Master of Arts in Political Science (MA)
Master of Arts in Political Science (MA)
The Department of Political Science offers the Master of Arts in Political Science degree with a diverse faculty maintaining a broad research agenda.
The degree is intended to prepare students for academic careers in research and teaching, and professional careers in public service or the private sector. It may thus serve the needs of both students and practitioners of government, politics, and business. The degree program has a favorable faculty-to-student ratio, which permits students to have close contact with faculty. We enroll students from Mississippi, as well other states and countries. Many MA graduates enroll in law school or pursue Ph.D. degrees in political science. Students take 30 to 33 hours, depending on the thesis or non-thesis option. Students opting out of the thesis must pass comprehensive exams on all coursework.
A competitive applicant for the Master of Arts in Political Science program must have completed the last two years of undergraduate work with a grade point average of 3.00; an applicant with previous graduate work must have a grade point average of 3.00 on such coursework. Moreover, the applicant must submit three letters of recommendation. An applicant with a lower grade point average may be admitted if he or she has a competitive score on the Miller Analogies Test or on the verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing portions of the GRE.
Any international applicant whose native language is not English must submit scores that are not more than two years old from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing Systems (IELTS). These applicants must achieve a score of 600 PBT (100 iBT) on the TOEFL or 7.5 on the IELTS.
Program of Study and Completion Requirements
Requirements
| Master of Arts in Political Science - Thesis |
Hours |
| Approved coursework in research methods and public policy |
6 |
| PS 8000 |
Thesis Research/Thesis in Political Science |
6 |
| PS XXXX |
Additional political science courses |
12 |
| Approved electives |
6 |
| Total Hours |
30 |
The thesis program is open to anyone who obtains approval by the M.A. Committee. A minimum of 12 hours excluding thesis credits at the 8000-level is required.
| Master of Arts in Political Science - Non-Thesis |
Hours |
| Approved coursework in research methods and public policy |
6 |
| PS XXXX |
Additional political science core courses |
12 |
| Approved electives |
15 |
| Total Hours |
33 |
If all or part of the elective coursework is completed outside of political science, students must choose courses from no more than two other departments.
A minimum of 15 hours at the 8000-level is required.
The non-thesis program is open to anyone with at least 18 undergraduate semester hours in social science courses, including 9 hours in political science, who meets the minimum admission requirements.
*Non-Thesis track students must pass comprehensive exams on all coursework. It is the responsibility of the student to contact the MA Graduate Coordinator to schedule completion of their comprehensive exams during their final semester.
Department Courses
The department offers various courses. The course list can be found here.
Program Policies
Readmission
A student not enrolled for one regular semester (fall or spring) is required to submit a readmission form and a new statement of purpose. The readmission must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator. If a student has not been enrolled for one calendar year, the applicant must submit a new application and statement of purpose to be considered for readmission into his/her program of study.
Provisional Admission
An applicant who fails to meet admission requirements may be admitted on a provisional basis. A student who is admitted on a provisional basis must receive no grade lower than B during the initial 9 hours of graduate work. Courses with an S grade, transfer credits, or credits earned while in Unclassified status cannot be used to satisfy this requirement.
Academic Probation
A student whose GPA fall below 3.00 will be placed on academic probation the following semester. See the complete Academic Probation policy in this catalog.
Unsatisfactory Performance
A student in the Master of Arts program will be dismissed if he or she:
- receives grades of C or lower in two courses not exceeding 8 credits of graduate work, or
- fails the comprehensive examination a second time, or
- receives unsatisfactory grades for two semesters in PS 8000 (thesis only), or
- is found to be responsible for violating the Student Honor Code for a second time.
