Program Overview

Program Overview

The Master of Arts (M.A.) in Political Science is designed for students interested in acquiring a broad view of political science or who wish to specialize in international relations. The program consists of 33 semester hours plus successful completion of a comprehensive examination or a thesis.

Program Requirements

• The program requires a total of 33 semester hours.
• Students must maintain an institutional GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Students must also make a 3.0 or higher GPA in at least 5 of the 6 core courses.

Core Courses

• CPO 6006: Seminar in Comparative Politics (3 hours)
• INR 6007: Seminar in International Relations (3 hours)
• POS 6006: The Study of Politics (3 hours)
• POS 6045: Seminar in American Politics (3 hours)
• POS 6704: Political Science Research Methods (3 hours)
• POT 5016: Seminar in Political Theory (3 hours)
  • Total Hours: 18

Degree Options

Non-Thesis Option

• Non-thesis students take 15 semester hours (sh) of electives, of which 6 sh may be taken outside of the discipline.
• Non-political science credits require prior approval of the department chair.
• Completion of the degree requires successful completion of a chair- & advisor-approved comprehensive exam.
  • Total Hours: 15

Thesis Option

• Thesis students take 15 sh of elective credit, of which 6 sh may be earned by writing and successfully defending a thesis.
• Note: In order to be eligible for the thesis option, students are required to maintain a 3.5 or higher GPA.
• A match between faculty expertise of a thesis director and intended thesis topic is necessary, in addition to thesis director and chair approval to pursue a thesis.
• POS 6971: Thesis (6 hours)
  • Total Hours: 15

Admission Requirements

In addition to the University graduate admission requirements, the department bases decisions for regular admission on a holistic review of credentials, including:

• Undergraduate institutional GPA of 3.0 or above
• Submission of a sample research paper
• Completion of Supplemental Questions on Graduate Application

Online Program

The Reubin O'D. Askew Department of Government offers a fully online program for the M.A. in Political Science. To be eligible to apply for the online program, students must live outside of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida. The online program is a synchronous course delivery program, meaning that students are required to attend live lectures via the University's online video conferencing system for courses.