Political Science MA

► Graduate School Policies and Procedures apply to this program

Director: Michael Berry

Introduction

The Political Science Department offers a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Political Science with an emphasis on building academic and practical skills in key areas of the discipline. Research and teaching in the department centers on the major fields of American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory and public policy. The department also offers more specialized training in community organizing, human rights, legal studies, gender politics, race and ethnic politics, European studies, indigenous politics and urban politics. Students pursuing the MA have the option of completing the traditional track or an alternative” track centered on public, non-profit and community leadership. Students completing the alternative “public, non-profit and community leadership” track take most courses on weekend, off-campus locations. Students completing either track have gone on to PhD programs across the country and work in a variety of areas, including: state and local elected office, government service, community organizing and development work, nongovernmental organizations, legislative analysts, UN affiliates, lobbyists, teachers, media analysis and political consulting.

Requirements for Admission

Students applying for admission to the MA program in political science should present at least 18 semester hours of previous academic work in political science, at least 9 hours of which should be at the upper-division or graduate level. The department may make exceptions to these requirements in unusual cases (for instance, if course work in related fields such as psychology, economics and history compensates for the deficiencies in political science). Applicants should present an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 to be considered. In their applications, students must submit transcripts and letters of recommendation (from academic sources) as specified by the Graduate School. In addition, applicants must submit a statement of academic objectives and an academic writing sample. Standardized test scores are not required of applicants, but will be considered if submitted. Program applicants who face difficulties in meeting these requirements should reach out for individual discussion with our Graduate Program director (for example, if an undergraduate GPA is below 3.0, or if letters of recommendation from professors taken years ago are hard to obtain).

In order to take graduate courses in political science, students must either be admitted to the MA program or secure permission to take courses as a non-degree student. Non-degree students interested in our certificate programs or in taking graduate courses for any reason should reach out to the Department Graduate Advisor to secure admission to courses as a non-degree seeking student.

Program Requirement Overview

Hours for Completion of Degree: 33
Minimum GPA: A GPA of 3.0 or higher must be maintained in the program at all times.
Minimum Grade: A minimums grade of B- is required for all graduate courses applying to the Political Science Masters degree.
Residency requirements: A minimum of 16 credits must be completed with CU Denver Political Science faculty.
Students who are on probation must meet regularly with the graduate advisor and must secure approval from the advisor for all course work while on probation.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the requirements for admission and details of the program spelled out here, graduate students in political science must also abide by department rules and procedures specified in the Graduate School Policies and Procedures . Failure to meet these policies may result in a student being dropped from the program.

Under the On-Campus MA program in political science, two degree plans are available:

Plan I requires the completion of nine graduate courses (27 semester hours) and a 6-credit thesis
Plan II requires the completion of ten graduate courses (30 semester hours) and a 3-credit project or portfolio.

Required Core Classes

Course work in both plans completed under the traditional track offered on the Downtown Campus must include the following two courses

Elective Courses

Students will complete between 12 and 15 elective semester hours, depending on whether they are working under Plan I or II. Elective courses must include at least one graduate seminar in each of the following three areas: 1) American politics, 2) Comparative politics/International Relations, and 3) Political Theory. Please see the Department graduate director, if you have questions as to which category a course might fit under.

In addition to taking regularly offered graduate seminars in the program, students may meet their elective requirements by taking independent study, internships, or graduate courses in related disciplines. These courses all require approval from the Graduate program director, or from a sponsoring faculty member in the Department. The total combination of independent study, graduate course work in related disciplines and internships cannot exceed 9 semester hours.

Alternative Political Science Masters Program: The New Directions Program

In addition to its traditional, on-campus Masters degree, the Political Science Department offers a Public, Non-Profit and Community Leadership MA program through the Center for New Directions at CU Denver South in Parker, CO. The Center for New Directions offers an MA program focused on public leadership, community labor organizing, and social economy innovations, in collaboration with community and labor organizations and local government jurisdictions across Colorado. The program seeks to develop the public leadership & community organizing capacities necessary to address challenges and leadership & community organizing capacities necessary to address challenges and opportunities within neighborhoods, communities, government jurisdictions, and non-profit entities.

Plan II is available both under the traditional MA track offered on the Denver campus, as well as through an alternative track offered off-campus through the Center for New Directions in Politics and Public Policy. For details about this off-campus track in politics and public policy, see New Directions, MA in Political Science.

The Political Science graduate program offers three transcripted certificates, allowing students to focus their studies in a particular direction and to note that particular focus on their transcript. Students do not have to be seeking a full Master’s degree to earn a certificate of completion through the certificate program.

For more information on these graduate certificates, click the links above.