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Political Science and Public Affairs, M.A.

ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ's Master of Arts in Political Science and Public Affairs program allows academically talented students to advance their knowledge and analytical skills by focusing on an interdisciplinary problem-oriented area of interest within political science.

SLU's M.A. in political science and public affairs is open to individuals who have previously earned a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in political science or a related social science discipline from an accredited university and demonstrate outstanding potential.Ìý

Curriculum Overview

The M.A. in political Science and public affairs requires 30 credits.

M.A. students on the St. Louis campus may choose one of four formal concentration areas—American politics, international affairs, public policy and administration, or political thought.ÌýAll M.A. students on SLU's Madrid campus complete a concentration in international relations and crisis.

Students enrolled on either the St. Louis or the Madrid campus may take elective courses on the other campus.

American Politics Concentration

This concentration provides a substantive grounding in the academic study of American politics, strong methodological skills, and options to focus on particular areas of interest, such as public law. This concentration is appropriate for students with a variety of interests and goals, including additional graduate study in political science and related fields or law school.

Political Thought Concentration

This concentration provides substantive grounding in the history of Western political thought, as well as well as the opportunity to explore issues in contemporary political theory and philosophy.

Public Policy and Administration Concentration

This concentration is designed for students interested in gaining a practical understanding of how political and social policies are developed and administered. Like a Master of Public Administration, it prepares students to work in local and national government, nonprofits and the private sector.

International AffairsÌýConcentration

This concentration provides theoretical and substantive grounding in international relations and comparative politics. Some of the topics covered are the process of democratization, international security, warfare and economic development.

International Relations and Crisis Concentration (SLU-Madrid)

This concentration familiarizes students with the key theoretical, political, and social dimensions of the global governance of insecurity, and the emergence, management and consequences of crises today.

Careers

An M.A. in political science and public affairs prepares students for careers in government, foreign service, national or international business, nonprofit organizations and NGOs, as well as future graduate study. Possible careers include campaign aide, diplomat, nonprofit manager and labor relations specialist. Students seeking admission to a Ph.D. program may also bolster their prospects with an M.A. from ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ.

Admission Requirements

Bachelors degree with at least 18 credits of undergraduate courses in political science or a related social science field is strongly encouraged.

Successful applicants usually possess a GPA of 3.40 (overall and in political science courses) and sufficient TOEFL score (for international applicants).

Applicants are not required to submit GRE scores but may do so if they wish to have them considered as part of their application.

Application Requirements

  • Online application:Ìýhttps://gradapply.slu.edu/apply/ÌýÌý
  • Two letters of recommendation written by people who can speak to your academic and/or professional skills. These letters should come from someone in a supervisory position, for example a professor, academic advisor, or workplace supervisor.
  • Transcript(s). Provisional offers of acceptance can be made based on unofficial transcripts. Admitted students will need to submit an official transcript upon enrollment.
  • A statement of purpose in which you detail why you wish to pursue a Master’s degree, how your background prepares you for this academic program, and how you plan to use the skills or knowledge you learn in the program to achieve your future goals.ÌýPlease also include a brief note if you wish to be considered for departmental need- or merit- based funding.ÌýThe total statement of purpose should not exceed 4 double-spaced pages, and may be shorter.
  • A writing sample which demonstrates your academic writing abilities. This may be a term paper your wrote for a course, an honors thesis or other independent research, or a policy brief. If you do not have a suitable writing sample, please choose a policy area or research topic in which you are interested and write a research memo in which you introduce the topic, identify a compelling research question or questions, explain how you might go about conducting research on the topic, and identify implications of studying this topic. Writing samples should be at least 5 double-spaced pages, and may be longer.Ìý
  • Curriculum vitae or résumé

Requirements for International StudentsÌý

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students. International students must also meet the following additional requirements:

  • ¶Ù±ð³¾´Ç²Ô²õ³Ù°ù²¹³Ù±ðÌýEnglish Language Proficiency
  • Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include:
    • Courses taken and/or lectures attended
    • Practical laboratory work
    • The maximum and minimum grades attainable
    • The grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations
    • Any honors or degrees received.
  • WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.
  • In order to be issued an I-20 for your F-1 visa application, students must submit financial documents. Proof of financial support that must include:
    • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the student's time at ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ
    • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of the student's study at the University

Assistantship Application Deadline

For full consideration for a University-wide fellowship or assistantship, applicants should submit their application by Jan. 10.Ìý For consideration for a Department of Political Science graduate assistantship or tuition hours, applicants should submit their application by March 1 (for enrollment beginning in August).

