The University of South Dakota

The Master of Arts in Political Science is designed for students who wish to gain in-depth knowledge of a specific field within Political Science. Through coursework within Political Science, research opportunities, and supporting coursework from a field outside the Department, recipients of the M.A. will be prepared for diverse careers or further study. 

At USD, you will experience the highest quality faculty and staff and learn in a supportive environment that will prepare you well for the challenges of the twenty-first century. We have a generalist focus, designed to prepare you with the theoretical background to know what to do, and we require an experiential component so students have practical experience to test theoretical knowledge. Our plan is to give you the wisdom to know and the courage to act.

Specializations:

• American Politics and Public Policy
• International Relations
• Public Law (only for Joint M.A./J.D. degree)

Requirements

To attain an M.A. in Political Science, a minimum of 33 credits are required for graduation. All students are required to to take Research Methods (POLS 765) and pass a comprehensive exam prior to graduating. Students have the ability to decide whether they write a thesis. Thesis students must take six credit hours of thesis and six credit hours of classes outside of Political Science related to their field. Non-Thesis students must take nine credit hours of classes outside of Political Science. 

Program Requirements:

• Please become familiar with the requirements of the program that are outlined on this web site and in the program brochure. 
• Students must meet the credit obligations of their program track (thesis and non-thesis). 
• All course planning should be done with the assistance of the Director of Graduate Studies and your faculty advisor. 
• To assist in your selection of courses, please refer to the course selection checklists. Depending on your track, please select the thesis track checklist or the non-thesis track checklist. 
• Students enrolled in the non-thesis track must take and pass a comprehensive exam. 

For a complete listing of the M.A. program requirements, see our program brochure. More helpful information can be found in our M.A. Program Handbook.

Admissions

Applicants holding a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited university or college are eligible to seek admission to a graduate program at USD. Applications are available through the Department of Political Science or online.

Admission Requirements: 

• Three letters of recommendation
• Two official transcripts (If you are a graduate of U, you may submit unofficial transcripts)
• An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better, based of a 4.0 scale is required for full admission. 
• A GRE score of 500 verbal and 500 quantitative is recommended. 
• A $35 non-refundable application fee
• Applicants should have a minimum of 12 credit hours of undergraduate Political Science course work. Further information about this requirement can be obtained by speaking with the Director of Graduate Studies.
• Accommodations can be made for students who do not meet the above requirements. 

Additional information about graduate studies at The U can be found by visiting the Graduate Studies page. If you have any questions about the Department of Political Science's graduate programs, do not hesitate to contact us. 

Joint Programs

Students in the M.A. program can simultaneously pursue a Juris Doctor at The U's School of Law. The faculty of both the Political Science Department and of the School of Law are uniquely capable of offering this joint training. These degrees can be earned concurrently in three years. The joint degree program is open to both thesis and non-thesis students in the M.A. program. 

The program will accept nine credit hours in certain law courses toward the master's degree and nine hours in certain M.A. courses toward the Juris Doctor requirements. Students may consult with the Director of Graduate Studies to include additional courses in the program of study. Approval will be based on the appropriateness for the study of political science and the student's career interests.

The following courses have be deemed acceptable by the School of law for earning a Juris Doctor:

The following School of Law courses have been determined to be acceptable to the Department of Political Science for the M.A. program: