►   Graduate School Policies and Procedures  apply to this program

Director: Michael Berry

E-mail: michael.berry@ucdenver.edu

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.