Master of Arts in Political Science
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The Master of Arts Program focuses on the core scholarly areas of political science. Students specialize in one of four concentration areas: American government and politics, comparative government and politics, international relations, or political thought. Courses in the MA program serve as a foundation for work in a doctoral program or as preparation for careers in government, nonprofit organizations, or the private sector.
Admissions
Admission to the MA program is on a rolling basis throughout the academic year, but applicants wanting to be considered for financial aid should apply by February 1. All applicants for the MA ideally should have completed at nine or more semester hours in political science or another related field. All applications must be submitted online and all supplemental materials should be submitted to The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
The Deadlines for Spring 2010 admission are:
- February 1, 2009: Priority deadline for applicants interested in departmental assistantship and scholarship consideration.
- October 1, 2009: International masters applicants - rolling admissions up to this date.
- December 1, 2009: Non-international masters applicants - rolling admissions up to this date.
- December 15, 2009: Non-international special student applications. This is for non-degree part time study only.
The Deadlines for Fall 2010 admission are:
- February 1, 2010: Priority deadline for applicants interested in departmental assistantship and scholarship consideration.
- May 1, 2010: International masters applicants - rolling admissions up to this date.
- August 1, 2010: Non-international masters applicants - rolling admissions up to this date.
- August 25, 2010: Non-international special student applications. This is for non-degree part time study only.
Required Admission Materials:
- Online graduate school application and fee
- Three letters of recommendation submitted via online application process (at least two preferably from faculty at the applicant's undergraduate institution)
- Official copies of all post-secondary transcripts
- A personal statement
- A current resume
- A writing sample (no more than 10 pages)
- Aptitude scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and
- Proven English language proficiency (See below for details.)
Preferred GRE scores: While GRE test scores are not deterministic, it should be recognized that low verbal and analytical scores can adversely affect chances for admission.
English Proficiency for all International Applicants: International students are required to meet one of the following standards:
- TOEFL (79-80 iBT)
- IELTS
- Degree earned at a U.S. institution, or
- Degree earned at an institution where English is the only medium of instruction
Undergraduate Records: A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 out of 4.00 is expected.
How to Apply: Apply for the MA program online
Degree Requirements
Each student must earn 30 semester hours of academic credit to qualify for the Master of Arts degree in Political Science. All students must complete the course requirements of a concentration in the MA Program. These concentrations are described in more detail below.
Students must attain a final cumulative grade point average of at least 3.000 in all course work to qualify for the Master of Arts degree. In addition, MA degree candidates must also obtain a grade point average greater than 3.000 in their concentration area. Any course in which a student earns lower than a C grade cannot be used to fulfill concentration area requirements.
Satisfactory progress in the MA Program includes maintaining a grade point average of
Not more than six semester hours of repeated and/or additional courses can be taken to fulfill degree requirements concerning grade point average.
Curriculum
All MA students are required to take POLS 7202, Quantitative Techniques.Students interested in pursuing doctoral studies, whether at Northeastern or elsewhere, may also want to take the following doctoral program core courses:
Students also need to take a minimum of four courses in one of the four areas of concentration described in the next section, as well as at least one course outside their concentration. The remaining courses may be taken as electives, including an optional thesis or an internship with the prior approval of the graduate program.
Courses in other programs: With prior permission from both departments, MA students may take up to six semester hours relevant to the student's concentration in other graduate programs at Northeastern University.
Directed studies: MA students may take up to six semester hours as "directed study" in specialized areas. All directed studies are subject to the prior approval of the graduate program, and are generally not approved for subjects in which courses are offered.
Internships: MA students, with prior approval, can earn academic credit through a supervised internship experience that carries an academic component. MA students are limited to three semester hours of internship credit. A petition with appropriate approvals is required for all internships.
MA Thesis: MA students may pursue, with prior approval, an optional thesis of up to six semester hours of total credit. Thesis proposals must be approved by a thesis committee comprised of two fulltime members of the graduate faculty and the Academic Coordinator of Graduate Programs.
No student may take more than nine semester hours in any combination of directed studies, internships, or thesis.
MA Program Concentrations
As stated above, all MA students are required to select one of four concentrations. Each concentration requires at least four courses. The following is an overview of each concentration and a brief description of its requirements. For more specific guidance on which courses meet the requirements of each concentration, please view the most recent program guide at the end of this web page.
