Master of Arts in Political Science - Constitutional Law Studies
http://www.utdallas.edu/epps/political-science/degrees.html#ma-cls
Faculty
Professors: Thomas Brunell, Anthony M. Champagne, Harold D. Clarke, James
Marquart, Marianne C. Stewart, Paul Tracy, John Worrell
Associate Professors: Linda Camp Keith
Assistant Professors: Denise Boots, Patrick Brandt, Banks Miller
Mission Statement
The mission of the Master of Arts in
Political Science - Constitutional Law Studies degree is to provide students
with the reasoning and analytic skills necessary to understand the technical
rules of law, legal practices and policies, and law more generally as a social
phenomenon. It serves the interests and needs of students who want an intellectually
rigorous legal education as preparation for law school, for more advanced
graduate learning, or for law-related careers in teaching, journalism,
government, policy-making, or the private sector.
Objectives
Students in the Master of Arts in Political
Science - Constitutional Law Studies program will:
• Acquire
detailed knowledge of the role of the judicial system in the evolution of public
policy in the
•Acquire detailed knowledge of the
roles played by practicing attorneys in the development and application of
public law in the
• Demonstrate
basic skills in legal research and writing.
• Develop
competency in the application of theories of the evolution of constitutional
law to United States Supreme Court decisions
• Demonstrate
the ability to conduct original research on law and courts using skills in
legal research and writing, quantitative research or field research.
Facilities
Students
have access to the computing facilities in the
The
Center for American and International Law, an internationally known
organization that provides professional development to lawyers, judges, and law
enforcement officers, helps to administer the Capstone Seminar in
Constitutional Law Studies in which leading lawyers and judges provide lectures
on law and the legal process.
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
Undergraduate
students who are interested in completing their undergraduate degrees while
simultaneously taking graduate courses in the M.A. in Political Science -
Constitutional Law Studies 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 - Constitutional Law Studies must
complete at least 30 semester credit hours of work in the program, must receive
a grade of B- or better in all required courses, and must maintain at least a
3.0 grade point average to graduate.
The
curriculum has two components:
(1) Eighteen semester hours of required coursework
(2) Twelve
semester hours of prescribed electives
Required Courses (18 hours)
All students should complete the
core courses as soon as possible.
One of the following:
EPPS 6313 Introduction
to Quantitative Methods
PSCI 6350 Logic, Scope and Methodology of Political Science
All of the following:
PSCI 5306 The American Legal System and the
Practice of Law
PSCI 5307 Legal Reasoning and Writing
PSCI 6301 Constitutional Law
PSCI 6305 Workshop in Constitutional Law Studies
PSCI 6343 Law and the Policy Process
Prescribed Electives (12 hours)
Four of the following:
CRIM 6305 Law and Social Control
CRIM 6311 Criminal Justice Policy
CRIM 6317 The Courts
CRIM 6348 Drugs and Crime
EPPS 6316 Applied Regression
PA 6319 Topics: Administrative Law
PSCI 6306 Human Rights and International Law
PSCI 6311 Judicial Politics Seminar
PSCI 6312 Comparative Constitutions and Courts
PSCI 6331 Executives, Legislatures, and Public Policy
PSCI 6339 Election Law and Electoral Systems
PSCI 7320 International Negotiations