Graduate
Degree Programs
Political Science
The Department of Political Science offers three Master of Arts degree options: a general politics track, a state and local politics track, and a five-year BA/MA.
General Politics Track
This consists of 33 hours of coursework, made up of the following:
Core Courses (12 hours) required of all students:
POLS Y570 - Introduction to the Study of Politics
POLS Y580 - Research Methods in Political Science
POLS Y657 - Comparative Politics or Y669 - International Relations
POLS Y661 - American Politics
Electives (12 hours) include the following:
POLS Y630 - State Executive Politics
POLS Y640 - State Parties and Interest Groups
POLS Y642 - Comparative Federalism
POLS Y680 - Readings in Political Science
Relevant electives (a maximum of 6 hours) may also be taken outside the department.
Research Skills Students must have either reading knowledge of a foreign language (to be indicated by completion of a second-year undergraduate equivalent course, or by testing out in an approved examination) or proficiency in quantitative research skills (to be indicated by completion of an advanced research methods graduate course in political science or another approved discipline).
State and Local Politics Track
This consists of 33 hours of coursework, made up of the following:
Core Courses (12 hours) required of all students:
POLS Y570 - Introduction to the Study of Politics
POLS Y580 - Research Methods in Political Science
POLS Y620 - State Politics
POLS Y622 - Urban Politics
Electives (9-12 hours) include the following:
POLS Y630 - State Executive Politics
POLS Y640 - State Parties and Interest Groups
POLS Y642 - Comparative Federalism
POLS Y661 - American Politics
POLS Y680 - Readings in Political Science
Relevant electives (a maximum of 6 hours) may also be taken outside the department.
Internship (3-6 hours) with a state, local, or urban government institution, or with a body having operational ties with such an institution. Students need to enroll in POLS Y881 - Internship in Political Science. This requirement may be waived for students already working in state, urban or local government.
Common Requirements
Thesis (6 hours) Students should enroll in POLS Y880 - M.A. thesis. Please be sure to read the Graduate School Guide to the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations. Students are strongly advised to allow at least one year for the preparation, completion and defense of a thesis.
Grades Students must receive a grade of B- or better in any course for it to count toward the MA. In order to continue enrollment in the program and to receive the degree, students must maintain a grade point average of B (3.0) or better. No undergraduate courses may be applied to the MA program.
Recommended Course Schedule We prefer that students start the program in the fall so that they can take POLS Y570 before or alongside other courses, but it is possible to start in the spring on the understanding that POLS Y570 should be taken as soon as possible thereafter. POLS Y580 is normally scheduled every spring, and we recommend that students do not take it until they have taken POLS Y570.
Transfers Students transferring from other graduate programs - or who have taken courses in the IU system as graduate non-degree (GND) students - may count up to 9 hours of credit toward the MA, provided these were earned in 3-hour courses, that the courses are relevant to our MA program, and that a minimum grade of B was earned in each course.
Five-Year BA/MA
Available to political science majors only, this program allows students to complete a BA and MA in five years instead of six, with three years of undergraduate coursework, a fourth year of combined undergraduate and graduate coursework, and a final year devoted exclusively to graduate work. The program is open to students who have:
- Achieved junior status.
- A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.3 or better, and a GPA in their major of 3.5 or better.
- A minimum grade of B in POLS Y205: Elements of Political Analysis.
- Completed at least 60 of their undergraduate credit hours and at least 15 of their political science credit hours at IUPUI.
- Completed the 12 hours of introductory-level required undergraduate courses for political science.
Interested students may declare their interest in the program to the Director of Graduate Studies in Political Science as soon as they start at IUPUI, in which case particular efforts will be made to advise them in their choice of courses during their first three years, and students will be encouraged to engage themselves in the research activities of faculty, and to more actively develop mentoring relationships.