Program Requirements

The M.A. degree is a 36-semester hour program. Completion of the program is contingent upon passing a comprehensive examination or writing and defending a thesis.

M.A. Requirements Checksheet

CORE (18 hours)

All M.A. students are required to take the following three (3) courses (9 hours):
PLSC 5913 Research Methods
PLSC 5943 Advanced Research Methods (or course substitution approved by adviser)
PLSC 5163 Public Policy

All M.A. students are required to take three (3) of the following four (4) courses (9 hours): 
PLSC 5203 Seminar in American Political Institutions
PLSC 5213 Seminar in American Political Behavior
PLSC 5503 Comparative Political Analysis
PLSC 5803 Seminar in International Politics.

Additional Coursework (18 hours)

Courses are offered in three areas of study: American politics, comparative politics and international relations, and public administration and policy. From these offerings, students must select a primary area of study. A minimum of twelve (12) hours from the primary area of study must be completed, of which six (6) hours will be accepted from the core. A secondary field of no less than six (6) hours will complement the choices in the primary field, of which three (3) hours will be accepted from the core. Selection of the areas of concentration should be commensurate with the professional or career goals of the student.

A minimum of 27 hours must be fulfilled by 5000-level classes. Students must take a minimum of 30 of their 36 course hours in the Department of Political Science. The remaining hours may be taken in other departments.

Courses at the 4000 level may be taken with the graduate adviser’s consent. Under special circumstances students may arrange to take graduate-level directed readings or independent research courses. Such courses require an application that must be approved by the student’s graduate adviser in concert with the professor from whom the course is to be taken. The student must apply for such a course beforethe semester in which the course is to be taken.

Transfer Credit

Courses may be transferred to a student's M.A. program from other accredited institutions. Such work must have been taken for graduate resident credit and passed with a grade of at least "B", and be approved by the Graduate Coordinator and the Dean of the Graduate School. Normally no more than six (6) hours may be transferred.