DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
The graduate programs in Political Science and Public Administration are designed to expand students’ knowledge and to develop their skills of analysis and professional communication. The programs are of value to both recent college graduates and those seeking to advance their careers. Among those it serves are students preparing for doctoral work or law school, school teachers seeking to improve their professional competence, promising scholars wanting to teach in community colleges, present and prospective public administrators, and those preparing for careers or advancement in nonprofit organizations, international organizations, the military, and private business. In addition to being public servants at the local, state, and national level, graduates have served in the state legislature, the White House, and the Pentagon; directed a state agency; and worked as professional lobbyists and campaign consultants.
The department offers both the Master of Arts (MA) in Political Science and the Master of Public Administration (MPA).
Admission Requirements
Students seeking admission to the graduate programs in Political Science must meet the following requirements:
- Submit a Graduate Studies Application for Admission with the application fee to Graduate Studies.
- Submit official transcripts of all college-level work, including the transcript that shows the date the undergraduate degree was conferred.
- Submit GRE scores.
- Submit two letters of recommendation that discuss the applicant’s suitability for graduate study.
- Submit a writing sample of scholarly work.
- Optional: You may submit a two word-processed page statement explaining your background and/or potential that would make you a good choice for our program.
A holistic review of each student’s application file will be completed on a competitive basis.
Degree Requirements: MA in Political Science
The department has several options that allow the tailoring of student programs to individual needs. For example, the program may involve writing a thesis or taking extra coursework. Those writing a thesis will take 24 hours of coursework and receive 6 hours of credit for the thesis (30 hours total). When counseling with the student indicates that the student’s needs would be better served, the department may substitute 12 hours of additional coursework in lieu of the thesis (total of 36 hours).
Political Science students ordinarily take two core courses (Scope and Methods and Political Theory) and then focus on the areas of concentration appropriate to their needs. The department offers three areas of concentration: American politics, comparative politics and international relations, and public administration and public policy. With departmental approval, students may take a minor or special concentration in an appropriate area from one or more other departments, such as history, criminal justice, business, or health. For each degree, a comprehensive examination will be given over the core and major and minor areas of study. Students must be enrolled in the University the semester or summer session in which the comprehensive exam is administered.
Master of Arts, Plan I. The student will have a major of 18 hours within two areas of concentration in Political Science and a minor of 12 hours in a supporting field.
Master of Arts, Plan II. This degree plan is designed for prospective junior and senior college teachers, students planning to pursue a doctoral program, and those preparing for a career in government service. Under this plan, the student takes 30 hours in Political Science.
Master of Education, Plan II. This degree program is designed to provide additional study in Political Science for the professional secondary school teacher and is initiated in the College of Education. Interested students should consult the College of Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
Degree Requirements:
Master of Public Administration (MPA)
This program is designed for those seeking a career in public service and those wanting to enhance their current career. The program prepares professionals for work in government at the local, state, or national level; nonprofit organizations; and many areas of business.
The MPA degree requires a total of 42 semester credit hours: 24 hours of core courses taken by all students, a 12 hours concentration selected by the student in consultation with the graduate advisor, and 6 hours of internship. Students will be required to pass a comprehensive examination at the end of the course of study. Students must be enrolled in the University the semester or summer session in which the comprehensive exam is administered.
Core Courses: Twenty-four semester credit hours of required core courses:
PA 581 Dynamics of Public Administration (3 hours)
PA 583 Program Evaluation (3 hours)
PA 584 Organizational Theory and Behavior (3 hours)
PA 586 Leadership and Human Resource Management (3 hours)
PA 587 Government and Non-Profit Budgets and Financial Management (3 hours)
PA 588 Ethics in Government (3 hours)
POL 577 Scope and Methods of Political Science (3 hours)
POL 586* Grant Research and Writing (3 hours)
Internship: Students without relevant job experience will be required to take six semester credit hours of an internship of at least twelve months. Students currently employed in a relevant position may use this employment as their internship.
POL 578 Problems and Internships in Political Science (6 hours)
*POL 595 Internships and Work Experience in Public Services
Areas of Concentration: Students will select a concentration of 12 hours in one of the following areas: State and Local Government, Comparative and International Relations, Financial Management, Criminal Justice, or Human Service and Health Administration. The following courses are included for concentrations; however, substitutions will be allowed with the approval of the graduate advisor. When the topic is appropriate, POL 582, Seminar in Public Administration, may count in any of the concentrations.
Concentration in State and Local Government: Students will choose 12 semester
credit hours from the following graduate courses. None of these courses require stem
work.
POL 586* Grant Research and Writing (3 hours)
POL 530 American Political Institutions (3 hours)
POL 531 American Political Behavior (3 hours)
POL 560 Seminar in American National Politics (3 hours)
POL 562 Seminar in Political Theory (3 hours)
POL 585 Public Policy Formulation and Implementation (3 hours)
SOC 576 Sociology of Community (3 hours)
GBA 562 Managerial Law (3 hours)
Concentration in Comparative and International Relations: Students will choose 12 semester credit hours from the following lists. None of these courses require stem work.
