Master of Arts in Political Science

Collaborative Online Degree

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

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

The IU Online Master of Arts in Political Science offers instruction in the approaches and methods political scientists use to analyze and explain political institutions and behavior. 

As a student in this program, you read, interpret, and evaluate literature in the political science discipline. You study the role of political science within the social sciences, the various methods used to build a body of knowledge, and the application of this knowledge to the political environment around you. You trace the influence of major theories and themes in political thought, and you conduct empirical social science research. 

You may choose between a world politics track and an American politics track. 

Your IU Online M.A. in Political Science helps prepare you for careers in such fields as: 

• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
• Education
• Lobbying
• Policy analysis
• National security
• Public service, government, and politics

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

The stackable structure of the M.A. 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 MA 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.

Admissions

To be accepted to this program, you must have

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
• 3.0 minimum undergraduate GPA

To apply to this program, complete an online application that includes:

• Official transcripts from each undergraduate institution
• 250-word personal statement explaining background and reasons for entering the program

Application Dates

• Fall semester | August 1
• Spring semester | January 1
• Summer session 1 | May 1
• Summer session 2 | June 15

Requirements (30 cr.)

Requirements are broken down as follows:

• Core Courses (18 cr.)
• Track Courses (12 cr.)
  Students are required to complete on of the following 12-credit tracks:
  • American Politics
  • World Politics

• All courses are 3 credit hours, unless otherwise noted.

Core Courses (18 cr.)

• POLS-P 570 Introduction to the Study of Politics
• POLS-Y 524 Research Design for Public Affairs; OR
  POLS-Y 580 Research Methods in Political Science
• POLS-Y 529 National Public Institutions
• POLS-Y 575 Political Data Analysis I
• POLS-Y 600 Capstone
• POLS-Y 657 Comparative Politics

Tracks (12 cr.)

Select one of the following tracks:

Option 1 | American Politics

• POLS-Y 567 Public Opinion: Approaches and Issues
• POLS-Y 661 American Politics
• POLS-Y 675 Political Philosophy
• One additional graduate POLS course chosen from the World Politics list

Option 2 | World Politics

• POLS-Y 508 Issues in World Politics
• POLS-Y 530 World Political Economy
• POLS-Y 669 International Relations
• POLS-Y 757 Comparative Politics