Graduate Program
Dr. Cheryl Brown
Director of Graduate Studies
737 Smith Hall
(304) 696-3598
Email Dr. Brown
The Department of Political Science is committed to those items enumerated in the mission statements of Marshall University and its College of Liberal Arts. First and foremost, the Department of Political Science strives to prepare future leaders by providing undergraduate and graduate students with a quality liberal arts political science education. This education includes critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, research skills, language/communication skills, and development of students’ intellectual capabilities. The Department of Political Science is committed to (1) applied and basic research; (2) leadership and public service to the community; and (3) developing insight into multicultural and global
issues.General Departmental Requirements
Students may be admitted to the Master of Arts degree program in Political Science (M.A.) in the fall or spring semesters. To apply, all students must first complete and return the Graduate Application for Admission to the Graduate Admissions Office (available here) .
Moreover, students are encouraged to review the Graduate Catalog online here for complete information on the graduate application process and university policies. To be considered by political science faculty for admission to the M.A. program, all applicants must provide a complete application file that contains the following items:
- A Marshall University Graduate Application for Admission (obtained from the Graduate Admissions office or online);
- All official transcripts;
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test and TOEFL (if applicable) scores;
- Two letters of recommendation (college instructors strongly preferred);
- A personal statement (see below).
Students may be admitted and awarded either a full, provisional, or conditional admission status.
For full admission to the M.A. program, the applicant should have:
- a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university
completion of 12 hours of undergraduate social science coursework
an undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher;
- a combined score of 1000 on the GRE;
- a score of 550 or higher on the TOEFL (for international students only);
- two letters of recommendation that discuss the applicant’s abilities (college instructors strongly preferred); and
- a personal statement (1-2 page essay regarding the student’s interest in political science and how the M.A. degree will benefit him or her).
For provisional admission:
In accordance with the Graduate Admissions office at Marshall University, the department may admit a student as provisional after submission of all required application materials when he or she possesses a baccalaureate degree and shows academic promise, but does not meet the criteria for full admission.
Thus, students with an undergraduate GPA between 2.50 and 2.99 may apply and be considered for provisional admission, given that all other full admission requirements are met including combined GRE scores of 1000.
Conversely, students with GRE scores lower than the combined 1000 may be considered for provisional admission, given that all other full admission requirements are met including an undergraduate GPA of greater than 3.0. In addition, all other requirements for full or provisional admission may be waived based on additional evidence of academic promise or demonstrated competency.
For conditional admission:
Whereas provisional admission allows the student to begin taking classes with the provision that he/she meets the criteria outlined above to continue in the program, conditional admission refers to specific conditions that must be met before the student is allowed to begin taking classes.
Conditional admission is decided on a case by case basis in close consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies. If the student does not meet the conditions specified by the Director, the student will not be admitted into the graduate program.
Examples of conditions that might be required include finishing a bachelor's degree before beginning graduate study, achieving a certain score on the TOEFL or GRE, ect.
Plan of Study
No later than the semester in which the graduate student registers for his/her 12th graduate credit hour, he/she must complete an official Plan of Study form to be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and submitted to the Office of the Graduate College.
A student with an approved Plan of Study may be granted the privilege of transferring credit earned in graduate coursework completed at another regionally accredited graduate institution, provided that the courses are related to Political Science and the grades earned are B or better or equivalent and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and Graduate Dean. However, transfer credit may only be used to fulfill elective or minor field credits. All 18 hours of core and major field course requirements must be completed in the Department of Political Science at Marshall University. Transfer credits may not exceed 12 hours and all transfer credits must have been earned within a seven-year time limit, counted from the date of enrollment in the first Marshall University graduate course.
Core Curriculum
The Master of Arts degree requires the completion of 30 hours of coursework and writing a thesis, or completion of 36 hours of coursework and the passing of written and oral comprehensive examinations.
