• SPIA Double Dawgs programs have a two-step application process. The first step is the Application to the Pathway. The requirements to apply to the Pathway are:
  • Minimum 3.5 UGA GPA
  • Minimum 60 hours in-progress with at least 30 hours of UGA coursework (excluding AP, IB, or transfer credits)
  • 9 hours of major coursework completed or in-progress
• Once those requirements are met, an interested student submits an application to Paul Welch in 103 Candler Hall for initial eligibility review. Eligible applications are forwarded to the Double Dawg Coordinator of the graduate program for approval. Admission to the Pathway does not imply admission to the graduate program. The Pathway allows students to take graduate courses and the graduate program to test the student.
• Accepted Pathway students begin graduate coursework as early as the fall term of the third year. 12 hours of graduate coursework applies towards both degrees, but only as general electives for the A.B. Graduate courses may not apply towards undergraduate major requirements. Students may take more than 12 hours of graduate courses before graduating with the A.B., but those credit hours beyond the 12 apply to the graduate program only. Students must graduate with the A.B. at the end of their fourth year.
• SPIA will host further events with information specific to each graduate Double Dawgs program covering in-depth descriptions of the academics of each graduate program, differences in the Pathway, and time-lines for application to the Graduate School. There will also be information available via https://spia.uga.edu in the near future.
• SPIA Double Dawgs Program Contacts:
  • Eligibility and A.B. Questions: Paul Welch [email protected]
  • Double Dawg Coordinators:
    • MPA Programmatic Questions: Brandon Solie [email protected]

The Criminal Justice Studies Program at UGA is an inter-disciplinary undergraduate program jointly offered by the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Public and International Affairs. It provides students with a strong liberal arts education, with students completing coursework in theory and research methods alongside specialized courses in criminal justice topics from psychology, sociology, and political science. Students also participate in a semester-long internship with a criminal justice agency.

The Master of Public Administration is designed to develop professionals who can use their educational expertise to work productively at all levels of public sector management as well as in research. This makes it an ideal graduate program for the criminal justice major.

The MPA program requires 41 credit hours including a public management core, a research methods sequence, and a cognate of elective courses which can be shaped into an area of specialization or offer a generalist approach. More information on the MPA program and requirements can be found at the program website.

Double Dawgs students begin their MPA coursework with PADP 6910 “Public Administration and Democracy” no later than the second term of their third year. They continue with two additional Public Management Core classes in the first term of the fourth year and at least PADP 7110 “Research Methods in Public Administration” in the second term of the fourth year. Ideally, Double Dawgs students will also take two additional MPA courses in their final term of undergraduate studies.

Double Dawgs students apply to the Graduate School for admission to the graduate program in the first term of the fourth year.

Sample timelines for Double Dawgs in this program may be found here. These are only samples. Individual students’ timelines will vary, so it is important to plan in consultation with both the undergraduate and graduate program advisors for any Double Dawgs program.

The A.B. in International Affairs focuses on how governments interact with one another (international relations) and the similarities and differences in political systems (comparative politics) with additional strengths in security studies, political economy, and issues of community. It is an especially appropriate major for those who want to understand politics on the world stage, including how politics and economics combine to shape policy outcomes, how nations and leaders strategize, cooperate and interact in times of peace and in times of conflict, and how nongovernmental organizations, political movements, and demographic changes influence global events.

The Master of Public Administration is designed to develop professionals who can use their educational expertise to work productively at all levels of public sector management as well as in research. This makes it an ideal graduate program for the international affairs major interested in public service, politics, and government.

The MPA program requires 41 credit hours including a public management core, a research methods sequence, and a cognate of elective courses which can be shaped into an area of specialization or offer a generalist approach. More information on the MPA program and requirements can be found at the program website.

Double Dawgs students begin their MPA coursework with PADP 6910 “Public Administration and Democracy” no later than the second term of their third year. They continue with two additional Public Management Core classes in the first term of the fourth year and at least PADP 7110 “Research Methods in Public Administration” in the second term of the fourth year. Ideally, Double Dawgs students will also take two additional MPA courses in their final term of undergraduate studies.