Review Process

A committee of political science department faculty members reviews applications.ÌýComplete applications received by March 1 (for enrollment beginning in August) or November 1 (for enrollment beginning in January) will receive full consideration.ÌýWe will continue reviewing applications after these deadlines if space allows. If applying after the priority deadline, you are welcome to contact the graduate program coordinator to see whether applications are still being considered.

Tuition

Tuition Cost Per Credit
Graduate Tuition $1,370

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

Net Price Calculator

Information on Tuition and Fees

Miscellaneous Fees

Information on Summer Tuition

Scholarships, Assistantships and Financial Aid

The Department of Political Science offers partial funding in the form of tuition-hours scholarships. Tuition hours provide recipients with free tuition for one or more courses in the semester they are awarded.
Ìý
The department awards tuition hours based on merit and/or need. New applicants to the program who wish to be considered for funding should submit their application for admission by the listed priority deadline and mention in their professional goals statement that they wish to be considered for funding. There is no separate process for applying for funding. Funding decisions will be made at the same time as admissions decisions, and it is not possible to guarantee funding before an offer of admission has been made.Ìý
Ìý
The University has additional sources of funding for graduate students. Information on these sources, as well as instructions for applying, is available from the Office of Graduate Education.Ìý
Ìý
Information on need-based financial aid is available from the Office of Student Financial Services.
  1. Graduates will be able to explain how political systems operate within the context of their chosen M.A. concentrations.
  2. Graduates will be able to critique competing theoretical explanations and produce a comprehensive review of the scholarly literature in their chosen field of study.
  3. Graduates will be able to design original research and seminar projects that investigate political processes with appropriate methodologies and contribute to ongoing scholarly debates.
  4. Graduates will be able to explain the results of their research in public forums and justify their methodological choices.
  5. Graduates will be able to analyze the values that inform political institutions, behavior and policies.
  6. Graduates will be able to demonstrate honest and ethical research practices.

Students on SLU's St. Louis campus will choose one of four formal concentrations. All students on complete the concentration in international relations and crisis.

All students will complete a total of 30 credits for the M.A. degree. All students are required to pass a field exam on their formal concentration or individual topic of interest administered at the beginning of the student’s final semester of coursework.

Students may complete an internship for up to six credits as part of the M.A. in political science and public affairs. Students will work under the direction of a preceptor at the internship location and a faculty member in the department. The internship should involve 200 hours of work central to the organization students are working with, and students will also need to write a paper related to the work in order to receive course credit. Students may substitute up to 3 hours of POLSÌý5910 Graduate Internship (1-6 cr)Ìýfor a concentration attributed course, and an additional 3 hours of POLSÌý5910 Graduate Internship (1-6 cr)Ìýfor elective courses.

No more than 12 credits of the M.A. may be taken outside political science, and no more than 6 credits may be independent study classes or internships. Some classes have prerequisites. Depending on their undergraduate preparation, students may be required to take specific undergraduate classes prior to enrolling in post-baccalaureate classes.Ìý

Non-Course Requirements

  • Students who choose to write master's theses will work closely with a faculty director and a committee of two other faculty members chosen with the director's guidance. The M.A. thesis is a two-semester project. Students will complete a thesis proposal in the first semester and the thesis itself during the second semester. Students who are not able to defend their proposal successfully during the first semester will not be allowed to continue to the second semester of thesis work.Ìý
  • All students in the political science M.A. program must take and pass a field exam during their last semester of coursework. All students must pass the written portion of the exam. An additional oral exam will be required at the discretion of the exam committee.

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.

Individualized Concentration in Political Science and Public AffairsÌý

Students are encouraged to explore courses outside the department related to their field of study, for example, courses in women's and gender studies, geographic information systems, and regional studies courses offered by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Culture.