The graduate curriculum in political science is divided into five fields of specialization. The student who elects to write a thesis must take at least nine credit hours in one of these, and the topic of the thesis must be within that field. Under the non-thesis option, at least twelve credit hours must be taken within a single field.Hours
Minimum requirements .................................................................................. 36 hrs.
1. Political Science 600 and 604 (required of all majors)................................ 6 hrs.
2. Major Field ................................................................................................ 12 hrs.
3. Minor Field ................................................................................................. 9 hrs.
4. Thesis option ............................................................................................. 6 hrs.
6. Electives .................................................................................................... 9 hrs.
Electives must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and be related to the major or minor field of study.
Graduate Field Concentrations
All courses are designated PSC unless otherwise noted.
American National, State, and Local Politics: 523, 533, 536, 540, 542, 560, 584, 606, 611, 612, 648, 652, 675.
American National Politics: 517, 523, 533, 536, 540, 542, 560, 584, 606, 611, 612, 652.
Constitutional Democracy: 521, 527*, 529, 536*, 546*, 560*, 584, HST 620, HST 622*, HST 629
International/Comparative Politics: 505, 506, 507, 508, 510, 511, 512, 515, 516, 520, 522, 523, 524, 529, 531, 544, 609, 614, 620, 652.
International Politics: 505, 506, 510, 512, 515, 520, 523, 524, 529, 531, 609.
Political Theory: 518, 519, 521, 525, 526, 528, 529, 530, 531, 546, 629.
Public Administration/Urban Studies: 531, 533, 542, 550, 552, 553, 554, 561, 618, 620, 621, 660.
*Must take any two of these courses for a major field.Courses that fall in two or more specializations may be counted in an appropriate area upon the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.
The Director of Graduate Studies must approve all coursework that constitutes each student’s specialization. Enrollment in specializations and elective courses is subject to the completion of any prerequisite courses and/or any requirement for permission to enroll from an individual instructor and/or other department faculty member. In addition, all courses to be considered toward graduation require approval from the Director of Graduate Studies.
Thesis Option
For students planning to continue graduate studies in a doctoral program, the thesis is the preferred option for receipt of the M.A. degree in Political Science.
Students electing the thesis option must complete 30 hours of graduate course credit. Students selecting the thesis option must complete the core courses and area of concentration requirements and have a written thesis proposal/prospectus approved by the thesis committee prior to enrolling for thesis credit. The remaining credit hours are obtained by taking thesis research (PSC 681) (6 credit hours). The 6 thesis research hours are normally taken in three-hour increments over two successive semesters, immediately preceding graduation, and after course requirements are completed.
All students selecting the thesis option must pass an oral defense. In cooperation with the Director of Graduate Studies, a student should form a thesis committee. The thesis committee assists in selecting and developing the research problem and evaluates the student’s work on that problem. A student who selects the thesis option should outline the thesis option early in his or her studies in consultation with members of the graduate faculty. The student should also determine the graduate faculty member of the department who will serve as chair of the student’s thesis committee.
Non-Thesis Option
Students who select the M.A. degree without a thesis must complete 36 credit hours of graduate coursework with a GPA of at least 3.0 and meet all other requirements. The credit hours include the 18- hour core course requirement, which includes the 12-hour specialization requirement. Nine credit hours must be completed in a minor area of specialization offered by the Political Science Department. The remaining 9 hours may be taken from a variety of graduate level courses offered at Marshall University.
All elective courses must enhance the major or minor field and be approved in advance by the Director of Graduate Studies. All students who select the non-thesis option must pass both written and oral comprehensive exams. Both written and oral comprehensive examinations are administered once during the fall and spring semesters.
Choosing Classes
All curriculum choices should be made in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies. Students should keep in mind that they cannot retake undergraduate/graduate classes they took as an undergraduate student at Marshall University (if applicable).
Advising
Each new graduate student must meet with the Director of Graduate Studies before his or her first semester as a graduate student. Continued advising throughout a student’s tenure at Marshall University is strongly encouraged.
| FULL SEARCH | |