content

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND GEOGRAPHY

Master of Arts Degree in Political Science

The Master of Arts degree in Political Science is designed to provide students with professional and academic skills in political science. Students enhance their knowledge of political theories, methodologies, and substantive affairs preparing them for careers in areas such as government, public opinion polling, campaign management, organizations or business (both domestic and international), teaching at the community college or high school level, or study at the Doctoral level. Students may specialize in such subfields as Political Communication and Behavior, American Institutions and Processes, Political Economy, International Politics, or Political Theory and Public Law.

Program Admission Requirements. To qualify for unconditional admission, applicants must satisfy University-wide graduate admission requirements, submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, have completed 18 semester credit hours in upper-division undergraduate or graduate-level courses in political science or related fields, have a 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) in the last 60 hours of undergraduate and graduate work, and be accepted by the Graduate Program Committee. There is no minimum GRE score below which applicants will be automatically disqualified. Applicants who do not meet the above requirements for unconditional admission will be considered for admission under the condition that they take specific courses and achieve specific grades. Students may also be admitted as special graduate students. Admission as a special graduate student does not guarantee subsequent admission as a degree-seeking graduate student. These students must reapply for degree-seeking status.

Degree Requirements. The minimum number of semester credit hours required for the degree, exclusive of coursework or other study required to remove deficiencies and courses in foreign languages, is 36. Admission to the program may require students without a basic foundation in statistics and/or social science research methods to complete an undergraduate-level course in one of those areas before enrolling in POL 5013 Research Methods. Students selecting the political economy and the international politics specializations are required to demonstrate reading proficiency in a foreign language through a written examination or by receiving an “A” or “B” in a foreign language course.

Degree candidates must complete the following requirements:

A. 6 semester credit hours of investigation core courses

POL 5003 Political Inquiry
POL 5013 Research Methods

Plus 6 semester credit hours of breadth core courses from the following:

POL 5023 Political Economy
POL 5043 International Politics
POL 5063 Political Philosophy
POL 5153 American Government and Politics

B. 18 semester credit hours (for the Master’s thesis) or 21 semester credit hours (for the Master’s essay) of designated elective courses in consultation with the faculty advisor. Students may receive up to 6 semester credit hours for courses taken outside of political science after consultation with their advisor.

Students specializing in American Government must complete:

POL 5153 American Government and Politics

And at least 9 semester credit hours from courses numbered 5100-5199, 5400-5499, or other courses with permission of advisor.

Students specializing in American Government may choose from one of the following focuses:

Political Communication and Behavior

POL 5033 Political Communications and Behavior

And at least 6 semester credit hours from the following:

POL 5403 Topics in Political Communications and Behavior
POL 5413 Political Psychology
POL 5423 Campaign Management and Consulting
POL 5433 Electoral Behavior
POL 5443 Polling and Survey Research Techniques
POL 5454 Political Advertising

American Institutions and Processes

POL 5163 American Political Development

And at least 6 semester credit hours from the following:

POL 5103 Topics in American Politics
POL 5133 Ethnic and Gender Politics
POL 5173 Policy Process
POL 5183 Congress
POL 5193 Presidency
POL 5503 Constitutional Law and Judicial Decision-Making

Students specializing in International Politics must complete:

POL 5043 International Politics

And at least 9 semester credit hours from the following:

PAD 5653 Public Policy and Administration in Latin America
PAD 5663 Development Administration
POL 5303 Topics in Comparative and International Politics
POL 5313 Comparative Political Parties
POL 5333 European Politics
POL 5703 American Foreign Policy
POL 5713 Comparative Political Systems
POL 5723 International Organizations
POL 5733 Political Actors and Systems in Latin America
POL 5743 Electoral Systems in the Americas
POL 5763 International Law and Organization
POL 5903 Political Geography

Students specializing in Political Economy must complete:

POL 5023 Political Economy

And at least 9 semester credit hours from the following:

ECO 6323 International Trade and Finance
GRG 5303 Economic Geography

PAD 5363 Public Sector Financial Management
POL 5803 Topics in Political Economy
POL 5813 Principles of Economic Governance
POL 5823 Political Economy of the Americas
POL 5833 Business and Labor in U.S. Politics
POL 5853 Economic Geography
POL 5903 Political Geography

Students specializing in Political Theory and Public Law must complete:

POL 5063 Political Philosophy

And at least 9 semester credit hours from the following:

POL 5203 Topics in Political Theory
POL 5223 Issues in Contemporary Political Theory
POL 5503 Constitutional Law and Judicial Decision-Making
POL 5523 Litigation Politics
POL 6103 Seminar in Theories of Politics and Law

C. 6 semester credit hours (Master’s Thesis); 3 semester credit hours (Master’s Essay)

POL 6983 Master’s Thesis
or
POL 6993 Master’s Essay

D. Students must complete the core course requirements within their first 18 hours of coursework. Students must complete at least 21 semester credit hours of coursework and maintain a 3.0 grade point average before they may enroll in POL 6983 Master’s Thesis or POL 6993 Master’s Essay.

Table of Contents | Catalog Home | Previous Page

text size– | + | R |