Political Science (M.A.)

The Master of Arts in Political Science is a flexible, yet comprehensive program designed to provide students with advanced preparation in political science and, depending on the program, in related fields in the social sciences. Majors are offered in International Affairs, Public Administration, and General Political Science. The General and International Affairs majors can be taken during the day or evening, while the Public Administration major is expressly designed as an evening program for working adults.

Political Science Graduate Advisor– Dr. Jan Hardt,

974-5840, FAX:  405-974-3823,

E-mail: jhardt@ucok.edu,

Department of Political Science

100 N. University Drive, Campus Box 182,

UCO, Edmond, OK 73034-5209

I.  Admission Requirements for the M.A. in Political Science Program:

Students seeking an M.A. in Political Science must fulfill the following requirements before they will be formally admitted to the program:

A. Apply for admission to the Jackson College of Graduate Studies & Research, Room 404, NUC.   Note: No student will be admitted to this program or to the Jackson College of Graduate Studies & Research who does not meet the program admission standards.

B. Obtain an Index Score of 5.00. The index score is determined by the following method:  GRE Score divided by 500 + GPA > 5.0 AND 3.5 on the writing exam

(For example, a GRE of 900/500=1.8+GPA of 3.25=5.05)

C. Meet with the graduate advisor, who will complete a Program Advisor recommendation form to the Jackson College of Graduate Studies and Research” form for qualified students. Upon receipt of the completed recommendation form, the JCGS&R will admit the student for graduate studies.

D. The student and the graduate advisor will work out a formal plan of study during the student’s first semester of graduate work. A signed, completed copy of this plan of study must be filed with the advisor and the JCGS&R before completion of the first semester.

E. Complete all prerequisites, if any, as determined by the graduate advisor.

F. Complete 18 hours of undergraduate Political Science courses and/or related social science disciplines. The suitability of courses other than political science is decided

by the advisor.

G. Produce evidence of achievement of the Index as listed above and 3.5 on the Writing Assessment portion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). For more information

on the GRE exam, contact Prometric Testing Center, 2224 N. W. 50th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73112, (405) 843-8378 or visit www.gre.com on-line.

H. Students may also be admitted as a conditional admission student. See page 18 for Admission – Conditional Status Criteria.

II. Advisement

The Chairperson of the department will assign an advisor from among the graduate faculty of the Political Science department to advise the student during the course of

his/her graduate study. Other members of the faculty may be called upon as needed.

III. M.A. in Political Science 36 hrs

Students must complete a minimum of 36 semester hours of graduate-level work, including a minimum of 18 hours in political science. Students may take course work in other disciplines as appropriate to their individual interests and program of study. In completing the required 36 graduate hours, students must satisfy the requirements for the Common Core, Research Component, and Major of their choice as indicated below.

A. Common Core 12 hrs

POL 5023 Scope of the Discipline

POL 5033 Research Methods

POL 5153 American Politics

POL 5813 Political Philosophy

B. Research Component 6 hrs

The student will fulfill the following requirement, in consultation

with the faculty advisor:

POL 5990 Thesis 6 hrs

The thesis must be publicly defended at a time arranged

by the chair of the student’s thesis committee.

C. Subject Area Competency Examination Component

The student will pass a Subject Area Competency Examination in one of the following subject areas:

American Government

International Relations

Comparative Government

Public Administration

Public Law

Examinations will be established on a schedule determined by the Graduate Advisor. Students may re-take an exam only once and only upon approval by the Graduate Advisor.

General Political Science Major

This major is designed to enable students to achieve competence in the professional practice of political science

-- teaching, research, and related activities -- through a program of study in which they acquire appropriate analytical skills, a general knowledge of the discipline, and more specific knowledge of selected subfields.

Required Courses 6 hrs

Two of the following:

POL 5223 The Presidency

POL 5253 The Congress

POL 5263 Judicial Process

POL 5603 Theories of International Relations

POL 5703 Theories of Comparative Politics

POL 5913 Seminar in Political Science

Electives 12 hrs

International Affairs Major

This major is designed for students who desire to focus their graduate study in international and comparative politics.  Students may choose to concentrate in either international political economy or foreign policy and security studies.

Required Courses 6 hrs

POL 5603 Theories of International Relations

POL 5703 Theories of Comparative Politics

Electives 12 hrs

Public Administration Major

The curriculum for this major is intended to provide students a foundation in public policy, with a particular emphasis on the urban context. Students may choose from courses in political science or related disciplines to pursue areas of interest within the broader field of urban affairs.

Required Courses 6 hrs

POL 5193 Public Finance and Municipal Budget

POL 5413 Public Policy Analysis

Electives 12 hrs