MA Degree Requirements

To complete an MA in Political Science or International Affairs, students must fulfill the following requirements:

1. Complete 30 hours of courses
2. Complete 4 required courses
3. Pass MA Comprehensive Exams
4. Write 2 Research Papers

Students may wish to download and print the Requirements Checklist for the INAF MA or the Requirements Checklist for the POSC MA.

Some students choose the thesis option (Plan A), in which case there are some small adjustments in these requirements.

Most full-time students will be able to complete these requirements in four semesters.

An MA in Political Science or International Affairs requires 30 hours of coursework or, in other words, 30 credits. Most courses are 3 credits so this is the equivalent of 10 courses. There are some restrictions on which courses will fulfill these requirements:

1. For students who begin the program during or after the Fall 2004 semester, at least 18 credits of the 30 credits must come from 200-level courses. The other 12 credits may come from upper division undergraduate (100-level) courses taken for graduate credit. Please note that not all upper division undergraduate courses are available for graduate credit. The timetable for each semester will indicate those courses that are available for graduate credit. Receiving graduate credit for 100-level requires an arrangement with the professor at the beginning of the semester for additional work. Graduate students will not receive credit for lower division undergraduate courses, which are numbered from 001-099. If students select the thesis option, up to 6 of their 30 hours may be thesis credits (POSC 299). In that case, at least 15 the remaining credits must come from 200-level courses.
   
2. Students may complete up to 9 hours of courses outside the political science department. Under special circumstances they may petition the Department to complete another 3 hours outside the Department. This includes both classes taken in other Departments at Marquette and courses taken at other universities. In either case, the courses must be cognate to the major focus of their studies in the department. For example, a student specializing in political theory would be encouraged to take a philosophy class on Plato, but would not receive credit for a course in international marketing.

A normal course load consists of 4 courses. Students may wish to schedule 3 graduate seminars and 1 upper division undergraduate or 2 graduate seminars and 2 upper division undergraduate courses per semester. Research Assistants and any other student who is working or has any other substantial commitment should only take 3 courses per semester.

All Political Science and International Affairs graduate students must complete POSC 209, Contemporary Political Research. This course helps students understand how to conduct and interpret research in their fields.

All Political Science and International Affairs graduate students must complete three core seminars. These courses introduce students to the subfields of political science and international affairs. International Affairs and Political Science graduate students take somewhat different core seminars. International Affairs students complete the following three core seminars: POSC 204, Comparative Politics; POSC 206, International Politics; and POSC 208, International Political Economy. Political Science students chose three of the following four core seminars: POSC 200, Political Philosophy; POSC 202, American Politics; POSC 204, Comparative Politics; and POSC 206, International Politics.

These required courses count as part of the 30 hours of credits required for an MA in political science or international affairs, and count as 12 hours of the required 15 hours of graduate level courses.

Students usually complete their MA Comprehensive Exams during their last semester in the program. This is a demanding endeavor, so students may wish to take a lighter course load during that semester.

The first step in the process is for the student to submit a written request to the Director of Graduate Studies for permission to sit for the exam. This is usually done sometime between the middle and the end of the semester proceeding the semester during which the student will sit for the exams. Before making this request, the student will want to discuss this with his or her academic advisor, and will also want to ask another professor to serve on their MA committee. Upon receiving the student's request to sit for exams, the Director of Graduate Studies will ascertain whether or not the student has a reasonable prospect of success in the exams and, if so, will consult with the student regarding the members of the student's MA Committee.

The second step in this process is to form the student's MA Committee. Under normal circumstances, this committee will be chaired by the student's academic advisor. The second member of the committee may be chosen by the student. The third member of the committee will be chosen by the Director of Graduate Studies. Committees will include faculty from at least two subfields.

The third step in this process is for each member of the MA committee to produce three sample questions. These should be available to the student by the start of the semester during which they will sit for the exams. Each of the professors will eventually select one of the sample questions for the exam. The student will not know which one until the day of the written portion of the exam.

The actual exam is divided includes both a written and an oral portion. The written portion of the exam lasts four and a half hours and is completed without access to books or notes. During this time the student will answer three questions, including one chosen by each of the three professors on the MA committee. The oral exam is usually held approximately a week later and lasts up to two hours. During this time the professors on the student's MA committee may ask any questions related to the student's course of study, but often choose to focus on the topics covered in the written exam.

Under normal circumstances, students will learn the outcome of the exam immediately following the oral portion of the exam.

Students are encouraged to consult with their MA committee members about how to prepare for their exam throughout this process. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with professors about how to prepare answers to their questions. They may also wish to continue these consultations as they develop answers to the questions. Students may also consult with professors during the interlude between their written and oral exams.

Students who do not pass the MA comprehensive exam on the first attempt may sit for the exam again during the subsequent semester.

Prior to receiving their degree, each student must complete two research papers. These papers must include substantial original research. They are normally completed to fulfill the requirements of a research seminar. To fulfill this requirement, the student must file a 'Certification of Research Paper' form and a copy of the paper with the department office.

The thesis option places heavy demands on students and is only recommended in special circumstances. Students wishing to pursue this option should consult with their advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies. If the project is approved, the Director of Graduate Studies will consult with the student to form a thesis committee. Students selecting this option are allowed to complete up to six credits of POSC 299, thesis credits. Of the remaining 24 hours of credits they complete, at least 12 must be graduate level courses.

For more information on these requirements, please see the Graduate Bulletin, or consult with your academic advisor or the Director of Graduate Studies.

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