in their tuition bill to reflect the graduate tuition rate.