Political Science, Master of Arts

The Master of Arts in Political Science is a terminal degree for �þ��Ƶs intending to pursue careers in politics at all levels of government and in nongovernmental organizations. The M.A. program is designed to equip �þ��Ƶs with the analytical skills and substantive knowledge necessary for engaging in applied politics, public affairs, and public policy study.

Two �þ��Ƶs talk during a conference. Students in the MA program are exposed to the discipline of political science, specifically focusing on how political science theories underpin the systematic study of the behavior of political actors and processes in the American context and globally. Special emphasis is placed on developing the �þ��Ƶ’s understanding of the frameworks for active participation in governance, issue advocacy, law and legal affairs, and public policy research, while developing the research, analytical and writing skills essential for public leaders.

In order to be considered for Fall admission with the possibility of funding, files must be complete by March 1. The Department deadline for admission without consideration of funding is May 1.

Graduate �þ��Ƶs at Miami also have the opportunity to receive a Certificate in Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian Studies (REEES) in addition to their graduate degrees. The REEES certificate enriches a graduate �þ��Ƶ’s academic record and distinguished accomplishment that reflects language ability and interdisciplinary study, increasing the marketability of graduate degrees upon their completion. Qualifying courses are available from the departments of Anthropology, Geography, History, Political Science and Religion. More information is available on the or by email at havighurstcenter@miamioh.edu.

Requirements for Admission to the M.A. Program

General Admission Requirements of the Graduate School. In order to obtain regular graduate standing, the applicant must have:
1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
2. A 2.75 undergraduate grade point average (on a 4.00 scale) in all coursework at the institution awarding the baccalaureate degree. In addition, applicants with prior graduate study must have a 3.00 grade point average in that work. Transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work are required.
3. Application for admission to the M.A. program in political science is made directly to the Graduate School.
Department Admission Requirements for M.A. Program. In addition to the general Graduate School admission requirements, the applicant must meet the following departmental qualifications:
1. Completion of at least 18 undergraduate semester credit hours (27 quarter hours or the equivalent thereof) in political science, or at least 12 semester hours in political science and 12 semester hours (or the equivalent thereof) in other social sciences. The required undergraduate credit hours must include an introductory course in political science or the American political system. If the applicant’s undergraduate training does not meet these requirements or does not include adequate background, he or she may be required to take additional work as a pre-requisite or co-requisite to the normal degree requirements.
2. Achievement of a grade point average of at least 3.00 (on a scale of 4.00) in undergraduate coursework in political science, or in political science and other social sciences if the undergraduate training only includes limited work in political science. Exceptions may be made when other factors indicate a clear potential for success in graduate study in political science.
3. Submission of three letters of recommendation from undergraduate political science professors or others qualified to evaluate the applicant’s potential to succeed in graduate work in political science.
4. Submission of scores on the Graduate Record Examination General Test is optional.
5. Submission of a personal statement of approximately two pages in which the applicant describes her or his career objectives and how an M.A. in political science would contribute to the applicant’s future success. The applicant should also discuss which one of the three concentrations offered by the Department interests her or him.
6. Submission of a writing sample in the form of a writing sample in the form of a writing assignment from an undergraduate Political Science course or some similar writing sample.
7. Submission of a resume.
Department Admission Requirements for the Combined BA-MA Program. The Department of Political Science offers outstanding undergraduate �þ��Ƶs the opportunity to earn both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The program of study for the M.A. is the same as for �þ��Ƶs admitted to the regular M.A. program. Application must be made to the Graduate School and applicants must meet all Graduate School requirements for admission. Additionally, the applicant must meet the following departmental qualifications:
1. Completion of 64 hours toward the bachelor’s degree with a 3.25 grade point average in all undergraduate coursework.
2. Completion of 17 hours of political science coursework with a 3.5 grade point average in that coursework, including at least 9 hours at the 300 level or above before starting the combined program.
3. Submission of three letters of recommendation from undergraduate professors who can evaluate the applicant’s potential to succeed in graduate work in political science. At least one letter must be from a faculty member of the Department of Political Science.
4. Submission of a personal statement of approximately two pages in which the applicant describes her or his career objectives and how an M.A. in political science would contribute to the applicant’s future success. The applicant should also discuss which one of the three concentrations offered by the Department interests her or him.
5. Submission of a writing sample in the form of a writing assignment from an undergraduate political science course or some similar writing sample.
6. GRE scores are not required for the combined B.A.-M.A. program.
7. Submission of a resume.
8. Nine hours of coursework can double count toward both degrees.