All students are required to select a concentration. If a student wishes to pursue a topic that is not covered by one of the formal concentrations, they may propose an individualized course of study that can be formalized through a "contract" concentration. All contract concentrations must be approved in advance by the student's advisor and the graduate program coordinator. Students wishing to consider a contract concentration should work with their advisor and/or the program coordinator as early as possible. All contract concentrations cover 30 credit hours and must include the following components:
Ìý

  1. A foundational course or courses on the content of the student’s topic of interest
  2. A foundational course on methods of inquiry with the Graduate Methods attribute
  3. A course with the Graduate Thought Foundations attributeÌý
  4. A range of elective courses constituted as a coherent domain of study

American Politics ConcentrationÌý

American Politics Foundation attributed course3
American Politics attributed courses9
POLSÌý5020Advanced Topics in Research Methods3
POLSÌý5750American Political Thought: Meanings of Citizenship3
POLSÌý5970Research Topics3
Skills attributed course3
Political Science Elective Courses6
Six credits may be an internship or MA thesis *
Total Credits30
*

Students who conduct a Thesis (6 credits of POLSÌý5990 Thesis Research (3 cr)) will use 3 credits of Thesis to replace the POLSÌý5970 Research Topics (1-3 cr) requirement.Ìý

Public Policy and Administration Concentration

Policy Foundation attributed course3
Policy Elective attributed course9
POLSÌý5020Advanced Topics in Research Methods (linkurl^#skills^Skills attributed course)3
Skills attributed course3
POLSÌý5970Research Topics3
Political Thought Foundation course3
Political Science Electives6
Six credits may be an internship or M.A. thesis *
Total Credits30
*

Students who conduct a Thesis (6 credits of POLSÌý5990 Thesis Research (3 cr)) will use 3 credits of Thesis to replace the POLSÌý5970 Research Topics (1-3 cr) requirement.

Political Thought Concentration

Thought Foundation attributed courses6
Thought Elective attributed courses6
POLSÌý5020Advanced Topics in Research Methods3
Skills attributed course3
POLSÌý5970Research Topics3
Political Science Elective Courses9
Six credits may be an internship or M.A. Thesis *
Total Credits30
*

Students who conduct a Thesis (6 credits of POLSÌý5990 Thesis Research (3 cr)) will use 3 credits of Thesis to replace the POLSÌý5970 Research Topics (1-3 cr) requirement.

International Affairs Concentration

International Relations Classes6
Comparative Politics Classes6
POLSÌý5020Advanced Topics in Research Methods3
Skills attributed course3
POLSÌý5970Research Topics3
Political Thought Foundation3
Political Science Electives6
Six credits may be an internship or M.A. thesis *
Total Credits30
†

POLSÌý5840 Global Health Politics & Policy (3-6 cr) can count as a Comparative Politics course or an International Relations course, but it cannot count as both.

Ìý
Ìý
*

Students who conduct a Thesis (6 credits of POLSÌý5990 Thesis Research (3 cr)) will use 3 credits of Thesis to replace the POLSÌý5970 Research Topics (1-3 cr)Ìýrequirement.Ìý

International Relations and CrisisÌýConcentration (SLU-Madrid)

Required Courses
POLSÌý5590Crisis of Leadership †3
POLSÌý5610International Relations: Theory & Practice †3
POLSÌý5630The European Union: Politics and Political Economy †3
POLSÌý5662International Contemporary Challenges †3
POLSÌý5663Key Contemporary Crises †3
POLSÌý5910Graduate Internship *3
Students must complete a 3 credit graduate internship with a national or international, governmental or non-governmental body.
Research Methods
POLSÌý5020Advanced Topics in Research Methods *3
Political Science Electives9
Select 9 credits
POLSÌý5100
Seminar in American Politics *
POLSÌý5320
Environmental Politics and Policy-Making *
POLSÌý5510
Democratization ‡
POLSÌý5520
Political Change ‡
POLSÌý5530
Authoritarian Politics: Rigging Elections and Clinging to Power ‡
POLSÌý5550
Politics of Economic Development *
POLSÌý5650
War, Peace, and Politics ‡
POLSÌý5661
Shifting Trends in Regional and Interregional Politics †
POLSÌý5664
International Political Economy in Times of Crisis †
POLSÌý5665
Historical Perspectives on Crisis: The 30 Years' European Crisis †
POLSÌý5690
Theories of World Politics ‡
POLSÌý5730
Contemporary Political Ideologies *
POLSÌý5840
Global Health Politics & Policy ‡
POLSÌý5990
Thesis Research *
For students conducting a Thesis, 6 credits are required.
Total Credits30
†

Madrid campus only

‡

St. Louis campus only

*

Offered on both St. Louis and Madrid campuses

Political Science - American Politics (Graduate) Attributed Courses

POLSÌý5140Political Parties3
POLSÌý5150Gender and American Politics3
POLSÌý5170Electoral Politics3
POLSÌý5171Law, Policy, Society3
POLSÌý5310Issues in U.S. Public Administration3

