W&M undergraduate students are able to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Public Policy in five years. Candidates interested in this combined degree path must apply to and gain acceptance to the Public Policy Program in their junior year. Acceptance into the combined degree path includes the intention that the graduate committee will recommend regular admission to the graduate program when the baccalaureate degree has been conferred.

With advance written permission from the program’s graduate committee, up to nine graduate credits with a grade of C or higher taken by students in the B.A./B.S./M.P.P. combined degree path may be used to satisfy both graduate and undergraduate degree requirements. Students in the combined degree path will take additional graduate public policy classes during their fourth year; these classes will count exclusively toward the M.P.P. degree requirements.

Students may also earn up to 9 graduate credits through demonstrating competency in the following first-year M.P.P. classes: PUBP 601 - The Political Environment , PUBP 602 - Quantitative Methods I , and PUBP 603 - Quantitative Methods II . Competency will be demonstrated by passing the final exam of these courses with a grade of B or higher. Students who successfully demonstrate competency in these courses will receive course credit and a grade of P.