Requirements for the M.A. Degree

Required Credit Hours, Grades and Courses:
1. A minimum of 31 graduate credit hours is required for the M.A. Not more than 10 semester hours beyond the minimum 31 hours required for the degree may be attempted and applied toward the degree.
2. A grade point average of at least 3.00 (on a scale of 4.00) must be maintained.
3. The following required core courses (10 hours) must be completed:
  1. 601 Foundations of Political Analysis (3 hours)
  2. 603 Introduction to Quantitative Methods (2 hours)
  3. 604 Public Policy Research (2 hours)
  4. 606 Final Project for Master’s Degree (3 hours) See item II below for more details
4. A minimum of 9 graduate hours in political science must be completed in one of the following concentrations:
  1. American Political System/Political Theory
  2. Comparative Political Systems/International Relations
  3. Public Administration and Policy Analysis
5. A minimum of 12 elective graduate hours (4 courses) in political science must be completed. Three of the courses must be from outside the concentration. The fourth course can be either in or out of the area of concentration. Up to 6 hours of graduate work from outside the department may be counted toward this requirement with the approval of the graduate studies committee. Approval must be requested and given prior to taking the courses. Internship experience while in the program may count up to 6 hours toward this requirement with the approval of the graduate studies committee.
6. All of the requirements for certification to conduct human subjects research must be completed.
7. Any research requiring contact with humans must be approved by the Institutional Review Board for Human Subjects Research. Work that does not have this approval may not be submitted for degree credit.
Final Project for Master’s Degree. A final project for the M.A. degree must be completed. The final project is an independent research project resulting in a written report or formal paper. The final project must be successfully defended in a meeting of the final project committee.
1. Completion of this requirement includes enrollment in POL 606.
2. The final project is written under the direction of a political science faculty supervisor in the �þ��Ƶ’s field of concentration. The faculty supervisor must have Level A Graduate Faculty Standing. An Affiliate of the political science department may serve as faculty supervisor, if they have Graduate Level A standing. The final project must be approved by a committee consisting of the faculty supervisor and two faculty members (usually in political science) serving as readers. The faculty readers must have at least Level B Graduate Faculty Standing. Subject to the approval of the faculty supervisor, one of the two faculty readers may be from outside the Department of Political Science, if they have at least level B Graduate Faculty Standing. Affiliates of the political science department may also serve as faculty readers, if they have at least Level B Graduate Faculty Standing.
3. In the semester before you plan to graduate, the �þ��Ƶ and faculty supervisor must agree on the topic for and scope of the final project. In consultation with the supervisor, the �þ��Ƶ must invite two faculty members to serve as readers. The �þ��Ƶ then must complete and file the appropriate form with the graduate director for approval of the final project and committee. A one-page research proposal describing the final project must be attached to the form. The research proposal should include an explanation of what the �þ��Ƶ’s research question is, why it is important, and how the �þ��Ƶ intends to answer it. All of this must be completed and approved before the end of the tenth week of the semester.
4. When writing the final project paper, �þ��Ƶs should adhere to the following important guidelines:
  1. For your final project paper, you should propose, conduct, and communicate an independent, professional-level investigation into a problem in a specific political science sub-discipline and thereby contribute to the political science knowledge base.
  2. Your paper should identify and apply a methodology, design, and analysis that is appropriate for the problem that you are examining. An understanding of the ethical components of research choices should also be evident, especially if one is doing research with human subjects.
  3. Your paper should apply political science knowledge to a contemporary political issue or problem and should identify and evaluate alternative political science-based solutions.
  4. Your paper should formulate, propose, and advocate a political science-based solution to a contemporary political issue or problem.
  5. The paper should be 8,000-10,000 words (not including references), double-spaced, with l-inch margins all around, and with a standard 12-point font such as Times New Roman.
  6. APSR style guidelines should be used for citations and references. This means that in-text parenthetical citations should be used. For example: (Potter 2012, 186). A list of references -- formatted in APSR style -- should be included at the end of the paper. For information on how to format references, see .
5. An initial draft of the final project must be submitted to all members of the committee no later than the end of the seventh week of the semester in which the �þ��Ƶ is enrolled in POL606.
6. The final draft of the final project must be submitted to all members of the committee no less than two weeks prior to the formal defense of the project.
7. The formal defense of the final project and any revisions required by the committee, as discussed in the defense meeting, must be completed two weeks prior to commencement. The �þ��Ƶ is responsible for scheduling this defense with the committee members.
8. After the final project has been defended and then approved by all committee members, an electronic copy of the final project paper should be emailed, as a Word document, to the Political Science graduate administrative staff employee in the Department of Political Science.
9. BA/MA �þ��Ƶs cannot “double count” the MA Final Project as a thesis project for either the University Honors Program or for the Honors Program in Political Science.
Typical Schedule for Program of Study. The following is the typical schedule for completion of the M.A. program. Variations may occur for �þ��Ƶs receiving credit for work outside the department or for internship experience, and for �þ��Ƶs in the combined BA-MA. program. The core courses are only offered on this schedule and must be taken in the specified order.
1. Fall Semester (16 hours)
  1. 601 Foundations of Political Analysis (3 hours)
  2. 603 Introduction to Quantitative Methods (2 hours)
  3. 604 Public Policy Research (2 hours)
  4. Concentration 1 (3 hours)
  5. Elective 1 (3 hours)
  6. Elective 2 (3 hours)
2. Spring Semester (15 hours)
  1. Concentration 2 (3 hours)
  2. Concentration 3 (3 hours)
  3. Elective 3 (3 hours)
  4. Elective 4 (3 hours)
  5. 606 Final Project for Master’s Degree (3 hours)
Time Limitation. Work for the M.A. degree should be completed within the course of study outlined above. In exceptional cases, the graduate studies committee may allow part-time work toward the degree, but in all cases �þ��Ƶs must start the program with the Fall core courses of POL 601, POL 603, POL 604. The M.A. degree must be completed within five years of its beginning.
Application for Graduation. The �þ��Ƶ must apply for May graduation early in the spring semester. The �þ��Ƶ is responsible for checking with the Commencement Office for the graduation application deadline and for ensuring that all requirements have been met or will be met for the degree.
Administrative Items:
1. Advising: The Department’s graduate studies director serves as the faculty advisor for all of the Department’s graduate �þ��Ƶs. The graduate studies director is available to help each �þ��Ƶ select concentration and elective hours. In addition, once a �þ��Ƶ has a faculty supervisor for the final project, he or she should also be consulted with when the �þ��Ƶ is selecting concentration and elective hours. Although the �þ��Ƶ is responsible for understanding and meeting the requirements for the degree, the graduate studies director, the faculty supervisor for the final project, and other members of the Department are available to the �þ��Ƶ for whatever assistance and advice that may be required.
2. Incompletes: It is the strong recommendation of the Department that graduate �þ��Ƶs avoid taking incompletes. When work in courses cannot be completed before the end of the semester a grade of “I” (incomplete) is assigned. If a graduate �þ��Ƶ does not complete work for the course and remove the “I” from her or his record by the last day of classes of the next semester, the Graduate School automatically converts the “I” to a permanent grade of “F.” Until the “I” is completed the Graduate School automatically averages the “I” into the �þ��Ƶ’s grade point average as an “F.”
3. Credit-No Credit Registration: No courses which a �þ��Ƶ intends to use to satisfy the requirements for the M.A. degree may be taken on a credit-no credit basis.
Academic Integrity. The Department of Political Science is committed to academic integrity and adheres to and supports the standards endorsed by the Graduate School and �þ��Ƶ. In the broadest terms, the Graduate School describes these standards in A Handbook for Graduate Students and Faculty as follows:

