Associate Professors: Thomas Brunell, Marie I. Chevrier, Jennifer
S. Holmes, Gregory S. Thielemann
Assistant Professors: Patrick Brandt,
Linda Camp Keith, Clint Peinhardt, Carole J. Wilson
Senior Leturers: Brian Bearry, Karl Ho
The mission of the
Master of Arts in Political Science (MAPS) degree is to offer advanced
instruction in the social science literature and theories about politics,
citizenship and governance. The program serves the interests and needs of
talented students who can commit initially to a 30-hour program but may be
attracted subsequently to the Ph.D. program, as well as those who can commit
initially to the doctoral program but subsequently decide not to complete the
program. The Master of Arts in Political Science further can satisfy the
interests and talents of students who �fast-track� in the Political Science
undergraduate program and who want an additional year of more rigorous, sharply
focused graduate coursework in Political Science.
Objectives
Students in the
Master of Arts in Political Science program will:
�
Demonstrate the ability to apply
political science theories and concepts to the study of citizenship, governance
and politics.
�
Develop a competency in one of the
fields of Democratization, Globalization and International Relations;
Government and Political Institutions and Processes; or Decision Making and
Public Management.
�
Develop basic skills in professional
communication appropriate to political science research and analysis.
�
Develop competency in analysis,
evaluation, and research design relevant to political science research and
analysis.
Facilities
Students
have access to the computing facilities in the School of Economic, Political
and Policy Sciences and the University�s Computing Center. The School has two
computing laboratories that have over 30 computers that are network linked and
equipped with major social science software packages, including E-Views, R.
Rats, SPSS, and STATA. A computerized geographic information system, the Lexis Nexis Database and WestLaw are
also available for student use. The University�s Computing Center provides
personal computers and UNIX Workstations. Many important data and reference
materials are available online from professional associations or at UTD via the
Library's and School's memberships in the American Political Science
Association, the European Consortium for Political Research, the Inter
University Consortium for Political and Social Research, the Roper Center, and
the University Consortium for Geographic Information Systems, and other
organizations.
Admissions Requirement
The
University�s general admission requirements are discussed here.
The Master of Arts in
Political Science seeks applications from students with a baccalaureate degree
from an accredited university or college. Although applications will be
reviewed holistically, in general, entering students have earned a 3.0
undergraduate grade point average (on a 4.0 scale), and a combined verbal and
quantitative score of at least 1100 on the Graduate Records Examination (GRE).
Standardized test scores are only one of the factors taken into account in
determining admission. Students should also submit all transcripts, three letters
of recommendation, and a one-page essay outlining the applicant�s background,
education, and professional objectives. Applications are reviewed by the
Political Science Program Committee in the School of Economic, Political and
Policy Sciences.
Undergraduate
students who are interested in completing their undergraduate degrees while
simultaneously taking graduate courses in the M.A. in Political Science program
are expected to meet the School�s �fast-tracking� requirements.
Prerequisites
While
there are no specific course prerequisites, entering students will benefit from
exposure to undergraduate courses in the Economic, Political and Policy
Sciences, statistics, and research design.�
In cases where undergraduate preparation is not adequate, students may
be required to take additional course work before starting the master's program.
Transfer Policies
Students
who have previous graduate work pertinent to the requirements of a master�s program
may be given up to 12 hours of transfer credit, and the hours of coursework
required for the degree will be reduced accordingly. Students desiring to
transfer graduate courses thought to be equivalent to core courses may be
required to demonstrate competency through examination. The award of such
transfer credit must be consistent with the University�s �Transfer of Credit�
policy.
Degree Requirements
The
University�s general degree requirements are discussed here.
Students
seeking a Master of Arts in Political Science must complete at least 30
semester credit hours of work in the program, and must maintain at least a 3.0
grade point average to graduate.
The
curriculum has two components:
(1)
Fifteen
semester hours of required coursework
(2)
Fifteen
semester hours of prescribed electives
Required
Courses (15 hours)
All students should complete
the core courses as soon as possible.
All of the following:
PSCI 5350�������� Logic, Scope and
Methodology of Political Science
PSCI 5352�������� Empirical Democratic Theory
PSCI 5360�������� Data Collection and Analysis
Two of the following:
PSCI 5301�������� Proseminar in
Democratization, Globalization, and International Relations
PSCI 5303�������� Proseminar in
Institutions and Processes
PSCI 5305�������� Proseminar in
Decision Making and Public Management
Prescribed
Electives (15 hours)
a)�������� Two additional courses at the 5000 or
6000 level in the Democratization, Globalization and International Relations
field; the Institutions and Processes field; or the Decision Making and Public
Management field.
b)�������� Three additional courses at the 5000 or
6000 level in one of the above fields, or methodology courses such as
multivariate models (PSCI 5362) or other methods courses offered throughout the
School, or up to three credits of optional thesis (independent study).