Master of Arts in Political Science
Website: https://twu.edu/political-science/graduate-programs/master-of-arts-in-political-science/
The Master of Arts in Political Sciences provides a multicultural view of politics, law, and public policy. Our graduate course offerings in the sub-fields of American Politics, Public Policy, Global Politics, Political Theory, and Gender & Politics emphasize the diverse experiences of women, men, and children of varied races, ethnicities, and socio-economic backgrounds. Our program challenges students to further develop critical and analytical thinking skills, to not just learn about political science, but to become an active practitioners of the discipline.
Marketable Skills
Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."
- Solid writing and compositional skills. The M.A. in Political Science develops this skill by requiring students to engage in clear, persuasive, grammatically, and stylistically correct writing projects (primarily although not exclusively research papers).
- Work independently on projects. The M.A. in Political Science develops this skill by requiring all students to complete an independent, original piece of scholarship in the form of a Master's thesis or professional paper.
- Synthesize large concepts into succinct language. The M.A. in Political Science develops these skills by requiring students to take a required course in research methods which involves reading the extensive literature on a topic in politics (e.g., voting behavior or literature on democratization), synthesizing the concepts presented, analyzing data and arguments, and discussing this orally in a public forum and/or in written form (reaction papers, summaries, literature reviews, etc.).
Admissions
All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.
The academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.
Degree Requirements
Total Semester Credit Hours Required
30-39 semester credit hours (SCH) minimum with at least 21 SCH of course work in the major.
Students must take one course in Research Methods, in addition to the three-course distribution requirement, with at least one course in U.S. Politics & Public Policy; Global Politics & Theory; and Gender & Politics.
Thesis Option
Minimum of 30 semester credit hours, including 6 SCH for the thesis.
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Politics & Public Policy | ||
| Choose one of the following | 3 | |
| State and Local Politics | ||
| Seminar in American Politics | ||
| America's National Parks and Public Lands: History, Culture, and Law | ||
| Popular Culture and American Politics | ||
| Seminar in Public Policy | ||
| Global Politics & Theory | ||
| Choose one of the following | 3 | |
| Comparative Politics | ||
| Dilemmas in Immigration Policy | ||
| American International Relations | ||
| Seminar in Political Theory | ||
| Gender & Politics | ||
| Choose one of the following | 3 | |
| Law, Gender, and Sexuality | ||
| Leadership and Women | ||
| Women in Politics | ||
| Women of Color in Politics | ||
| Women, Elections, and Strategy | ||
| Electives | ||
| 12 SCH can be chosen from any of the classes listed above plus | 12 | |
| Special Topics (Can be used for any category depending on the subject) | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Internship | ||
or POLS 5936 | Internship | |
| Required Courses | ||
| POLS 5033 | Research Methods in Government | 3 |
| POLS 5983 | Thesis | 3 |
| POLS 5993 | Thesis | 3 |
| Total SCHs | 30 | |
Professional Paper/Project Option
Minimum of 30 semester credit hours, including 3 SCH for the professional paper/project.
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Politics & Public Policy | ||
| Choose one of the following | 3 | |
| State and Local Politics | ||
| Seminar in American Politics | ||
| America's National Parks and Public Lands: History, Culture, and Law | ||
| Popular Culture and American Politics | ||
| Seminar in Public Policy | ||
| Global Politics & Theory | ||
| Choose one of the following | 3 | |
| Comparative Politics | ||
| Dilemmas in Immigration Policy | ||
| American International Relations | ||
| Seminar in Political Theory | ||
| Gender & Politics | ||
| Choose one of the following | 3 | |
| Law, Gender, and Sexuality | ||
| Leadership and Women | ||
| Women in Politics | ||
| Women of Color in Politics | ||
| Women, Elections, and Strategy | ||
| Electives | ||
| 15 SCH can be chosen from any of the classes listed above plus | 15 | |
| Special Topics (Can be used for any category depending on the subject.) | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Internship | ||
or POLS 5936 | Internship | |
| Required Courses | ||
| POLS 5033 | Research Methods in Government | 3 |
| POLS 5973 | Professional Paper/Project | 3 |
| Total SCHs | 30 | |
Public Affairs Option
Minimum of 30 semester credit hours, including 3 SCH for the professional paper/project.
