Graduate Programs
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.
Admission Procedures
Applications for admission to the program (without financial support) will be reviewed throughout the year, but it is recommended that applications for fall be submitted no later than the end of June, and for spring no later than the end of November.
Completed applications for IUPUI Fellowships must be submitted by February 1. Priority for other forms of financial aid (internships, research assistantships, teaching assistantships) will be given to those applying by May 1.
Minimum admissions requirements are a BA from an accredited institution, a GPA of 3.0, and scores on the revised GRE General Test of 145 in each of the verbal and quantitative elements, and 4.5 in the analytical writing element. (For GREs taken before July 31, 2011, we look for an average of 500 or better with at least one score of 550 or better.) You can sign up to take the GRE at http://www.gre.org/. It is recommended that you sign up at least two weeks in advance of the date on which you want to take the exam to ensure that you obtain a reservation for that day.
For full details on the admissions process, please visit the Graduate Office web site, where you can file an online application. The application includes a personal statement and three letters of recommendation. In addition, you will need to submit your undergraduate transcript and GRE scores, and be interviewed in person by the departmental Director of Graduate Admissions.
Conditional Admittance
Students whose admission package is incomplete or whose GPA and/or GRE scores do not quite meet our expectations may be conditionally admitted to the program. Also, students who apply late or before they have taken their GRE may be admitted as graduate non-degree students. Either way, courses taken before formal admittance will count toward the MA once students are formally admitted (provided the grade expectation described above is met).
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:
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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.
Admissions
Eligible and interested students must apply for admission to the BA/MA program no later than April 1 of their junior year, submitting a personal statement of goals, abilities and reasons for pursuing the MA degree; a sample of academic writing (a term paper from a political science course is preferred); and three letters of recommendation, of which at least two must be written by full-time members of the political science faculty. Applications will be reviewed by the departmental graduate admissions committee.
During their senior year, students whose eligibility has been confirmed must:
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Take the GRE, and for final admission to the MA program must achieve scores on the revised GRE General Test of 150 or better in each of the verbal and quantitative elements, and 4.5 or better in the analytical writing element.
- Complete and pass POLS Y490: Senior Seminar the first time they enroll in the class with a grade of at least a B. This may then be double counted as an elective in the MA program.
- Complete and pass POLS Y570: Introduction to the Study of Politics and POLS Y580: Research Methods in Political Science with a grade of at least B-. These may then be double counted as electives in the political science undergraduate major.
Upon meeting these three requirements, and upon completing all the requirements for their BA, students on the BA/MA track must apply for formal admission to the MA through the Graduate Admissions Office; they should do this no later than April 1 of their senior year. The establishment of eligibility for, and participation in, the BA/MA program does not automatically guarantee acceptance into the graduate program. BA/MA students admitted to the MA will take their remaining four graduate courses in their fifth year, as well as completing their thesis. The double counting of nine hours of undergraduate and graduate credit means that BA/MA students will only be required to take a total of 146 semester hours of coursework for their BA and their MA, rather than 155 (122 + 33).
When taking graduate courses in their senior year, students will be charged undergraduate tuition rates. After earning the BA degree, students formally admitted to the Graduate School will be charged graduate tuition rates for their coursework.
Contact Information
Please direct all inquires about the political science graduate program to:
Dr. John McCormick
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Political Science
425 University Blvd
IUPUI
Indianapolis IN 46202
Tel: 317-274 4066