Political Science - American Politics Foundation (Graduate) Attributed Courses

POLSÌý5100Seminar in American Politics3

Political Science - Comparative Politics (Graduate) Attributed Courses

POLSÌý5500Russian Political Culture3
POLSÌý5510Democratization3
POLSÌý5520Political Change3
POLSÌý5530Authoritarian Politics: Rigging Elections and Clinging to Power3
POLSÌý5550Politics of Economic Development3
POLSÌý5590Crisis of Leadership3
POLSÌý5840Global Health Politics & Policy3-6

Political Science - International Relations (Graduate) Attributed Courses

POLSÌý5610International Relations: Theory & Practice3
POLSÌý5630The European Union: Politics and Political Economy3
POLSÌý5650War, Peace, and Politics3
POLSÌý5661Shifting Trends in Regional and Interregional Politics3
POLSÌý5662International Contemporary Challenges3
POLSÌý5663Key Contemporary Crises3
POLSÌý5664International Political Economy in Times of Crisis3
POLSÌý5665Historical Perspectives on Crisis: The 30 Years' European Crisis3
POLSÌý5670Politics of International Trade and Finance3
POLSÌý5690Theories of World Politics3
POLSÌý5840Global Health Politics & Policy3-6

Political Science - Methods (Graduate) Attributed Courses

POLSÌý5020Advanced Topics in Research Methods3

Political Science - Policy Elective (Graduate) Attributed Courses

POLSÌý5300Law and Regulatory Policy3
POLSÌý5310Issues in U.S. Public Administration3
POLSÌý5320Environmental Politics and Policy-Making3
POLSÌý5325Public Sector Budgeting3
POLSÌý5330Public Sector Economics3
POLSÌý5350Issues in Public Policy3
POLSÌý5360Urban Economic Development3
POLSÌý5850Policy Evaluation and Assessment3
POLSÌý6310Policy Process3
POLSÌý6320Organization Theory & Behavior3
POLSÌý6330Public Finance Theory3
SOCÌý5010Organizational Theory and Administration3

Political Science - Policy Foundation (Graduate) Attributed Courses

POLSÌý5310Issues in U.S. Public Administration3
POLSÌý5350Issues in Public Policy3
POLSÌý6310Policy Process3

Political Science - Thought Foundations (Graduate) Attributed Courses

POLSÌý5730Contemporary Political Ideologies3
POLSÌý5740Marx's Capital3
POLSÌý5750American Political Thought: Meanings of Citizenship3
POLSÌý5760XFeminist Theories3

Political Science - Thought Elective (Graduate) Attributed Courses

POLSÌý5700Historical Western Political Thought3
POLSÌý5710Citizenship and Social Difference3
POLSÌý5730Contemporary Political Ideologies3
POLSÌý5740Marx's Capital3
POLSÌý5750American Political Thought: Meanings of Citizenship3
POLSÌý5760XFeminist Theories3
POLSÌý5770XFeminist Epistemologies3

