<p>^ Excellent suggestion! An integrated BA/MA program might be an interesting option if it is available, and - like you said - avoids some of the pitfalls of stand-alone Master’s programs. </p>
<p>Just to throw it out there, getting a stand-alone Master’s degree might be a bad idea in some fields if the ultimate goal is a PhD. In pure math, for example, stand-alone Masters are usually remedial programs for students who are not quite ready for a PhD program yet; the stronger students would apply straight to PhD programs after college. Having that Master’s degree might also make a student ineligible for a range of grad school fellowships, when integrated BA/MA students are still eligible to apply.</p>