Political Science (MA)

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Admission Requirements

Admission into the MA program is competitive. 

The procedures for admission into the MA program are as follows:

  1. Submit a completed graduate application and application fee to the Graduate School.  Priority application deadlines and assistantship deadlines may vary from year to year, but are posted on the Department of Political Science Graduate Program website.
  2. Forward official transcripts verifying the receipt of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution to the Graduate School. An applicant must hold a BA or BS (or foreign equivalent) before admission to the program can be granted. Applicants selected for the program have generally earned a 3.0 undergraduate GPA overall or a 3.2 undergraduate GPA in the last 60 credit hours or the equivalent.
  3. Provide two letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the applicant's academic performance. Professional letters from employers are acceptable only when a substantial time has elapsed since the applicant has attended an academic institution.
  4. A typed personal statement of about 300-500 words is required. Please explain your reasons for applying to the master's program in political science at the University of Louisville. Discuss your professional or occupational objectives and how you envision the department’s program fitting into those objectives. Describe the areas of political science you find especially interesting for study and/or research and identify the political science faculty with whom you might be interested in working.
  5. International applicants are required to take the TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo examination if English is not the native language. TOEFL scores of 79 or higher on the internet-based test, 213 or higher on the computer-based test. English proficiency can also be met by submitting official IELTS scores of at least 6.5 overall band score from the academic module exam or official Duolingo overall score of 105.  Students holding a bachelor's or advanced degree from an accredited institution in the United States may be exempt from this requirement.

The Department may accept applicants who do not meet these requirements on a conditional basis if sufficient additional evidence of promise of success in the graduate program can be shown. No student will be admitted unconditionally until all materials listed above have been received.

Program Requirements

Students may select from one of three options for their graduate studies:

  1. The general MA in Political Science (thesis),
  2. The general MA in Political Science (non-thesis)

The curricula for these options are described below.


Thesis Option

POLS 670Research Design3
POLS 671Introduction to Data Analysis3
POLS 619Seminar in Public Policy3
POLS 629Seminar in American Politics3
POLS 639Seminar in International Relations3
POLS 649Seminar in Comparative Politics3
Electives *6
POLS 699Thesis Guidance6
Minimum Total Hours30
*

 From Political Science or other departments. Up to six (6) elective credit hours may be at the 500-level. Up to three (3) credit hours may be independent study.


Non-Thesis Option

POLS 670Research Design3
POLS 671Introduction to Data Analysis3
POLS 619Seminar in Public Policy3
POLS 629Seminar in American Politics3
POLS 639Seminar in International Relations3
POLS 649Seminar in Comparative Politics3
Electives **15
POLS 695Directed Research3
Minimum Total Hours36
**

From Political Science and other departments. Up to six (6) elective credit hours may be taken outside of Political Science. Up to nine (9) elective credit hours may be taken at the 500-level. Up to three (3) credit hours may be independent study credit.