American Government and Politics
The field of American government and politics studies the structure of the American system of governance, its institutions, processes for representation, and the broad dynamics of public policymaking. Students in this field will develop a thorough knowledge of the formal institutions of government, as well as an appreciation for the historical and philosophical foundations of the constitutional system, for the societal factors that have shaped policymaking, and for the normative dimensions of democratic representation and effective government.
Concentration Requirements: Students in this concentration are required to complete at least four American Government and Politics courses. If you do not have a background in American Government we recommend you take POLS 7250, American Political Institutions and Processes.
The following course is required of all students: POLS 7205, Seminar in American Government and Politics.
Additionally three other courses whose primary focus is American government must be chosen from the Departments offerings. These courses are generally numbered from POLS 7250-7299. However, relevant public administration courses or theory courses may also count toward this requirement.
Non-concentration Requirement: At least one course in comparative politics or international relations must be taken by any student pursuing a concentration in American government and politics. Most international relations and comparative politics courses are numbered from POLS 7350- 7399.
Comparative Politics
Comparative politics focuses upon politics within and across nations. It examines and compares political structures and institutions, political culture development and democratization, as well as many of the challenging issues facing states today. MA students develop a solid understanding of how different kinds of political systems function and how to assess their impact on public policy and normative questions. They study the impact of culture and international politics upon political processes within nations; and they study the theory and methods for comparing nations. Students have the opportunity to focus on specific areas of the world as well as to develop a broad understanding of all types of political systems.
Concentration Requirements: Students in this concentration are required to complete at least four comparative government courses.
The following course is required of all students: POLS 7206, Seminar in Comparative Government and Politics.
Additionally three other courses whose primary focus is comparative government and politics must be chosen from the Department's offerings, at least one these must cover a specific functional areas (usually numbered from POLS 7351-7369) and at least one course must be taken that covers a specific geographical area (usually numbered from POLS 7370-7389).
Non-concentration Requirement: At least one course in American government or American public policy must be taken by any student pursuing a concentration in comparative government and politics. Most of these courses are numbered from POLS 7250 -7299.
International Relations
The field of international relations is concerned both with relations that occur across national boundaries and with the patterns or structures according to which such relations take place. More specifically, international relations examines the actors, issues, and actions which have impacts beyond national boundaries. As an academic discipline, the field attempts to define these phenomena, explain the historical and present patterns of their occurrence, and illuminate the contexts in which certain patterns are likely to be experienced. As such, international relations looks not just to the actors and the systems within which their interactions take place, but it also attempts to ascertain how the particular systems evolved, why particular actors at one time or another have somehow dominated international affairs, and how in their interactions various actors have contributed to shaping issues and patterns in international affairs.
Concentration Requirements: Students in this concentration are required to complete at least four international relations courses.
The following course is required of all students: POLS 7207, Seminar in International Relations.
Additionally three other courses whose primary focus is international relations must be chosen from the Department's offerings, at least one of these must cover a specific functional areas (usually numbered from POLS 7351-7369) and at least one course must be taken that covers a specific geographical area (usually numbered from POLS 7370-7389).
Non-concentration Requirement: At least one course in American government or American public policy must be taken by any student pursuing a concentration in international relations. Most of these courses are numbered from POLS 7250 -7299.
Political Thought
The field of Political Thought encompasses the wide span of historical and intellectual contributions that delineate the nature of man in relation to social, economic, political, and legal institutions as well as psychological and cultural factors. Both the context in which the theories were generated and the applications and consequences of those theories are explored. The student who chooses political thought as a field will be expected to be aware of the differing views of the nature of the field, its scope, limits and methods. Mastery of the literature and techniques of the field should enable the student to deal with the internal complexities of an individual's thought, or with the history of an idea (or ideas), or with the relationship between ideas and the social and political context.
Students in this concentration are required to complete at least four Political Thought courses.
Program Structure & Administration
The Master of Arts Committee provides general oversight to the Program. Decisions regarding individual courses and minor program changes are within the jurisdiction of this committee. Major changes must be approved by the Department of Political Science.
The 2009-2010 Student Guide is available on-line or in the Graduate Program Office. This Guide provides information on program requirements, curriculum, financial aid, and other aspects of the graduate programs in the Department of Political Science.