The Master of Arts in Political Science program provides students a rich learning environment in which to explore their interests and develop their skills and knowledge and offers students a high degree of flexibility in their graduate studies to enable them to pursue their goals for learning, research, and career preparation.

The M.A. program develops students' knowledge of political science, policy and politics, as well as critical thinking, communications, and research skills. Our students gain excellent preparation for a wide range of careers in the research-based "knowledge economy" and for applying to highly selective graduate and law schools. Our MA graduates develop the tools to be effective in government and public service, nonprofits and community organizations, media and journalism, and research and teaching.

General Graduate Program Requirements

Graduate School policies and standards can be found on the Graduate School Policies page. 

The minimum GPA for any graduate program is 3.0. Individual programs may require more than a 3.0 to remain in good standing. 

The minimum grade for a course to be accepted toward any requirement is C. Individual programs may require higher grades for specific courses.

MASTER OF ARTS - POLITICAL SCIENCE

University of Montana Political Science undergraduate majors can earn up to 12 credits toward their BA degree and MA degree requirements during their senior undergraduate year by applying to the Accelerated MA Program and completing approved graduate-level coursework. For more information about the Accelerated MA Program, program requirements, and how to apply, see the Political Science department webpage, and contact the department’s MA program advisor.

Students can choose from two paths to the degree: a Thesis Option and a Non-Thesis Option.

Thesis Option

• In addition to the 18 core credits, students must complete 12 credits of electives with the following limitations:
  • Up to six credits may be taken outside the Political Science department.
  • Six credits maximum can be in Internships (PSCI 598).
  • Six credits maximum can be in Independent Study (PSCI 592).
  • Six credits maximum can be in thesis development (PSCI 599, one credit per semester)
• Students must form a thesis committee of 3 or more faculty members. The thesis committee chair and one other committee member must be from the Political Science department and one faculty member from another department related to the thesis. 
• In consultation with the committee chair, students formulate a plan for the thesis and complete the thesis in consultation with the committee.
• Students must complete two oral exams: a thesis prospectus oral exam and a thesis defense. The thesis must be completed and delivered to the Graduate School before the oral exam.

Non-Thesis Option

• In addition to the 18 core credits, students must complete 18 credits of electives with the following limitations:
  • Up to 12 credits may be taken outside the Political Science department.
  • Six credits maximum can be in Internships (PSCI 598).
  • Six credits maximum can be in Independent Study (PSCI 592).
• The non-thesis option requires 3 professional-quality research papers. At least two Political Science faculty will serve as paper advisors. Paper topics must be in at least 2 subfields of political science, and papers must be at least 25 pages in length with references. 

Course Requirements

• All students must complete a comprehensive exam with both written and oral components set by three faculty in two or more of the core subfields of Political Science. The student may retake the exam once if a non-passing grade is received the first time.
• 50% of all credits must be 500-level or above; 400-level courses may be used for credit if the course's graduate increment is successfully completed.
• PSCI 580 can count for one of the core subfields with the consent of the instructor

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Core Courses
Complete six of the following courses. At least one each must be taken in the four major subfields:		18
American Politics:
PSCI 540	American Government
PSCI 591	Special Topics (Political Psychology)
Comparative Politics:
PSCI 520	Comparative Government
PSCI 521	Globalization
PSCI 582	Politics of the World Economy
International Relations:
PSCI 530	International Relations
PSCI 521	Globalization
PSCI 582	Politics of the World Economy
Political Theory:
PSCI 553	Modern Political Theory
PSCI 557	Political Science Theory Graduate Seminar
Thesis or Non-Thesis Option		12-18
Non-Thesis Option:
Complete 18 additional credits, which may include credits taken in 400-level courses if graduate increment completed.
Thesis Option:
Complete 12 additional credits, which may include credits taken in 400-level courses if graduate increment completed.
Total Hours		30-36