Post-baccalaureate Certificate in Political Science
Website: https://twu.edu/certificate-women-in-politics/
Our Graduate Certificate in Political Science is ideally suited for:
- Texas high school teachers who have an M.A. in a field other than political science and want to teach political science in the dual credit classroom.
- Teachers who have an M.A. in a field other than political science and want to teach political science in the community college classroom.
- Individuals who are interested in graduate work in political science but aren’t ready to fully commit to a graduate program.
A prior M.A. is not required for admission. However, Texas state law mandates that dual credit and community college teachers hold an M.A. in any field AND 18 hours in the subject they are teaching. Our Graduate Certificate Program in Political Science meets the 18-hour requirement to teach. If you do not hold a master’s degree and are interested in teaching political science in either the community college or dual credit classroom, please visit our M.A. in Political Science program page.
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."
- Employers want employees with solid writing and compositional skills. The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate 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).
- Employers want employees with the ability to work independently on projects. The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Political Science develops this skill by requiring all students to complete an independent, original piece of scholarship in the form of a certificate portfolio.
- Employers want employees to be able to synthesize large concepts into succinct language. The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate 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.).
- For potential Dual-credit teachers, knowledge to competently teach Political Science/Government at the community college or dual credit level must be demonstrated. The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Political Science develops this skill by requiring all students to take 18 semester credit hours in Political Science. These hours, combined with a Master’s Degree (in any field) meet the state of Texas requirements for community college or (if certified) dual credit teachers. Importantly, the diverse historical subjects and time periods covered in the certificate’s coursework prepare students to teach introductory Political Science/Government courses.
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
18 semester credit hours (SCH).
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| POLS 5033 | Research Methods in Government | 3 |
| 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 | ||
| One elective may be chosen from the classes listed above, plus | 6 | |
| Special Topics (May be used for any category depending on the subject.) | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Internship | ||
| Capstone written portfolio and oral defense | ||
| Total SCHs | 18 | |
