Graduate Programs

The Political Science/International Studies Department offers the Master of Arts in Political Science with four areas of concentration: American government, comparative government, international relations, and political theory. Candidates for admission to the program, in addition to satisfying the general requirements for admission to graduate studies, must take the Graduate Record Examination (both the aptitude test and the advanced political science or government test), although this requirement may be waived by the chair of the department

A Candidate who is admitted to the Master of Arts degree program in Political Science has a choice of one of two options:

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Option I: This program is designed primarily for candidates who wish to continue graduate study at the doctoral level. It requires 30 semester hours of courses including the writing of a master's thesis which will demonstrate the students' ability to do research, evaluate their findings, organize their materials, and present their conclusions effectively.


Required Courses                                                                 Credits

Graduate political science sources                                                12
Related graduate courses (history, economics, sociology).
   If circumstances warrant it, the chair of the department
   may authorize a student to take elective courses in other
   departments as well.                                                                6
Political Science 700, 707, and 708                                            12
                                                                                               ___
                                                                                                  30

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Option II:  This program requires 36 semester hours of courses and the passing of a
comprehensive examination which will demonstrate the adequacy of the candidate's
preparation and knowledge at the master's level.  Comprehensive examinations for Option II
students are administered twice each academic year, once in the Fall and once in the Spring.
Students must register with the Department for the Fall examination by November 1 and for
the Spring examination by March 1.  No examinations are given at any other time of the year.

Required Courses                                                                Credits

POL 700 Political Science:  Approaches and Methodologies        3
POL 710 Seminar in Political Science                                           3
Related graduate courses (history, economics, sociology). 
     If circumstances warrant it, the chair of the department
     may authorize a student to take elective courses in other
     departments as well.                                                            6
Graduate political science courses                                              24
                                                                                               ___
                                                                                                 36