The BGA is a new interdisciplinary degree program delivered jointly by the McDonough School of Business and the School of Foreign Service. The BGA program launched in 2019-2020 for students graduating with the Class of 2023.
BGA cohorts are selected each June and will include about 20 rising sophomores from the McDonough School of Business and about 20 rising sophomores from the Walsh School of Foreign Service.
The first Signature course, BGAF 1001: Global Markets and Policy, offered in the spring of the first year, is both an application and a degree requirement.
Eligible first-year students may apply to pursue the BSBGA in April of their first year.
Owing to the sequential nature of the BGA coursework, there is only one application cycle for admission to the program. (Applications are accepted from first-year students only.)
Students must be enrolled in the McDonough School of Business or the School of Foreign Service to enroll in the BGA program. Interested first-year students from Georgetown College or the School of Nursing and Health Studies must first submit an internal transfer application to SFS or McDonough at the end of their first year to be eligible to apply to pursue the BSBGA.
The application form provides opportunity to express interest in the joint degree program. The selection committee includes faculty and advisors from the McDonough School of Business and the School of Foreign Service who are affiliated with the BGA program.
Signature Course 1, BGAF 1001 Global Markets and Policy, offered in the spring of the first year is a BGA degree requirement. All applicants must be enrolled in Signature Course 1.
In addition to Signature Course 1, it is recommended that the following BGA requirements be met before the beginning of the sophomore year: MATH 1350 (Calculus) I or equivalent, or ECON 1357 (Essential Math for Econ); ECON 1001 (Econ Principles Micro); ECON 1002 (Econ Principles Macro); and Quantitative Methods. The set of recommended courses, including Signature Course 1, represents a solid first-year foundation in the McDonough School of Business or SFS whether or not selected to participate in the BGA program beginning in the sophomore year. See First-Year Course Selection for recommended courses for the first-year fall and spring semesters to prepare for the BGA.
The BGA program incorporates the School of Foreign Service modern language proficiency requirement. Typically, learning a new language takes about four years of coursework at Georgetown to meet the requirement. Students who already know a language, either through personal or previous school experience, might place into advanced language study or pass the language proficiency test during their first year.
Three international on-location experiences are associated with BGAF signature courses 3 and 4. The BGA Program will cover the direct travel and on-location expenses: travel – roundtrip and between locations; housing; meals; on-location local transportation; other on-location direct program-related expenses. Other individual/personal expenses might include, for example, securing and paying for visas; immunizations; international travel and health insurance; international communications; miscellaneous personal expenses; local travel to/from the airport. The Office of Global Education, along with the Office of Student Financial Services, “is prepared to provide you with the resources you need to make study abroad feasible and affordable.” The Office of Student Financial Services evaluates financial need to determine the level of any resources provided beyond coverage of the direct expenses.
The schedule of required signature courses (BGAF prefix) is predetermined, including international travel at certain times of the year. Students must be willing and able to meet the predetermined BGAF course schedule.
