Political Science MA

Admission Requirements: For admission, a student should have a baccalaureate degree with a minimum grade point average of 2.75 and an undergraduate background in the social sciences. Two letters of recommendation are also requested for each student applying to the program. Students who do not meet these requirements may be admitted upon approval of the department and the dean of the Graduate School. Application materials may be obtained from and should be returned to the office of the director of admissions.

Deadlines are July 1 for the fall semester; December 1 for the winter semester; and May 1 for the summer term.

Degree Requirements

Beyond the general requirements of the Graduate School, the department requires a minimum of 27 semester hours of course work, of which 18 hours must be at the 6400 level and 12 hours must be in core courses in political science, including:

POL SCI 6401Introduction to Policy Research3
Select three of the following:9
Introduction to Policy Analysis
Proseminar in Public Law
Proseminar in American Politics
Public Administration: Theory & Practice
Proseminar in Urban Politics
Proseminar in International Relations
Total Hours12

Students can plan their degree program to reflect the following six emphasis areas:

  • American Politics
  • Comparative Politics
  • International Politics
  • Political Process and Behavior
  • Public Administration and Public Policy
  • Urban and Regional Politics

Students must also select one of the following exit projects: a six-hour thesis, a six-hour internship, or six hours of additional course work and an approved paper. Students will have a mid-program review at the end of 12-15 hours of course work, at which time they will discuss their academic performance and program with a faculty committee and determine the most appropriate exit project. Each candidate is given a final oral review conducted by a faculty committee and focused on the course work completed and the student's chosen exit project.