The University of Texas at Dallas
Master of Arts in Political Science
Richardson, USA
MA
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* late application deadline: day prior to classes begin
Key Summary
The University of Texas at Dallas Political Science Masters Program offers advanced instruction in the social science literature and theories about politics, citizenship, governance, and data analysis.
Mission
The mission of the Master of Arts in Political Science (M.A.P.S.) degree is to offer advanced instruction in the social science literature and theories about politics, citizenship, and governance. We offer two optional concentrations. Students who want an intellectually rigorous legal education as preparation for law school, for more advanced graduate learning, or for law-related careers in teaching, journalism, government, policy-making, or the private sector, can pursue the Law and Courts optional concentration to obtain the reasoning and analytic skills necessary to understand the technical rules of law, legal practices and policies, and law more generally as a social phenomenon. Students interested in positions as legislative staff, political consultants, or other careers in professional politics, should pursue the legislative studies option concentration to advance their knowledge of legislative processes and the role that legislatures play at the local, state, and national levels of government.
Prerequisites
While there are no specific course prerequisites, entering students will benefit from exposure to undergraduate courses in economics, political sciences, sociology, college algebra, statistics, public policy, and research design. In cases where undergraduate preparation is not adequate, students may be required to take additional coursework before starting the master's program.
Degree Requirements
Students seeking a Master of Arts in Political Science must complete at least 30 semester credit hours of work in the program, must receive a grade of B- or better in all required courses, and must maintain at least a 3.0-grade point average to graduate. The program has two optional specialized concentrations: law and courts, and legislative studies.
Required Courses: 6 semester credit hours
- PSCI 6350 Logic, Methodology, and Scope of Political Science
- EPPS 6313 Introduction to Quantitative Methods
- or EPPS 7313 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
All students should complete the core courses as soon as possible.
General Political Science Majors: 24 semester credit hours
Prescribed Electives: 9 semester credit hours
Choose three of the following:
- PSCI 6321 Proseminar in Comparative Politics
- PSCI 6319 Proseminar in International Relations
- PSCI 6311 Proseminar in Law and Courts
- PSCI 6347 Proseminar in Political Institutions and American Politics
Field Courses: 6 semester credit hours
Choose two additional courses at the 6000 or 7000 level in one of the following fields:
Comparative Politics
- PPPE 6319 Political Economy of MNCs
- PSCI 6305 Workshop in Constitutional Law Studies
- PSCI 6306 Human Rights and International Law
- PSCI 6335 Institutions and Development
- PSCI 6337 Comparative Institutions
- PSCI 6342 Comparative Courts and Law
- PSCI 6352 Empirical Democratic Theory
- PSCI 6361 Civil Conflict
- PSCI 6362 Political Development
- PSCI 6363 Conflict and Development
- PSCI 6365 U.S. and International Asylum and Refugee Law
- PSCI 6374 U.S. Global Security and Public Opinion
- PSCI 7313 Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency
- PSCI 7318 Conflict Management
- PSCI 7350 Institutions and Citizen Behavior
International Relations
- PPPE 6319 Political Economy of MNCs
- PSCI 6306 Human Rights and International Law
- PSCI 6309 International Political Economy
- PSCI 6316 International Organizations
- PSCI 6358 Refugee and Migration Policy
- PSCI 6361 Civil Conflict
- PSCI 6365 U.S. and International Asylum and Refugee Law
- PSCI 7313 Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency
- PSCI 7318 Conflict Management
- PSCI 7330 International Conflict
- PSCI 7335 Theories of International Relations
Political Institutions and American Politics
- PSCI 6301 Constitutional Law
- PSCI 6323 Public Choice
- PSCI 6324 Local and State Government and Politics
- PSCI 6330 Campaigns and Elections
- PSCI 6331 Executives, Legislatures and Public Policy
- PSCI 6333 Political and Civic Organizations
- PSCI 6337 Comparative Institutions
- PSCI 6339 Election Law and Electoral Systems
- PSCI 6343 Law and the Policy Process
- PSCI 6352 Empirical Democratic Theory
- PSCI 7350 Institutions and Citizen Behavior
Law and Courts
- PSCI 6301 Constitutional Law
- PSCI 6305 Workshop in Constitutional Law Studies
- PSCI 6306 Human Rights and International Law
- PSCI 6339 Election Law and Electoral Systems
- PSCI 6342 Comparative Courts and Law
- PSCI 6343 Law and the Policy Process
- PSCI 6365 U.S. and International Asylum and Refugee Law
- PPPE 6366 Law and Development
Other field courses as approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Program Head.
