Political Science, M.A.
Deepen your research skills and prepare for a wide range of top careers.
About the Master of Arts in Political Science
The Department of Political Science in the College of Liberal Arts offers a M.A. in Political Science. Students deepen their research skills, providing them with opportunities to begin conducting their own research projects. In addition to research papers for seminar classes, faculty often encourage students to join them on collaborative research projects outside the classroom.
Accelerated Master's Degree
Undergraduate political majors who have completed 90 credits as an undergraduate with a GPA of 3.0 or greater can begin earning credit toward an M.A. in political science, while completing their B.A. or B.S. in political science. They can thus earn the M.A. in only one additional year of graduate work after completion of the undergraduate degree.
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Program Information
Program Type
Master's Program
Area of Study
Social Sciences, Law, and Policy
School
Degree
M.A. in Political Science
Program Location
Required Credit Hours
30
Explore the M.A. in Political Science
APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 1
The Department of Political Science welcomes student applications with the following materials. Additional details are found on the department website.
- Complete the Graduate School’s Online Application.
- Pay the application fee ($60).
- Submit official transcripts.
- International applicants whose first language is not English may be required to submit scores from an acceptable English language proficiency test.
- Upload Supplemental Application materials for the Department of Political Science to the link provided by the online application.
- Statement of purpose. 2-page document describing your interests in political science, selection of a major field (American politics, comparative politics, or international relations), and career goals
- Writing Sample: Substantial piece of work that highlight your best writing and analytical skills
- Three letters of recommendation: provide contact information for three recommenders
The Accelerated Master's program offers undergraduates the opportunity to begin earning credit towards a graduate degree while they complete the final requirements for their undergraduate degree. This saves students time and money as they complete their advanced degree, and is a great way to prepare for law school and post-grad plans.
Undergraduate political science students can apply to the Program for an Accelerated Advanced Degree after completing 90 credit hours with a GPA of 3.0.
The Department of Political Science offers graduate assistantships that require assisting faculty with teaching or research. Students with a graduate assistantship funded in the department receive a scholarship that covers some or all of the tuition and non-residency fee, if applicable, for regular semesters and subsidized health insurance.
The Graduate School’s financial aid webpage lists a variety of funding possibilities, including summer support and a recruiting fellowship program that promotes academic excellence and access to graduate education to groups who are historically underrepresented.
Students in the Department of Political Science have access to a number of resources on campus to support their research, including
- John Davis Williams Library (U.S. Government Documents Regional Depository)
- Grisham Law Library (with LEXIS and WESTLAW facilities)
- The Center for the Study of Southern Culture
- The Mississippi Center for Supercomputing Research
- Social Science Research Laboratory
As a member of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, the University provides access to ICPSR’s data archives and opportunities for advanced study in political methodology for faculty and students.
Meet the Graduate Program Coordinator
I'm here to help! If you have any questions about the M.A. in Political Science, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Benjamin Thomas Jones
Associate Professor of Political Science and Graduate Program Coordinator
Video: Get to Know the Department of Political Science
Hear firsthand from students and faculty about the Political Science program.
Accelerated Master’s Degree in Political Science
Undergraduate students at UM that are interested in graduate study in Political Science can get a head start through the accelerated Master’s Degree Program in Political Science.
Undergraduate students that would like to qualify for the Accelerated Master’s Program must meet the following requirements:
- 3.0 minimum GPA
- 90 completed credit hours as an undergraduate
Students enrolled in the Accelerated Master's Degree Program in Political Science can earn 15 credit hours towards their graduate degree while completing their undergraduate studies.
Courses students in the Accelerated Master’s Degree Program in Political Science can take to earn credit towards the graduate degree:
- POL 550 Research in Politics
- POL 551 Empirical Political Analysis
- POL 552 Applied Political Research
- POL 500 Seminar in American Politics
- POL 523 Theories of Comparative Political Analysis
- POL 531 Seminar in International Relations
- POL 598 Special Topics in Political Science
Remember: Students who fail to reserve 500-level courses for graduate credit at the time they take the course will not receive graduate credit for the course (graduate level work must be completed to earn graduate credit).
- Reserving graduate credit with 500-level courses is required to ensure the Graduate School and instructor know the student must complete graduate credit requirements for the course.
- Students cannot later claim graduate credit for 500-level courses if they did not take the appropriate steps to notify the Graduate School prior to taking the course.
Students must be accepted into the Accelerated Master’s Degree Program and complete the requisite Accelerated Master's Degree Program Course Enrollment Form for this degree. The form must be received by the Graduate School (the form requires approval from your Undergraduate Advisor and Graduate Program Coordinator).
- Students must download and complete the participating program’s specific enrollment form each term. The form must be completed prior to the start of the term.
- The form requires approval from the Undergraduate Advisor and Graduate Program Coordinator (the Graduate Program Coordinator can be found next to the specific degree program listed above).
- By signing the form to approve the enrollment for the semester, the Graduate Program Coordinator is agreeing that the student has been admitted to their Accelerated Master’s Degree Program.
After the Graduate School receives the first approved program-specific enrollment form, the student will be identified as enrolled in the Accelerated Master’s Degree Program for that degree.
- Each subsequent term for which the student wishes to earn credit towards the graduate degree while still completing their undergraduate studies, they must submit a registration form prior to the start of the semester.
- Failure to submit the required form on time will mean that the student does not earn graduate credit.
To access the required form, please visit the specific page for the participating degree program of interest. The form must be submitted to the Graduate School by the Graduate Program Coordinator. Until the Graduate School receives the required form, the student is not officially registered for graduate coursework for that term.
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