Graduate Program
Admission| M.A. | M.A.T.| Funding
Admission
Admission Requirements and Procedures
1. Each applicant should have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution, preferably with an undergraduate major in political science. Applicants who do not major in political science may be required to complete successfully additional appropriate undergraduate courses in political science before being admitted to the graduate program.
2. Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 grade-point average for the last 60 undergraduate credits attempted.
3. Applicants must have a combined score of 1000 or higher on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
Send the following to the Graduate Office
- Graduate Application for Admission http://www.fau.edu/graduate/applyonline/index.php
- Official transcripts
- Graduate Record Examination scores
Send the following to the Political Science Department
- A statement of purpose (3-4 pages double-spaced) indicating preparation for graduate studies and the reasons for seeking the M.A. in political science. The statement should also indicate if interested in a teaching assistantship (if applicable).
- Two letters of recommendation
- A writing sample
- If you are requesting funding, submit a one page statement expressing the type of funding (half or full) and why the department should support you.
Application Deadline
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Application Deadlines are: July 1 for Fall , November 1 for Spring and April 1 for Summer . However, for students seeking Teaching Assistantships, the deadline is May 1 for Fall admission and November 1 for Spring admission.
Master of Arts (M.A.)
The Masters of Arts in Political Science has both a thesis and a non-thesis track. All students are admitted as non-thesis students. After the completion of at least nine but not more than fifteen graduate credits, a student may apply for admission to the thesis track. The application is submitted to the Graduate Director. If the Graduate Committee grants thesis track status, the student must work with the Graduate Director to create a thesis committee.
Thesis Option
The department has an excellent track record of placing highly qualified M.A. graduates in Ph.D. programs at leading academic institutions. Seminars build a strong foundation in political science research and methodology; supervised thesis research prepares a student for doctoral work.
Requirements for M.A. Thesis (30 credits)
POS 6934 Research Design 3
Graduate seminar credits in Political Science 21
Thesis 6
Requirements of M.A., Non-Thesis (30 credits)
POS 6934 Research Design 3
Graduate seminar credits in Political Science 27
POS 6934 Research Design must be completed the first semester of enrollment or the first semester the course is offered after admission to the graduate program.
Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.)
The M.A.T. is designed to prepare students to be qualified instructors of Political Science in community colleges and secondary schools in which a teaching certificate is required. Students take courses in Political Science and in the College of Education, and are required to either have or earn a state certification for secondary teaching. The M.A.T. is a non-thesis degree but requires completion of a research project.
Funding
The department offers Graduate Assistantships on a semester basis. Funding is competitive. Assistantships for teaching provide graduate students with experience working with a professor in a large lecture style class, grading exams, and working one-on-one with students.
For more information contact Dr. Kevin Wagner at kwagne15@fau.edu.
