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  • Political Science, Master of Arts

Contact Politics and International Affairs

Email:
piagradcoordinator​@nau.edu
Apply now

Application Deadline

  • February 15 for fall admissions.
  • Applications received by October 15 will be reviewed in an early admissions cycle.


Political Science, Master of Arts

A degree in Political Science can prepare you for a career in a diverse range of job opportunities. Here, you can advance your knowledge about how our public lives are organized at the local, national, and international levels. We offer a highly diverse and collaborative approach to graduate study in political science. You will work closely with faculty to formulate a specialized plan to pursue your personal interests. Whether it's American politics, public administration, public policy, comparative politics, or political theory, you can tailor your academic work to help you meet your career goals. You'll be in good company, with many fellow students and faculty members pursuing in-depth study in the field.

We designed this Master's degree to provide you with broad training suitable for pursuing doctoral work or a career in government, teaching, or the private sector. You choose your primary field of study from one of these three areas: American Politics and Public Administration, Comparative Politics and International Relations, or Public Policy.
  
The MA in Political Science is available in two forms: Non-thesis and Thesis.

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Requirements Accordion Open

University Requirements

  • To receive a master’s degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses from one or more subject areas, consisting of at least 30 units of graduate-level courses. (Many master’s degree programs require more than 30 units.)

    You must additionally complete:

    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s). This may include a thesis.
    • All graduate work with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.
    • All work toward the master’s degree must be completed within six consecutive years. The six years begins with the semester and year of admission to the program.
    The full policy can be viewed here.

     

Overview Accordion Closed

Overview

In addition to University Requirements:

  • Complete individual plan requirements.
Minimum Units for Completion36
ThesisThesis may be required by chosen emphasis or offered as an option.
Comprehensive ExamComprehensive Exam may be required by chosen emphasis or offered as an option.
ResearchIndividualized research may be required by chosen emphasis or offered as an option.
Progression Plan LinkView Program of Study

Purpose Statement

The Master of Arts in Political Science degree provides students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to understand and participate in the political systems of the United States and the world.  This degree provides a broad perspective on experiences, international and domestic, from both theory and practice.
 
This degree builds a strong foundation in the advanced knowledge of the political world, and enables students to be able to use key concepts and analytical approaches from Public Policy, American Politics, Public Administration, Comparative Politics and International relations.
 
Building upon this fundamental knowledge, our curriculum ensures that students can define, design, and implement effective scholarly research projects in political science.  In addition, they will be able to make clear and effective demonstrations of their work in writing and in public presentations, including scholarly presentations to academics at professional political science conferences.  Students will also leave this program ready to work in government, non-academic research institutions, and governmental and non-governmental organizations.
 
Our goal is to train students to be active, engaged, and informed participants in the global system who can not only understand the world around them but also shape and influence it. 

Student Learning Outcomes

All students in the MA Political Science program will achieve the following learning objectives:

  • Conceptual and Analytical:  Students should have an advanced knowledge of the political world, including contemporary political thought, and public policies, and be able to use key concepts and analytical approaches from political science.
    • Identify and use salient political science concepts and analytical method to evaluate current public policies, political actors’ behavior, political events, and institutional arrangements within a diverse world.
    • Evaluate the strengths and limitations of a variety of significant analytical approaches used in political science.
    • Analyze, synthesize and evaluate the interconnectedness and interdependence of the human experience on a global scale.
    • Engage in original research making a contribution to the larger field.
  • Inquiry and Research:  Students will define, design, and implement effective research projects in political science.
    • Devise an advanced research design.
    • Test hypotheses with basic empirical data.
    • Write findings in scholarly publishable-quality original research papers.
  • Communication: Students should be able to make clear and effective demonstrations of their work in writing and in public presentations.
    • Students will demonstrate advanced writing skills and be able to summarize and explain scholarly political science articles.
    • Analyze and critique the material read /discussed.
    • Suggest and discuss alternative possibilities and outcomes.
    • Speak in public settings, including oral defense of thesis (thesis option) or an oral exam (non-thesis option).
    • Demonstrate an ability to apply the discussion to policy and “real world” applications.
    • Students will be able to communicate at an advanced level with other academics in the field of political science, including presenting their own research work at academic conferences.
  • Professional and Citizenship: Students should know, understand, and be able to meet the expectations of professionalism and citizenship.
    • Demonstrate professional behavior in terms of demeanor, personal presentation, ethics, and
    • civic participation in experiential learning, classrooms settings and at professional conferences.
    • Acquire the skills and knowledge base to understand the importance of and options for environmental sustainability and its tenuous relationship to economic development in local and global terms.
    • Critically reflect upon the nature and consequences of diversity (e.g. race, gender, class, ethnicity, religion, culture, nation), and develop an understanding of how this diversity both alters and is altered in a world characterized by increasing global interaction.