Double Dawgs students apply to the Graduate School for admission to the graduate program in the first term of the fourth year.

Individual students’ timelines will vary, so it is important to plan in consultation with both the undergraduate and graduate program advisors for any Double Dawgs program.

The A.B. in Political Science offers a broad and deep understanding of politics within a structured program of study. In addition to a liberal arts foundation, it focuses on a range of courses covering politics in the United States, important debates in political philosophy, legal and constitutional issues, research skills and other topics. Students focused on public service, public policy, government, politics, and law find a ready home in the program.

The Master of Public Administration is designed to develop professionals who can use their educational expertise to work productively at all levels of public sector management as well as in research. This makes it an ideal graduate program for the political science major interested in a professional career in public service, politics, and government.

The MPA program requires 41 credit hours including a public management core, a research methods sequence, and a cognate of elective courses which can be shaped into an area of specialization or offer a generalist approach. More information on the MPA program and requirements can be found at the program website.

Double Dawgs students begin their MPA coursework with PADP 6910 “Public Administration and Democracy” no later than the second term of their third year. They continue with two additional Public Management Core classes in the first term of the fourth year and at least PADP 7110 “Research Methods in Public Administration” in the second term of the fourth year. Ideally, Double Dawgs students will also take two additional MPA courses in their final term of undergraduate studies.

Double Dawgs students apply to the Graduate School for admission to the graduate program in the first term of the fourth year.

Individual students’ timelines will vary, so it is important to plan in consultation with both the undergraduate and graduate program advisors for any Double Dawgs program.

Although both programs have an interest in similar social themes and issues, the two curriculums provide complementary rather than overlapping knowledge and skills. No courses in the Master of Public Administration program are equivalent in content or focus to the required sociology courses. To complete the Bachelor’s degree in Sociology (AB), students will need to satisfy the existing required courses (27 credit hours) in sociology and take 12 credit hours in graduate-level public administration courses that would count toward the 33 credit hours of general electives required by the major. Any four (3 hour) 6000- or 7000-level graduate course may be used to satisfy the undergraduate requirements, but at least two of the four courses must be from the following list of the public management core courses:

PADP 6910 Public Administration and Democracy
PADP 6920 Public Personnel Administration
PADP 6930 Public Financial Administration
PADP 6950 Economic Foundations of Policy Analysis
PADP 6960 Public Management

To complete the 120 credit hour Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and the 41 credit hour Master in Public Administration in 5 years, students will either have to dually enroll in the spring semester of their 4th year and/or take MPA courses during the summer at the end of their 4th or 5th year.

Students may also count up to three graduate-level Sociology courses, based on their substantive academic interests and intended career trajectory, as electives in the Master of Public Administration program of study. Suggested courses appear below, though students may also take other graduate-level Sociology courses with approval of the Master of Public Administration advisor.

SOCI 6150 Criminal Punishment and Society
SOCI 6260 Sociology of Higher Education
SOCI 6470 Deviance and Social Control
SOCI 6800 Sociology of Work and Industry
SOCI 6810 Sociology of Crime
SOCI 6830 Sociology of Law
SOCI 8820 Communities and Crime
SOCI 8840 Gender, Crime and Justice

Although both programs have an interest in some similar issues regarding organizations and their interactions with the public, they provide complementary rather than overlapping knowledge and skills. Courses in the Master of Public Administration program are not equivalent in content or focus to the required public relations courses. To complete the Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations (AB), students will need to complete the existing 35 credit hours of Public Relations required courses and take 12 credit hours in graduate-level Public Administration courses that would count toward the 12 credit hours of general electives or 15 credits of upper-division electives required by the major. Any four (3 hour) 6000 or 7000 level PADP graduate course may be used to satisfy the undergraduate requirements but at least two of the four courses must be from the following list of the Public Management core courses:

PADP 6910 Public Administration and Democracy
PADP 6920 Public Personnel Administration
PADP 6930 Public Financial Administration
PADP 6950 Economic Foundations of Policy Analysis
PADP 6960 Public Management

To complete the 120 credit hour Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and the 41 credit hour Master in Public Administration in 5 years, students will either have to dually enroll in the spring semester of their 4th year and/or take MPA courses during the summer at the end of their 4th or 5th year.

