The Master of Arts in Politics is a terminal master’s degree. The curriculum is designed to expose students to substantive knowledge and scholarly research in political science in order to help students develop critical thinking, analytical, research, and writing skills. Students who pursue a Master of Arts in Politics specialize in one of the following fields of study: political philosophy and theory, American politics, political economy, or comparative politics. Four departmental fields of study are offered: political philosophy and theory, political economy, American politics, and comparative politics. Students are required to complete a total of 36 points consisting of the following: eight courses (32 points), of which at least six must be in the department and four must be in one departmental field; an internship and corresponding Internship Seminar, POL-GA 3995; and a master’s thesis and corresponding Master’s Thesis Seminar, POL-GA 4000. Courses in the major field must include the field core course. This core course and one additional core course are required and are usually the first courses taken in the department. The internship may be substituted with a 2 point reading and research course approved by the program director. Students are expected to maintain a grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in work for the master’s degree. Each student should meet with the M.A. program adviser every semester to discuss and agree on a course of study. The director of the M.A. program will assign an adviser prior to the start of the student’s first semester.

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