 

Details Accordion Closed

Details

Additional Admission Requirements
  • Admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
    • NAU Graduate Online application is required for all programs. Details on admission requirements are included in the online application.
    • Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution
    • Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A"), or the equivalent. 
    • Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Graduate College.
    • Transcripts
    • For details on graduate admission policies, please visit the Graduate Admissions Policy
    • International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy 


    Individual program admission requirements include:

    • A bachelor’s degree in a closely related discipline
    • Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above or  6 units of subsequent coursework at the graduate level with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better
    • 3 letters of recommendation
    • writing sample
    • personal statement or essay
    • Resume or curriculum vitae
Master's Requirements
  • This Master’s degree requires 36 units distributed as follows:

    • Politics and International Affairs Core Coursework: 9 units
    • Select primary coursework from the following specialization areas: 9 units
      • American Politics/Public Administration
      • Comparative Politics/International Relations
    • Select secondary coursework from Social Movements, Environment, Development and Diversity foci areas: 6 units
    • Select Thesis or Non-Thesis: 12 units


    Take the following 36 units:

    Politics and International Affairs core courses (9 units)

    • POS 602, POS 607 (6 units)
    • POS 604 or POS 609 (3 units)

  • Specialization Area (9 units):

    Select primary coursework from one of the following areas:
    • American Politics/Public Administration (9 units):
      • Select from:
        • POS 527, POS 603*, POS 610, POS 612, POS 641, POS 642, POS 644, POS 658*, POS 659, POS 671
    • Comparative Politics/International Relations (9 units):
      • Select from:
        • POS 552, POS 603*, POS 658*, POS 670, POS 672, POS 679*, POS 680

    *Topics course selected in consultation with your advisor. 


    Secondary Coursework (6 units)
    • Select secondary coursework from Social Movements, Environment, Development and Diversity foci areas (6 units):
      • At least one additional POS course as approved by your advisor
      • Electives as approved by your advisor

  • The Master of Arts in Political Science is available in two forms: Non-thesis and Thesis. (Select One)

    • Non-Thesis:
      • POS 597 (3 units)
      • Additional POS courses or electives related to primary or secondary coursework (9 units)
      • A final oral exam with satisfactory performance
    • Thesis:
      • POS 699, for the research, writing, and oral defense of an approved thesis. Please note that you may end up taking more units of thesis credit than the 6 units you can count toward your degree because you must enroll for it each term while you work on your thesis. (6 units)
      • Additional POS courses or electives related to your primary or secondary coursework (6 units)
  • Please note that you choose all courses in consultation with your plan advisor.

    You may count up to two 400-level courses toward this academic plan if they haven't previously been counted toward a bachelor's degree.

  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also take. For prerequisite information click on the course or see your advisor.
     

Availability Accordion Closed

Campus Availability

  • Flagstaff

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Marija Anna Bekafigo
Senior Lecturer
Department of Politics and International Affairs
Marija.Bekafigo@nau.edu
+1 928 523-0923
Raul H. Castro Social and Behavioral Sciences , room 212
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Andrew Bryan Dzeguze
Lecturer
Department of Politics and International Affairs
Andrew.Dzeguze@nau.edu
+1 928 523-6544
Raul H. Castro Social and Behavioral Sciences , room 219
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Gretchen Knudson Gee
Associate Chair, Politics and International Affairs; Principal Lecturer, Politics and International Affairs
Department of Politics and International Affairs
Gretchen.Gee@nau.edu
+1 928 523-8104
Raul H. Castro Social and Behavioral Sciences , room 206
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Christopher Leon Harrison
Part-Time Faculty
Department of Politics and International Affairs
Christopher.Harrison@nau.edu
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Maiah Jaskoski
Associate Professor
Department of Politics and International Affairs
Maiah.Jaskoski@nau.edu
+1 928 523-8605
Raul H. Castro Social and Behavioral Sciences , room 208
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Paul Ernest Lenze
Director of the MPA China Program and Tempe MPA Program; Senior Lecturer, Politics and International Affairs
Department of Politics and International Affairs
Paul.Lenze@nau.edu
+1 928 523-6601
Raul H. Castro Social and Behavioral Sciences , room 207
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Stephen August Meserve
Assistant Professor
Department of Politics and International Affairs
Stephen.Meserve@nau.edu
+1 928 523-6571
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Sheila Nair
Professor
Department of Politics and International Affairs
Sheila.Nair@nau.edu
+1 928 523-0180
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Stephen Andrew Nuno
Chair, Politics and International Affairs; Professor, Politics and International Affairs
Department of Politics and International Affairs
Stephen.Nuno@nau.edu
+1 928 523-6374
Raul H. Castro Social and Behavioral Sciences , room 224
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Eric E Otenyo
Professor
Department of Politics and International Affairs
Eric.Otenyo@nau.edu
+1 928 523-6653
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Sean Parson
Associate Professor
Department of Politics and International Affairs
Sean.Parson@nau.edu
+1 928 523-3946
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Lori Poloni-Staudinger
Interim Dean, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences; Professor, Politics & International Affairs
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Lori.Poloni-Staudinger@nau.edu
+1 928 523-6546
Raul H. Castro Social and Behavioral Sciences , room 200
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Frederic Solop
Professor
Department of Politics and International Affairs
Fred.Solop@nau.edu
+1 928 523-3135
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Carie Anne Steele
Assistant Professor
Department of Politics and International Affairs
Carie.Steele@nau.edu
+1 928 523-4126
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Minzi Su
Associate Professor of Practice
Department of Politics and International Affairs
Minzi.Su@nau.edu
+1 928 523-7494
Social Behavioral Sciences (West) , room 214
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Hal Tagma
Assistant Professor
Department of Politics and International Affairs
Halit.Tagma@nau.edu
+1 928 523-7418
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Alan Brent Wood
MPA Coordinator, Politics and International Affairs; Principal Lecturer, Politics and International Affairs
Department of Politics and International Affairs
Alan.Wood@nau.edu
+1 520 879-7982
 
Politics and International Affairs
Location
Building
Raul H. Castro Social and Behavioral Sciences
5 E. McConnell Dr.
Flagstaff, Arizona 86011
Mailing Address
PO Box 15036
Flagstaff, Arizona 86011
Contact Form
Email
politics@nau.edu
Phone
928-523-3163
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