Graduate Programs – MA Program
Requirements
The following rules for the Graduate Program in the Department of Political Science apply to all students entering the M.A. programs after September 1, 2005. These rules supplement but do not supersede the rules of the Graduate School as set forth in the Graduate School Bulletin. Students are responsible for meeting all rules and regulations of the Graduate School as well as of the department.
The Graduate Studies Committee faculty of the department shall enforce rules governing the M.A. program and be the final authority in their interpretation and application in specific cases. M.A. students may petition the Graduate Studies Committee faculty for variances from or exceptions to these rules. Its decisions shall be final and binding in such cases.
No individual faculty member or departmental committee other than the Graduate Studies Committee is authorized to approve any deviations whatsoever from these rules.
Course & Distribution Requirements:
Option #1 (recommended for those who plan to pursue a Ph.D. in political science or related field).
M.A. students are required to complete eight (8) graduate-level courses with grades of B or better, seven (7) of which must be taken in political science. At least one course must be taken in each of the three curricular divisions within the department. (See Ph.D. degree program for definition of "curricular divisions.") Curricular divisions and the fields within them are as follows:
Division 1—Political Theory
Field A—Historical Theory
Field B—Contemporary Social and Political ThoughtDivision 2—American Politics
Field A—National Government and Politics
Field B—Public Law and Judicial Behavior
Field C—Public Administration & PolicyDivision 3—World Politics
Field A—International Relations and Law
Field B—Comparative Politics
Students must register for six (6) thesis credits before completion of their course work and present a thesis as described below.
Option #2 (recommended for those who do not plan to pursue a Ph.D. in political science or related field).
M.A. students are required to complete ten (10) graduate-level courses with grades of B or better, eight (8) of which must be taken in political science. At least one course must be taken in each of the three curricular divisions within the department. (See Ph.D. degree program for definition of "curricular divisions.") Curricular divisions and the fields within them are listed above.
Students must also submit two seminar papers to the Graduate Program Director, each of which must be at least twenty (20) pages (5,000 words) in length and each of which must have received a grade of AB or better.
Foreign Language/Quantitative Methods Requirement
All M.A. students for whom English is their native tongue must demonstrate intermediate-level competence in one language other than English or complete a graduate-level course in research design or methods. International students whose native language is not English demonstrate competency in English through satisfactory completion of the other requirements for the M.A. degree.
Thesis & M.A. Examination
M.A. students pursuing Option #1 are required to write a thesis
under the supervision of a thesis advisor from the Graduate faculty in
political science and a second reader who may be chosen from a department
other than political science. The thesis committee and thesis outline
must be established and reported to the Graduate School at least four months
prior to the thesis defense.
Upon completion of the thesis, an oral examination will be administered by a committee consisting of the thesis advisor, the second reader, and a third member from the graduate faculty in political science. This M.A. examination will seek to relate the thesis to the student's degree program.
M.A. Degree for Ph.D. Students
Students in the Ph.D. program who have completed course, proficiency,
and residency requirements, and passed one comprehensive field examination
may, with the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee, be awarded
the M.A. degree. Courses used toward a Masters degree awarded by
another institution may not be used to satisfy any part of the requirements
for an M.A. from this institution.
The Graduate School Master’s Degree Requirements must also be adhered to.
