Requirements for the MA
The department does not admit students who intend to pursue a terminal MA degree. Instead, the degree is assumed to be a milestone on the way toward a Ph.D. Terminal MA’s are offered only to students who, for personal or professional reasons, cannot or choose not to continue their training beyond a minimum of two years of study.
Preliminary Examination: At the end of the first year of coursework, the full faculty assess the performance of each first-year student. This assessment comprises the college-mandated preliminary examination. Students who have earned a grade of A- or higher in each of their courses in the first year are automatically considered to have passed the preliminary examination. Students who have earned a grade of B+ or lower in one or more courses must submit a remediation plan to the Graduate Education Committee, via the Director of Graduate Studies, to remain in good standing in the program.
Credit Requirement: For the MA degree, students must earn 30 hours of credit with a B+ average or better in courses numbered 2000 level. Credits received from “Directed Reading” and “Directed Research” count toward this requirement, credit from PS 2905 (Teaching and Research in Political Science) does not. These courses must involve the completion of the eight-credit sequence of core courses (PS2000, PS2020, PS2030). These courses should be taken during the first year of graduate work, although they may be deferred to the second year in the case of conflicts in the students’ academic schedule and with the permission of the Director of Graduate Studies and the instructor. In addition, students must complete at least four graduate seminars in one of the following fields: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Mass Political Behavior, and Political Methodology.
MA Qualifying Paper: Students are required to write an MA qualifying paper and successfully defend it before the entire department by the end of their second year in the program.
The specifics of the MA degree requirement can be found at Graduate Student Handbook.