�þ��Ƶ is a scholarly community whose members believe that excellence in education is grounded in qualities of character as well as of intellect. We respect the dignity of other persons, the rights and property of others, and the right of others to hold and express disparate beliefs. We believe in honesty, integrity, and the importance of moral conduct. We defend the freedom of inquiry that is the heart of learning and combine that freedom with the exercise of judgment and the acceptance of personal responsibility

Miami demands the highest standards of professional conduct from its �þ��Ƶs, faculty, and staff. As a community of scholars, our fundamental purpose is the pursuit of knowledge. Integrity in research and creative activities and in academic study is based on sound disciplinary practices and expectations, as well as a commitment to the values of honesty and integrity.

The Department will adjudicate cases of suspected academic dishonesty using the established procedures of the Department, �þ��Ƶ, and the Graduate School as outlined in A Handbook for Graduate Students and Faculty.

For a detailed discussion of academic integrity issues, consult A Handbook for Graduate Students and Faculty.

Application Deadline

November 1 (Spring) and April 1 (Fall)

Learning Outcome

Identify and apply the appropriate methodology, design and analysis for a given problem, and understand the ethical components of research choices;
Apply political science knowledge to contemporary political issues and problems, and be able to identify and evaluate alternative political science-based solutions;
Formulate, propose and advocate political science-based solutions;
Conduct and communicate independent, professional-level investigations into problems in a specific political science sub-discipline and thereby contribute to the political science knowledge base.

Contact for More Information

Dr. Venelin Ganev, Director of Graduate Studies

ganevvi@miamioh.edu

Department of Political Science

218 Harrison Hall

Oxford, OH 45056

513-529-2000 political@MiamiOH.edu

Center for Public Management and Regional Affairs Havighurst Center Menard Center

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