The IU Online Master of Arts for Teachers in Political Science combines coursework in education and political science to prepare you to be a dual-credit instructor at the high school and community college levels.

The educational component of the program teaches you how to apply the science and art of teaching to college-level instruction. Coursework covers instruction and curriculum, assessment, diversity and inclusive teaching, and research.

As a student in the political science component of the program, you study major political figures, philosophies, and movements throughout history in order to understand the political events of today. You complete coursework in subfields of political science (and the central questions they address) so that you can teach students to critically evaluate political institutions, analysis, and schools of thought. You also gain a crucial understanding of American political institutions and behaviors in comparison to political climates around the world.

Specific areas of focus include:

• Empirical theory and the scope of political science
• Political science research methods
• Political theory and political thought
• Political behavior, opinion, and identities
• Government and political institutions
• American politics in a comparative perspective

Many online support services are available to assist you as you progress through the program.

Of Special Interest for Teachers/Instructors Needing to Meet HLC Dual-Credit Standards

The stackable structure of the MAT in Political Science is ideal for those who want to teach dual-credit courses and who need to meet Higher Learning Commission dual-credit qualification standards. These standards require teachers wanting to teach dual-credit courses in political science to hold either a master's degree in political science or a master's degree in another discipline (such as education), plus at least 18 credit hours of discipline-specific graduate coursework.  

• If you need both discipline-specific coursework and a master's degree, the MAT in Political Science meets HLC standards.
• If you already hold a master's degree in a discipline other than political science, you can meet HLC standards by completing the Graduate Certificate in Political Science.

This 100 percent online, consortial program is taught by IU Bloomington, IU East, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast. This consortial model allows you to take coursework from several campuses and learn from a wide range of faculty.

Degree Requirements

To earn the MAT in Political Science, students must complete a six course/18 credit Political Science component and a four course/12 credit Education component for a total of ten courses/30 credit hours:  

Political Science Component (6 courses/18 cr)

Students complete six graduate classes chosen from the following list: 

• POLS-P 570 Introduction to the Study of Politics (3 cr.)
• POLS-Y 567 Public Opinion: Approaches and Issues (3 cr.) or
  • POLS-Y 575 Data Analysis for Political Science 
• POLS-Y 580 Research Methods in Political Science (3 cr.) or
  • POLS-Y 524 Research Methods for Public Affairs (3 cr.) or
  • STAT-S 512 Statistical Learning and Data Analysis (3 cr.) or
  • STAT-S 520 Introduction to Statistics (3 cr.) 
• POLS-Y 657 Comparative Politics (3 cr.) or
  • POLS-Y 757 Comparative Politics (3 cr.)
• POLS-Y 661 American Politics (3 cr.)
• POLS-Y 675 Political Philosophy (3 cr.)  

Education Component (4 courses/12 cr.)

Students complete four graduate classes chosen from the following list: 

• EDUC-H 520 Social Issues in Education (3 cr.)
• EDUC-J 500 Instruction in the Context of Curriculum (3 cr.)
• EDUC-P 507 Assessment in Schools (3 cr.)
• EDUC-Y 520 Strategies for Educational Inquiry (3 cr.)