Nine semester credit hours from the following courses:
POL 567 Seminar in International Relations (3 hours)
POL 571 Comparative Political Analysis (3 hours)
POL 572 Seminar in Comparative Politics (3 hours)
POL 573 Theory and Method of International Relations (3 hours)
And 3 semester credit hours from the following courses:
GEO 472 Ethnic Texas: A Multicultural Geography (3 hours)
HIST 583 United States Diplomatic History (3 hours)
HIST 593 European Diplomatic History (3 hours)
HIST 585 Latin American History (3 hours)
HIST 589 Great Britain and the British Empire (3 hours)
HIST 591 Asian History (3 hours)
POL 586 Grant Research and Writing (3 hours)
SOC 574 Sociology of Religion (3 hours)
SOC 589 Seminar in Social Change and Development (3 hours)
Concentration in Financial Management: Students will choose 12 semester credit
hours from the following courses. Some courses may require stem work.
ACC 468 Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting (3 hours)
ACC 535 Financial Reporting and Business Decisions (3 hours)
ACC 564 Accounting for Management (3 hours)
ECO 570 Economic Theory (3 hours)
FIN 531 Introduction to Institutions, Investments, and Managerial Finance
(3 hours)
FIN 537 Problems in Administrative Finance (3 hours)
FIN 569 Seminar in Investments (3 hours)
*POL 586 Grant Research and Writing (3 hours)
Concentration in Criminal Justice: Students will choose 12 semester credit hours
from the following:
CJ 530 Critical Analysis of Justice Administration (3 hours)
CJ 534 Courts as Organizations (3 hours)
CJ 632 Resource Development in the Organizational Context (3 hours)
CJ 633 Seminar in Organization and Administration (3 hours)
CJ 635 Seminar in Leadership and Management (3 hours)
CJ 687 The Ethics of Criminal Justice (3 hours)
*POL 586 Grant Research and Writing (3 hours)
Concentration in Human Service and Health Administration: Students will choose
12 semester credit hours from the following graduate courses:
CJ 668 Seminar on Drugs, Society and Policy Issues (3 hours)
HED 470 Study of AIDS (3 hours)
HED 531 Foundation of Community Health (3 hours)
HED 533 Colloquium in Human Sexuality (3 hours)
HED 534 Colloquium in the Use and Abuse of Drugs (3 hours)
HED 565 Aging and Health Promotion (3 hours)
PSY 530 Psychopathology (3 hours)
SOC 565 Seminar in Race and Ethnic Studies (3 hours)
SOC 572 Sociology of the Family (3 hours)
SOC 587 Gender and Society (3 hours)
ECO 579 Seminar in Labor Economics (3 hours)
Senior Courses Open to Graduate Students
Courses in Political Science (POL) at the 400-level may be taken in limited numbers for graduate credit. They are listed below, but see the undergraduate catalog for the course descriptions. Those courses listed as “General Courses” will generally fit one of the concentrations, depending on the topics covered.
AMERICAN POLITICS
POL 433 Constitutional Law. Credit 3.
POL 472 Political Attitudes and Behavior. Credit 3.
COMPARATIVE POLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
POL 482 International Conflict and Terrorism. Credit 3.
GENERAL COURSES
POL 481 Problems in Political Science. Credit 3.
POL 495 Directed Studies and Internships in Political Science. Credit 1-3.
POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
CORE COURSES
POL 562 Seminar in Political Theory. The course covers the relevant literature and engages students in appropriate research. The course may be repeated for credit when the announced topics vary. Credit 3.
POL 577 The Scope and Methods of Political Science. This is a study of the discipline of modern political science and an inquiry into the literature, scope, and techniques of research with particular emphasis upon the mathematical and quantitative methods of empirical research. Credit 3.
AMERICAN POLITICS
POL 530 American Political Institutions. This course offers an overview of American national political institutions: Congress, the Presidency, and the Judiciary. The course covers classics in the literature of the sub-fields as well as current research questions and controversies. Students will engage in research and writing. Credit 3.
POL 531 American Political Behavior. This course is designed to provide an overview of the scholarship in the field of American Political Behavior. The course explores political ideology, attitudes and beliefs, public opinion, voting behavior, political parties, interest groups, and mass movements. Students will engage in research and writing. Credit 3.
POL 560 Seminar in America Politics. The course covers the relevant literature and engages students in appropriate research. The course may be repeated for credit when the announced topics vary. Credit 3.
COMPARATIVE POLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
POL 567 Seminar in International Relations. The course covers the relevant literature and engages students in appropriate research. The course may be repeated for credit when the announced topics vary. Credit 3.
POL 571 Comparative Political Analysis. A comprehensive overview of the theories, concepts, and methods of comparative analysis. The techniques of comparing political systems are examined, as are the major concepts of comparative politics, such as political elites, institutions, public policy, development and modernization, elections and political behavior, mass movements, and revolution and political violence. The course covers the relevant literature and engages students in appropriate research. Credit 3.
