Students admitted into the Department’s Master’s Degree program can complete course and thesis work within two years. The basic requirements are:

1) Complete a minimum of 45 hours of course work with graduate credit, at least 30 hours of which must be earned in courses, pro-seminars and seminars in political science. The 45-hour requirement includes any required courses and up to twelve hours of Master's Thesis Research.

2) Complete a pro-seminar and a research seminar in one field.

3) Complete Introduction to Statistics (POL 652), Nature of Scope and Political Inquiry (POL 700), and Research Design (POL750).

4) Complete POL750 thesis colloquium requirement and a Master's Thesis under faculty supervision.

5) A student pursing the MA must complete all requirements no later than seven years from the date of entering the program and must have a cumulative average of 3.0 to be certified for the degree.