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What does it cost?

Check out our cost calculator or visit student financial services for information on estimated costs.

How long will it take?

This program requires 30 course hours and can generally be completed in three to four semesters.

Where can I take classes?
Atlanta Campus

Am I required to take classes at a specific location?
Atlanta Campus

Application Deadlines View Admissions Requirements

  • Fall: Rolling Admissions.  Final Deadline is July 1.
  • Spring: Does not normally admit. Contact program director to see if exceptions are available.
  • Summer: Does not normally admit. Contact program director to see if exceptions are available.

Political Science, M.A. - Concentrations in General Political Science, American Politics, International and Comparative Politics, or Public Law

Political Science

chankla@gsu.edu
404-413-6169

This program is geared towards students who want a deep foundation in the scholarship of political science. It can be taken as a terminal degree for someone seeking a career in government, politics, law or a related field, or it can be taken as the first step to a doctorate. Unlike our professional politics and educator concentrations, this M.A. focuses more on developing a student’s independent research.

The Political Science master's degree program  offers a choice of four concentrations:

  • General Political Science
  • American Politics
  • International and Comparative Politics
  • Public Law

Students with an interest in quantitative methods also have the option of choosing an advanced methods track.

The degree is taught primarily in person through small seminars, but students also have the option of taking some of their courses online. All courses are taught by full-time faculty and emphasize interaction among students and professors.

VIEW CATALOG INFORMATION

Program Highlights

Why should you join us at Georgia State?

  • Mentorship and professional socialization. Our faculty members are scholars and researchers who frequently coauthor with students on papers and participate in numerous events and colloquia.
  • Strong placement record. Our graduates go on to work at places like the Georgia Legislature  and the Carter Center while our new Ph.D.s routinely secure tenure-track or high-level analyst positions.
  • Diversity. Our 29 full-time faculty members cover every region of the globe and every subfield in political science.
  • Methodological diversity. Students are trained in a broad mix of methods, from qualitative interviewing to experimental survey designs to hierarchical modeling.
  • Geographically diverse student population. Our students hail from across the U.S. and the globe.
  • Location in the heart of Atlanta. Numerous opportunities are available nearby to enrich your studies. Georgia State's downtown campus is within blocks of the Georgia Legislature, every level of state and federal courts in addition to the U.S. Supreme Court, numerous state and federal agencies. The city is home to the headquarters of international organizations including CARE, Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center.

The Political Science Department In The News:

  • Dr. Chipo Dendere, a 2016 Political Science Ph.D. graduate, has been appointed as an Assistant Professor at Wellesley College. Chipo was also elected… more »
  • Dr. Andrew Wedeman offered his testimony to the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission on Xi Jinping’s battle with corruption… more »
  • Political Science 4+1  alumna, Martha Revelo, was among the team that aided a presidential electoral victory ending almost three decades of two-party rule… more »
  • Ph.D. candidate in Political Science, Claudio Sandoval, has been appointed as the Ambassador of the Venezuelan Government in exile to Honduras. The appointment was… more »
  • Dr. Jennifer McCoy has made media appearances on national and international media outlets to analyze the Venezuelan crisis.… more »
  • Dr. Lakeyta M. Bonnette-Bailey finds a significant positive impact for the exposure to political rap on the agreement with Black feminist attitudes in a… more »
  • Amelia Hawkins, a former Political Science intern and ’16 alum, has been named as Gov. Brian Kemp’s Director of Executive Operations.… more »
Program Details

Applicants must have received a B.A. or B.S. degree. The Department of Political Science asks applicants to submit the following:

  • Complete Online Graduate Application
  • Acceptable GRE scores (students who have completed degrees in political science or a closely related field with a GPA of 3.5 or better can receive a waiver)
  • Two letters of recommendation from persons who can authoritatively comment on your academic abilities
  • Transcripts from all graduate and/or undergraduate institutions attended
  • Statement of your research interests and how the Political Science Department will help you meet your career and educational goals
  • Writing sample

The department seeks applicants with a history of strong academic achievement, clear interests and potential for excellence at the graduate level.

The degree program requires 30 credit hours. To fulfill these, most students will take eight 3-credit-hour courses, 6-credit-hours of experiential learning (which can be an internship, a consulting project, a study abroad opportunity or something else), and will complete a non-thesis research project.

For their coursework, students can choose to take from one to four methods courses, with the rest in substantive areas.  These can be completed both through online M.A.-level courses and through in-person Ph.D.-level seminars.  Students may also choose to substitute a thesis for two courses and the non-thesis paper.  Generally, the degree can be completed in three to four semesters, including summer.  More details are available here: https://politicalscience.gsu.edu/m-a-degree/.

The program prepares students for careers in politics, government and academia. The program provides advanced training in American, comparative and international politics, as well as opportunities to build skills in cutting-edge quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

Our extensive relationships across metro Atlanta, the United States and the world provide students with meaningful experiential learning opportunities. These can include consulting projects with local governments and non-governmental organizations, internships with law firms, the Georgia Legislature and Carter Center and similar organizations, and study abroad opportunities.  The thesis option allows students to conduct original research under the supervision of faculty and can serve as a first step towards a doctorate.

Description

Careers

This degree can lead to a wide variety of careers in politics, government and academia. These include jobs in government relations and lobbying, local, state, and federal administration, journalism and non-governmental organizations.  These concentrations can also serve as preparation for further graduate studies towards a Ph.D. in political science or international affairs or toward a juris doctor degree.

A list of some of our recent M.A. graduates can be found here: https://politicalscience.gsu.edu/home/graduate/placement-history/recent-m-graduates/

Profiles are some of our B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. graduates are available here: https://politicalscience.gsu.edu/connections/political-science-alumni-success-stories/

Contacts

Dr. Charles Hankla
Associate Professor and M.A. Program Director
chankla@gsu.edu
404-413-6169

Dr. Ryan Carlin
Associate Professor and Graduate Director
rcarlin@gsu.edu
404-413-6190

25 Park Pl NE #2500
Atlanta, GA 30303

The information shared provides an overview of Georgia State’s offerings. For details on admissions requirements, tuition, courses and more, refer to the university catalogs.