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Politics & Public Policy | ||
| Choose one of the following | 3 | |
| State and Local Politics | ||
| Seminar in American Politics | ||
| America's National Parks and Public Lands: History, Culture, and Law | ||
| Popular Culture and American Politics | ||
| Seminar in Public Policy | ||
| Global Politics & Theory | ||
| Choose one of the following | 3 | |
| Comparative Politics | ||
| Dilemmas in Immigration Policy | ||
| American International Relations | ||
| Seminar in Political Theory | ||
| Gender & Politics | ||
| Choose one of the following | 3 | |
| Law, Gender, and Sexuality | ||
| Leadership and Women | ||
| Women in Politics | ||
| Women of Color in Politics | ||
| Women, Elections, and Strategy | ||
| Electives | ||
| Nine SCH can be chosen from any of the classes listed above plus | 9 | |
| Special Topics (Can be used for any category depending on the subject) | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| POLS 5033 | Research Methods in Government | 3 |
| POLS 5936 | Internship | 6 |
| POLS 5973 | Professional Paper/Project | 3 |
| Total SCHs | 30 | |
M.A. in Political Science with Graduate Certificate in History
Couples 21 semester credit hours of graduate study in Political Science with 18 SCH of graduate study in History. Graduates of the certificate program write a professional paper/project and receive an M.A. in Political Science but earn a certificate in History and have enough graduate hours to teach in both History and Political Science in Texas community colleges.
Minimum of 39 semester credit hours, including 3 SCH for the professional paper/project.
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Politics & Public Policy | ||
| Choose one of the following | 3 | |
| State and Local Politics | ||
| Seminar in American Politics | ||
| America's National Parks and Public Lands: History, Culture, and Law | ||
| Popular Culture and American Politics | ||
| Seminar in Public Policy | ||
| Global Politics & Theory | ||
| Choose one of the following | 3 | |
| Comparative Politics | ||
| Dilemmas in Immigration Policy | ||
| American International Relations | ||
| Seminar in Political Theory | ||
| Gender & Politics | ||
| Choose one of the following | 3 | |
| Law, Gender, and Sexuality | ||
| Leadership and Women | ||
| Women in Politics | ||
| Women of Color in Politics | ||
| Women, Elections, and Strategy | ||
| Electives | ||
| Six SCH can be chosen from any of the classes listed above plus | 6 | |
| Special Topics (Can be used for any category depending on the subject.) | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Internship | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| POLS 5033 | Research Methods in Government | 3 |
| POLS 5973 | Professional Paper/Project | 3 |
| Plus the Graduate Certificate in History | ||
| HIST 5033 | Research Methods in History | 3 |
| U.S. History | ||
| Choose nine SCH from the following | 9 | |
| Studies in 19th Century U.S | ||
| Women in Early America | ||
| Religion in an Atlantic World, 1450-1776 | ||
| Progressives | ||
| American Experience in World War II | ||
| Between the Wars | ||
| U.S. Since 1945 | ||
| Non-US History | ||
| Choose three SCH from the following | 3 | |
| Renaissance and Reformations | ||
| History of France | ||
| Seminar in European History | ||
| Electives | ||
| Choose three SCH from any of the classes listed above plus | 3 | |
| Oral History Methodology | ||
| Methods in Public History | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Internship | ||
or HIST 5936 | Internship | |
| Capstone written portfolio and oral defense | ||
| Total SCHs | 39 | |
Minor
Optional. All minors must be approved by the student’s graduate committee and must include six semester credit hours.
Special Requirement
No grade lower than B can be counted toward meeting the minimum number of semester credit hours required. Students enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in History will complete and defend a portfolio that describes their coursework and research in history.
Final Examination
An oral defense of the thesis or professional paper/project is required.