Free Electives: 9 semester credit hours
Three additional political science courses at the 6000 or 7000 level, or EPPS methods courses offered throughout the School, or internship. Students may write an optional thesis by registering for three semester credit hours of independent study.
Law and Courts Concentration: 24 semester credit hours
Required Course: 3 semester credit hours
- PSCI 6301 Constitutional Law
- or PSCI 6311 Proseminar in Law and Courts
Prescribed Electives: 21 semester credit hours
Choose seven courses from the following:
- EPPS 6316 Applied Regression
- or EPPS 7316 Regression and Multivariate Analysis
- PPPE 6366 Law and Development
- PSCI 6304 Internship in Constitutional Law Studies
- PSCI 6305 Workshop in Constitutional Law Studies
- PSCI 6306 Human Rights and International Law
- PSCI 6331 Executives, Legislatures and Public Policy
- PSCI 6339 Election Law and Electoral Systems
- PSCI 6342 Comparative Courts and Law
- PSCI 6343 Law and the Policy Process
- PSCI 6365 U.S. and International Asylum and Refugee Law
- PSCI 6301 Constitutional Law
- PSCI 6311 Proseminar in Law and Courts
Other field courses as approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Program Head.
Legislative Studies Concentration: 24 semester credit hours
Required Course: 3 semester credit hours
- PSCI 6347 Proseminar in Political Institutions and American Politics
Prescribed Electives: 9 semester credit hours
Choose three courses from the following:
- EPPS 6316 Applied Regression
- or EPPS 7316 Regression and Multivariate Analysis
- EPPS 7386 Survey Research
- PSCI 6324 Local and State Government and Politics
- PSCI 6330 Campaigns and Elections
- PSCI 6331 Executives, Legislatures and Public Policy
- PSCI 6333 Political and Civic Organizations
- PSCI 6339 Election Law and Electoral Systems
- PSCI 6341 Texas Legislative Process
- PSCI 6343 Law and the Policy Process
- PSCI 6352 Empirical Democratic Theory
- PSCI 7350 Institutions and Citizen Behavior
- PSCI 6364 Public Opinion and Survey Research
Other courses as approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Program Head.
Free Electives: 6 semester credit hours
- Two additional courses at the 6000-level or above offered by programs in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, subject to approval by the Director of Graduate Studies or Program Head. These may include additional courses from the list above.
Internship: 6 semester credit hours
- PSCI 6V42 Legislative Affairs Internship (6 semester credit hours total; can be spread over more than one semester). Internships can be done in Austin, TX, or Washington, D.C., or with another state or local government agency or political organization.
- Students in the Master of Arts in Political Science program will:
- Develop competency in one of the fields of Comparative Politics and International Relations; Political Institutions and American Politics; or Law and Courts.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply political science theories and concepts to the study of citizenship, governance, and politics.
- Develop competency in analysis, evaluation, and research design relevant to political science research and analysis.
- Law and Courts concentration
- Acquire detailed knowledge of the role of the judicial system in the evolution of public policy in the United States.
- Legislative studies concentration
- Demonstrate proficiency in skills required for at least one position in the practice of politics by successfully completing an internship.
Political Science degrees prepare students for public service and government and non-profit organizations and agencies, as well as positions in academe, business, or legislative politics. Throughout students learn empirical approaches to understanding data, approaches that are in high demand among employers.
