M.A. Political Science

NonThesis Plan

We designed this plan to provide you with broad training suitable for pursuing doctoral work or a career in government, teaching, or the private sector. You choose as your primary field of study American politics and public administration, comparative politics and international relations, or public policy

For this 36-unit plan, you complete:

• political science core courses: POS 600 and 601 (6 units)

• core course in your field (6 units)

If your field is American politics and public administration:

take two courses from POS 610, 612, and 641

If your field is comparative politics and international relations:

take  either POS 670 and 680

or POS 670 or 680 plus POS 676 or 683

If your field is public policy:

take  POS 671 plus one of POS 552, 643, or another political economy course approved by your advisor

• an additional 12-15 units of POS courses related to your field

• an interdisciplinary concentration of 9-12 units, selected from anthropology, economics, environmental politics, history, psychology, public administration, sociology, or an appropriate area or cognate approved by your plan advisor

• a final oral exam, with satisfactory performance

Please note that you choose all courses in consultation with your plan adviser.

You may count up to two 400-level courses toward this academic plan if they haven’t previously been counted toward a bachelor’s degree.

Thesis Plan

We designed this plan to provide you with broad training suitable for pursuing doctoral work or a career in government, teaching, or the private sector. You choose as your primary field of study American politics and public administration, comparative politics and international relations, or public policy

For this 36-unit plan, you complete:

• political science core courses: POS 600 and 601 (6 units)

• core course in your field (6 units)

If your field is American politics and public administration:

take two courses from POS 610, 612, and 641

If your field is comparative politics and international relations:

take either POS 670 and 680

or POS 670 or 680 plus POS 676 or 683

If your field is public policy:

take POS 671 plus one of POS 552, 643, or another political economy course approved by your advisor

• an additional 6-9 units of POS courses related to your field

• an interdisciplinary concentration of 9-12 units, selected from anthropology, economics, environmental politics, history, psychology, public administration, sociology, or an appropriate area or cognate approved by your plan advisor

• 6 units of POS 699, for the research, writing, and oral defense of an approved thesis

• (Please note that you may end up taking more units of thesis credit than the 6 units you can count toward your degree because you must enroll for POS 699 each term while you work on your thesis.)

(Please note that you may end up taking more units of thesis credit than the 6 units you can count toward your degree because you must enroll for POS 699 each term while you work on your thesis.)

Please note that you choose all courses in consultation with your plan adviser. You may count up to two 400-level courses toward this academic plan if they haven’t previously been counted toward a bachelor’s degree.

Click here for more information about Political Science graduate courses and our Political Science Faculty.