The Department of Human Development offers the following five-year degree programs:
- Human Development (BS) 鈥 MS in Human Rights (MSHR)
The 4+1 degree programs will restrict admissions to students with exceptional academic records. Students will be able to complete the BS and MS program in five years of full-time study. Students who are interested should seek pre-application advisement from the human development academic advisor regarding the application process for conditional admission to the MSHR program no later than the beginning of their junior year.
Admission decisions for the program will be made no later than spring of junior year. Admission decisions for the 4+1 program will be based on course grades (either a 3.5 cumulative GPA or a 3.5 major GPA), at least two letters of recommendation, a current r茅sum茅 and a personal statement of approximately 500 words (two typewritten pages, double-spaced). The required materials should be submitted via email to the Human Development academic advisor. It is recommended that materials be submitted by March 1; applications after this date will be considered on a space-available basis.
When evaluating student success, the admissions committee looks for evidence of academic achievement, community involvement and personal characteristics that suggests the applicant has the capacity to foster an institutional culture that advances human rights principles and practice and can succeed in a demanding graduate program. In the personal statement, the committee assesses the student鈥檚 commitment to human rights principles and practice as well as their ability to communicate in writing. The essay allows the admissions committee to review a non-generic piece of writing for structural and grammatical quality. The rigorous admissions standard for the program reflects that students will be entering the program earlier than typical students. In this way, the higher GPA will be one indicator that students have the maturity and capacity to do graduate work at an earlier stage of their educational careers. Admission decisions to the 4+1 program indicate to the student that there are subsequent requirements that must be met to continue in the program; successful completion of the BS in year four, a 鈥淏鈥 or better in graduate education coursework and satisfactory completion of the other requirements of the MSHR program.
During the senior year, students apply formally to the Graduate School by doing the following:
- Submit online application and all required application materials, including required letter of recommendation, through BU BRAIN.
- Choose the "Accelerated Graduate Degree Application for Admission" which is located in the "Home" tab.
- Answer the presented questions and submit the application with the application fee.
All admissions to 4+1 degree programs are conditional due to the nature of the program; regular admission status as a graduate student is only granted after the senior/fourth year is completed satisfactorily.
Students in the human development program also have the opportunity to pursue 4+1 degrees in:
- MS in Educational Studies
- MPA in Public Administration
- MS in Student Affairs Administration
- MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Students should visit the Human Development Academic Advising Office to learn more about these options.