Bachelor's/Master's Program

Policy number: AA048EN
Last review date: Fall 2023
Next review date: Fall 2027
Issuing office: Academic Affairs

PURPOSE

The American University of Paris offers exceptionally motivated students the opportunity to apply for entry into a Bachelor's/Master’s Program in any of the Master's programs at the American University of Paris. This policy ensures consistency and clarity in terms of the application process and academic standing requirements pertaining to these Programs. Students are eligible to apply from any AUP major and must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 and have earned at least 64 credits at the time of application. Students must also maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 throughout the Master’s program to graduate with the Master's degree. Students who successfully complete the program will earn two degrees: a BA/BSc and an MA/MSc degree.

WHO IS AFFECTED BY THIS POLICY

This policy affects students, faculty, and staff.

LEGAL CONTEXT OR REGULATORY BODY

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

POLICY STATEMENT

Application Process

Timing

Students must have junior standing (at least 64 credits earned) at the time they apply. Expression of interest forms for Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs be submitted before the beginning of the second semester of junior year (or before 80 credit hours are reached).

Bachelor’s/Master’s Program students may only matriculate officially as full-time graduate students in the Fall term. For example, a Bachelor’s/Master’s Program student who completes the requirements of their Bachelor’s degree in a Spring or Summer term may matriculate officially as a full-time Master’s student in the following Fall term. However, a Bachelor’s/Master’s student who completes the requirements of their Bachelor’s degree in a Fall term must wait until the subsequent Fall term to matriculate officially as a full -time graduate student.

Students need to be enrolled at the University or on declared Leave of Absence and must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 at the time of submission. Students who transferred to AUP and who do not yet have an AUP GPA or who have only one semester of AUP coursework may use their previous university transcripts (which AUP has on file) in place of the AUP GPA. Candidates are eligible to apply from any AUP major to any Master's program.

Students in the Bachelor’s/Master’s program may not defer their undergraduate graduation term, nor may they defer the start of their Master’s program.

Application & Acceptance

Meet with academic advisor
To begin the application process, all candidates must meet with their academic advisor to complete a degree worksheet and a Junior Degree Check (JDC) that clearly lays out the student’s plan to complete the requirements of their Bachelor’s degree while layering in 4 credits worth of Master's coursework in each semester of their senior year. The Center for Academic, Career and Experiential Advising (ACE) is available for additional support in completing the degree worksheet and JDC as needed.
Expression of interest form
Having met with their academic advisor, interested applicants should complete the expression of interest form to be considered for provisional admission into the Bachelor's/Master’s Program of their choice. The updated degree worksheet and most recent undergraduate transcripts are required as attachments on the form.
The candidate is required to meet with the Program Director of the Master’s program of their choice.
Once the meeting has taken place, the Program Director may confirm the candidate as a good fit for the program and the application for provisional admission will be provided to the student by the Graduate Programs Office. If the Program Director does not agree that the candidate is a good fit for the program, the student will be advised by the Graduate Programs Office to either submit an expression of interest form to another program or to apply to the Master’s program of their first choice as a new student, not within the Bachelor’s/Master’s program.
Provisional acceptance into the Master’s program of choice
Candidates who have approval from the Program Director will complete and submit the application for provisional acceptance. Applications will be reviewed by the AUP Admissions Office and by the Program Director of the student’s program of choice. Successful applicants will be notified of their provisional acceptance into the program conditional upon their successful completion of their Master's coursework and their Bachelor's degree (details below in Academic Standing Requirements).
Enrollment into first Master’s course in first semester
Once provisionally accepted into the Bachelor’s/Master’s Program the student will be enrolled into their first Master’s course during the senior year by the Office of the Registrar. The Office of the Registrar will make every effort to enroll the student into their first-choice course, depending on space availability.
Formal acceptance
Upon successful completion of the first Master’s course, the Admissions Office sends the students notice of formal acceptance into the program. If the conditions have not been met, the student’s dossier will be reviewed by the Program Director and the student will either continue under a probationary period or will be rejected from the program.
Completion of second Master’s course and Bachelor's degree.
During the pre-registration period of the first semester of the senior year students will register their undergraduate courses for their final semester via the student portal (as usual) and will be enrolled into their second Master’s course during the senior year by the Office of the Registrar. The Office of the Registrar will make every effort to enroll the student into their first-choice course, depending on space availability.
Official matriculation into the Master’s program.
Upon successful completion of the Bachelor's degree and the two Master’s courses, the student will be officially matriculated into the Master's program. At this point, the student will be treated as any new student to an AUP Master’s program. Students will be required to check-in with the Admissions Office and to attend graduate student orientation.