Political Science - Elective (Graduate) Attributed Courses

POLSÌý5010Cultural Methods: Gender, Politics, and Power3
POLSÌý5020Advanced Topics in Research Methods3
POLSÌý5100Seminar in American Politics3
POLSÌý5130Race, Class, and Punishment3
POLSÌý5131Race, Class, and Punishment3
POLSÌý5140Political Parties3
POLSÌý5150Gender and American Politics3
POLSÌý5170Electoral Politics3
POLSÌý5171Law, Policy, Society3
POLSÌý5300Law and Regulatory Policy3
POLSÌý5310Issues in U.S. Public Administration3
POLSÌý5320Environmental Politics and Policy-Making3
POLSÌý5325Public Sector Budgeting3
POLSÌý5330Public Sector Economics3
POLSÌý5350Issues in Public Policy3
POLSÌý5360Urban Economic Development3
POLSÌý5500Russian Political Culture3
POLSÌý5510Democratization3
POLSÌý5520Political Change3
POLSÌý5530Authoritarian Politics: Rigging Elections and Clinging to Power3
POLSÌý5550Politics of Economic Development3
POLSÌý5590Crisis of Leadership3
POLSÌý5610International Relations: Theory & Practice3
POLSÌý5630The European Union: Politics and Political Economy3
POLSÌý5650War, Peace, and Politics3
POLSÌý5661Shifting Trends in Regional and Interregional Politics3
POLSÌý5662International Contemporary Challenges3
POLSÌý5663Key Contemporary Crises3
POLSÌý5664International Political Economy in Times of Crisis3
POLSÌý5665Historical Perspectives on Crisis: The 30 Years' European Crisis3
POLSÌý5670Politics of International Trade and Finance3
POLSÌý5690Theories of World Politics3
POLSÌý5700Historical Western Political Thought3
POLSÌý5710Citizenship and Social Difference3
POLSÌý5730Contemporary Political Ideologies3
POLSÌý5740Marx's Capital3
POLSÌý5750American Political Thought: Meanings of Citizenship3
POLSÌý5760XFeminist Theories3
POLSÌý5840Global Health Politics & Policy3-6
POLSÌý5850Policy Evaluation and Assessment3
POLSÌý5910Graduate Internship1-6
POLSÌý5911Graduate Capstone Internship3-6
POLSÌý5913Field Service1-6
POLSÌý5930Special Topics3
POLSÌý5960MPA Capstone0-3
POLSÌý5970Research Topics in Political Science1-3
POLSÌý5980Graduate Independent Study in Political Science1-3
POLSÌý5990Thesis Research3
POLSÌý6310Policy Process3
POLSÌý6320Organization Theory & Behavior3
POLSÌý6330Public Finance Theory3
POLSÌý6930Special Topics1-3
POLSÌý6980Graduate Independent Study in Political Science1,3
SOCÌý5010Organizational Theory and Administration3
SOCÌý5060Qualitative Research Methodology3
SOCÌý5600Research Methodology3
SOCÌý5850Policy Evaluation and Assessment3
SOCÌý6100Regression Analysis & Non-linear Models3
WGSTÌý5010Feminist Theories3
WGSTÌý5020Feminist Epistemologies3
WGSTÌý5050Program Evaluation3

Political Science - Skills (Graduate) Attributed Courses

ABAÌý5774Measurement & Experimental Design3
BSHÌý5000Behavioral Science and Public Health3
BSTÌý5020Theory of Biostatistics3
BSTÌý5025Theory of Biostatistics II3
CMMÌý5340Language, Equity and Inclusion3
CMMÌý5400Contemporary Issues in Media3
CMMÌý5600Strategic Communication3
CMMÌý5802Qualitative Inquiry for Communication and Social Justice3
CSCIÌý5001Object-Oriented Programming3
CSCIÌý5002Data Structures3
ENGLÌý5110Literary Theory3
EPIÌý5020Epidemiology Methods II3
GISÌý5010Introduction to Geographic Information Systems3
GLOHÌý5200Global Health and Implementation Science3
HDSÌý5210Programming for Health Data Scientists3
HISTÌý5000Theory & Practice of History: An Introduction3
PHILÌý5300Problems in Ethical Theories3
PHILÌý6200Philosophy of Science3
PUBHÌý5030Methodological Approaches to Understanding Population Health3
PUBHÌý5040Generating Evidence from Public Health Data3
SOCÌý5060Qualitative Research Methodology3
SOCÌý5850Policy Evaluation and Assessment3
SOCÌý6100Regression Analysis & Non-linear Models3
STATÌý5084Time Series3
WGSTÌý5030Feminist Research Design3
WGSTÌý5050Program Evaluation3
Additional Language courses (taught in the foreign language) 4XXX level or higher, with department approval
Some Skills courses have prerequisites

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollmentÌýunless otherwise noted. Ìý

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
FallCredits
Concentration course 3
POLSÌý5020 Advanced Topics in Research Methods (Methods Requirement) 3
ÌýCredits6
Spring
Concentration course 3
Skills attributed course 3
Elective 3
ÌýCredits9
Year Two
Fall
Concentration course 3
Thought Foundations attributed course (or elective, if Political Thought concentration) 3
POLSÌý5970 Research Topics in Political Science (independent research paper) 3
ÌýCredits9
Spring
Concentration course 3
Elective 3
Comprehensive Exam Ìý
ÌýCredits6
ÌýTotal Credits30

For additional information, please contact:

Matthew Nanes,ÌýPh.D.
Graduate program coordinator

SLU-Madrid offers an M.A. in political science and public affairs, with a concentration in international relations and crisis.

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