POL 572 Seminar in Comparative Politics. The seminar will focus on such topics as political development, sustainability, comparative institutions, comparative public policy, transitions to democracy, and opinions and behavior. The seminar may also focus on one or more regions or individual countries. The course covers the relevant literature and engages students in appropriate research. The course may be repeated for credit when the announced topics differ. Credit 3.
POL 573 Theory and Method of International Relations. This study places emphasis on the attempts to construct a general theory of international relations and the evolution of international relations methodology. Attention is also given to such techniques as systems analysis, decision-making, conflict resolution, and field theory. The course covers the relevant literature and engages students in appropriate research. Credit 3.
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC POLICY
POL 538 Victims Politics and Policies. The course explores the political environment in which victims’ rights policies are formulated. The course offers future victim service providers a framework for understanding how political institutions and policies affect victim services provision. The course will lead to knowledge of the appropriate literature and student engagement in research or professional practice. Credit 3.
POL 582 Seminar in Public Administration. The course covers the relevant literature and engages students in appropriate research. The course may be repeated for credit when the announced topics vary. Credit 3.
POL 585 Public Policy. This course involves the consideration of the process of public policy formulation, governmental planning, and administrative decision-making. Attention is given to the public administrator as a policy-maker and as one responsible for policy implementation. The course covers the relevant literature and engages students in appropriate research. Credit 3.
POL 730 Public Policy and the School District. Examines school districts as systems of governance in American communities and the problems associated with governance, with particular emphasis upon educational issues. Topics may include democratic theory, local political systems, intergovernmental relations, relationships with citizens, and political accountability. The course covers the relevant literature and engages students in appropriate research. Credit 3.
PA 581 Dynamics of Public Administration. Examines the history and theoretical basis of public administration and the basic issues that confront it, including administrative responsibility and ethics, and the formulation and implementation of public policy. The course covers the relevant literature and engages students in appropriate research. Credit 3.
PA 583 Program Evaluation. Examines techniques for the collection, manipulation, interpretation, and presentation of data and information in public policy/management processes, and demonstrates application of the techniques using computer technology. The course covers the relevant literature and engages students in appropriate research and/or professional practice. Credit 3.
PA 584 Organizational Theory and Behavior. This course covers the major topics, issues, and contributions in the literature on organizations, their structures and functions, and the behavior of people in them, with emphasis on applications to government and nonprofit organizations. Examples and exercises refer to organizations at federal, state, and local levels of government and to a variety of nonprofit organizations, such as hospitals, social service agencies, and faith-based/nongovernmental organizations. The course covers the relevant literature and engages students in appropriate research and/or professional practice. Credit 3.
PA 586 Leadership and Human Resource Management. This course provides an understanding of the evolution and context of the public service. The reasons for merit and its unique political and management problems are addressed. Specific topics include: human resources planning, recruitment and selection, performance evaluation, compensation, promotion and benefits, staff development, labor relations, discipline, and control structures. The course covers the relevant literature and engages students in appropriate research and/or professional practice. Credit 3.
PA 587 Local Government Budgets and Financial Management. Examination of the public budgetary process and related financial management techniques. The course covers the relevant literature and engages students in appropriate research and/or professional practice. Credit 3.
PA 588 Ethics in Government. This course provides a review of classical and contemporary literature on the role and practice of ethics in public administration. Contemporary empirical research, case studies, and ethical problem solving are also addressed. A primary theme of the course will be fostering and applying “right action” and “good conduct” in public organizations and public policy making. The course engages students in appropriate research and/or professional practice. Credit 3.
GENERAL COURSES
POL 578 Problems and Internships in Political Science. This course is designed for topics in which the subject cuts across two or more areas of concentration. The course may be taken on an individual basis with the permission of the Political Science Department Chair. The course covers the relevant literature and engages students in appropriate research and/or professional practice. May be repeated when topic varies. Credit 3.
POL 579 Workshop: Teaching Political Science. Developed specifically for public school teachers, the course will offer a variety of topics useful to classroom teaching. Topics will vary according to need and the instructor but may include Texas politics, constitutional issues, current elections, and using technology in the class classroom. The course covers the relevant literature and engages students in appropriate research and/or professional practice. The course may be repeated for credit when the announced topics differ. Credit 3.
POL 698, 699 Thesis. Students will make use of appropriate literature and research techniques in the development of the thesis. Credit 3.
* POL/PA 595 Internship and Work Experience in Public Services. This course is useful for students who desire substantive work experience in a governmental or non-governmental organization. This course will allow students to take a 6 hour, 12 month internship. The internship is required for the MPA degree and fulfils a requirement by its accrediting agency NASPAA, the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. Enrollment is by permission of the Director of Graduate Studies. The course engages students in appropriate professional practice. Credit 1-3.