If the cumulative GPA of the two graduate courses is B- or below, the offer of admission is rescinded. Students can apply for the Master’s program as a new student. Students will not be able to transfer the credit from their graduate courses taken as part of the Bachelor’s/Master’s program if the offer is rescinded and they apply via regular admissions.

Academic Requirements & Information
Students who are provisionally accepted into a Bachelor’s/Master’s Program must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 in the graduate courses they take during their undergraduate degree and must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 through the entirety of their Master's degree. The minimum passing grade in Master’s courses is B-. However, it is possible to count two final course C grades towards the Master's degree on the condition of continuously maintaining a 3.0 grade point average.

After the completion of the first Master’s-level course, Admissions sends the students notice of formal acceptance if conditions have been met. If the grade received in the first course is under 3.0 GPA, the student’s dossier is reviewed by the Program Director and a probationary period may be imposed or the Program Director could propose rejection from the program. Likewise, a student already matriculated into an AUP’s Master’s program must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0. For more details, please see AUP Policy AA007EN.

The Master courses successfully completed during the undergraduate senior year will be transferred towards the graduate transcript, including the final grade. These courses will be counted once for each degree. The final grade will be transferred in as well, and as such, the grade is considered Master’s level coursework taken during the senior year as part of the Bachelor’s/Master’s Program will impact both the Bachelor’s and Master’s level GPAs.

Students must enroll in 4 credits of graduate courses in each semester of their senior year, allowing them to complete their Master's degree at AUP earlier than they would have otherwise. Students need to have a minimum of 96 earned credits and to be officially enrolled in the accelerated degree program to be allowed to take graduate courses.

Degree Completion
Students who successfully complete the accelerated program will earn two degrees: a BA/BSc and an MA/MSc degree. This means that students will be invited to participate in the AUP Commencement Ceremony twice: once for their Bachelor's degree and once for their Master's degree In all cases, in order to earn their undergraduate degree, students who choose to withdraw their application must meet all their undergraduate degree requirements or must have completed the full MA/MSc 4-credit course substitutions as defined by the graduate program they had been enrolled in. Other substitution courses for undergraduate credits may be agreed upon with the student’s graduate program advisor and must be officially confirmed by the program director and the Registrar’s Office for the student’s record.

Degree Requirements
Students must have completed 96 credits to begin taking graduate classes which will count for undergraduate and graduate credit. Courses counting toward Bachelor’s/Master's Programs must be taken in -house at AUP (no transfer credits).

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Graduate Programs Office advises students on the program procedures and policies and can serve as an initial point of contact for general questions. The Office of Admissions’ role is to ensure the coherence and integrity of the admissions process, in accordance with the educational requirements of the institution. The Office of the Registrar monitors the calculation of the program GPA, degree auditing, and all related record-keeping. The Center for Academic, Career and Experiential Advising assists students with degree planning and oversees the assignment of advisors. The Office of Academic Affairs, in conjunction with academic departments and program directors, ensures the regularity of course offering and the smooth running of the accelerated programs.

APPROVALS & HISTORY

This policy has been created to accompany the creation of the Bachelor’s/Master’s programs during the 2020/2021 Academic Year.
This policy has been updated for the 2023/2024 Academic Year.
Next review 2027.

ISSUING OFFICES AND CONTACT

The Office of Admissions
Tel. +33 1 40 62 07 20
5, boulevard de La Tour-Maubourg
75007 Paris

The Office of Academic Affairs
Tel. +33 1 40 62 06 04
5, boulevard de La Tour-Maubourg
75007 Paris