Students may also count up to two graduate-level Public Relations or Mass Communication courses, based on their substantive academic interests and intended career trajectory, as electives in the Master of Public Administration program of study. Suggested courses appear below, though students may also take other graduate-level Public Relations or Mass Communication courses with approval of the Master of Public Administration advisor.

JRMC 8000 Proseminar in Mass Communication
JRMC 7940 Public Relations Foundations
JRMC 8140 Public Relations Management
JRMC 8150 Public Relations Theory
JRMC 8020 Public Opinion
ADPR 7750 Social Media Analytics, Listening & Engagement

Although both programs have an interest in similar social themes and issues, they provide complementary rather than overlapping knowledge and skills. Courses in the Master of Public Administration program are not equivalent in content or focus to the required history courses. To complete the Bachelor’s degree in History (AB), students will need to satisfy the existing required courses (24 credit hours) in history and take 12 credit hours in graduate level public administration courses that would count toward the 36 credit hours of general electives required by the major. Any four (3 hour) 6000 or 7000 level graduate course may be used to satisfy the undergraduate requirements but at least two of the four courses must be from the following list of the public management core courses:

PADP 6910 Public Administration and Democracy
PADP 6920 Public Personnel Administration
PADP 6930 Public Financial Administration
PADP 6950 Economic Foundations of Policy Analysis
PADP 6960 Public Management

To complete the 120 credit hour Bachelor’s degree in History and the 41 credit hour Master in Public Administration in 5 years, students will either have to dually enroll in the spring semester of their 4th year and/or take MPA courses during the summer at the end of their 4th or 5th year.

This Double Dawgs program will give high-achieving undergraduate students the opportunity to earn their MPA with a top-ranked program. In the program they will learn both the theoretical and practical aspects of public management and policy in order to prepare them for careers in public service with government agencies and nonprofit organizations. The MPA degree greatly expands the employment outlook for graduates, with over 96% of UGA MPA alumni finding employment within 6 months of graduation. Furthermore, many government positions now prefer and even require a master’s degree for entry and graduates from MPA programs nationwide have increased earning potential by$18,000 per year over those who only possess a bachelor’s degree. While the academic opportunities within the program are unmatched, the professional relationships that Double Dawgs students will be able to forge outside the classroom cannot be underestimated. Students will interact and network with employers and public sector professionals through UGA MPA alumni events, internships, as well as with the department’s cosponsor, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. While most students seek the MPA as their final professional degree, the Double Dawgs program will also allow students to earn their MPA with the ability of later entering a PhD or other advanced degree programs and pursuing careers in academia.

The Double Dawg Program will give high-achieving undergraduate students the opportunity to earn their MPA with a top-ranked program. In the program they will learn both the theoretical and practical aspects of public management and policy in order to prepare them for careers in public service with government agencies and nonprofit organizations. The MPA degree greatly expands the employment outlook for graduates, with over 96% of UGA MPA alumni finding employment within 6 months of graduation. Furthermore, many government positions now prefer and even require a master’s degree for entry and graduates from MPA programs nationwide have increased earning potential by $18,000 per year over those who only possess a bachelor’s degree.

While the academic opportunities within the program are unmatched, the professional relationships that Double Dawg students will be able to forge outside the classroom cannot be underestimated. Students will interact and network with employers and public sector professionals through UGA MPA alumni events, internships, as well as with the department’s cosponsor, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government.

While most students seek the MPA as their final professional degree, the Double Dawg Program will also allow students to earn their MPA with the ability of later entering a PhD or other advanced degree programs and pursuing careers in academia.