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Department of Political Science
College of Liberal Arts


 

Jackson State University’s Department of Political Science helps students combine theoretical creativity and empirical research. Among the department’s areas of strength are American politics, comparative politics (particularly African politics), international relations, and public law. The department’s faculty uses diverse analytic perspectives, but their research programs share a common concern for the role of citizenship in government, political processes, and institutions.

Graduate Program Degree Requirements

Master of Arts Curriculum Map

The Department offers the M.A. in Political Science entirely online. All of the courses are virtual and asynchronous (no set meeting time specified).

As an accelerated program, students can earn their M.A. in Political Science in two semesters (fall and spring). The M.A. in Political Science offers only the non-thesis route.

M.A. students enroll in all 6 of the 500-level courses for 18 credit hours at the beginning of each semester. Though students take 3 courses every 8 weeks, students must register for all 6 courses in the semester at the beginning of the semester during the registration period.

The courses are 8 weeks in length. In numerical order, students take three courses every 8 weeks.

In the first 8 weeks of a semester, students take the first 3 courses listed in numerical order.
In the second 8 weeks of a semester, students take the last 3 courses listed in numerical order.

Students do that for both the fall semester (if you start in August) and the spring semester (if you start in January). Students register for all 6 courses that semester at the beginning of the semester.

Click on the Curriculum Map in blue above. It lists the courses in the 1st 8 weeks of Fall and 2nd 8 weeks of Fall, and then it lists courses in the 1st 8 weeks of Spring and 2nd 8 weeks of Spring.

Students must complete all thirty-six (36) credit hours of coursework and pass the Graduate Area Comprehensive Examination (GACE).

All students must successfully complete the following and maintain an overall 3.00 GPA (on a 4.00 scale) in order to earn the M.A. degree in Political Science:

  1. Complete thirty-six (36) credit hours of coursework.
  2. Take and pass the Graduate English Competency Examination.
  3. Take and pass the Graduate Area Comprehensive Examination.

Retention Requirement

A minimum grade point average of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) on graduate work earned in the degree program is required. Grades of C or lower do not count toward completing the M.A. degree.

Requirement for Degree Candidacy

Completion of the required political science courses and passage of the comprehensive examination are required for a student to be admitted to candidacy for the M.A. in Political Science. The comprehensive examination consists of written essay questions in the subfields of political science. It should be taken and passed during the student’s last semester of coursework.

 

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

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More About Us
Jackson State University’s Department of Political Science helps students combine theoretical creativity and empirical research. Among the department’s areas of strength are American politics, comparative politics (particularly African politics), international relations, and public law. The department’s faculty uses diverse analytic perspectives, but their research programs share a common concern for the role of citizenship in government, political processes, and institutions.

LEARN BY DOING

The Fannie Lou Hamer National Institute of Advocacy & Social Action, cosponsored by the department, conducts summer seminars on the civil rights movement as a model of participatory democracy.

“Challenging Minds, Changing Lives.”

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APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE

International exchanges and travel are available to faculty and students via the Jackson State University Office of International Programs and the Mississippi Consortium for International Development.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Political Science majors have a plethora of career options:

Policy Analyst

Legislative Assistant

Public Relations Specialist

Social Media Manager

Marketing Research Analyst

Political Consultant

Attorney

Intelligence Analyst

READY TO JOIN?

For more information, please contact us at (601) 979-2135.  We look forward to meeting with you and seeing how our program can help you achieve your goals.

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

Physical Location

Liberal Arts Building, 3rd Floor

Mailing Address

Department of Political Science
Jackson State University
1400 John R Lynch Street
P O Box 18420
Jackson, MS 39217

Contact

(601) 979-1501 AND (601) 979-2135

You can visit us on:

Facebook:  @JSUPoliSciDept
Instagram:  @JSUPoliSciDept
Twitter:  @JSUPoliSciDept
Tik Tok:  @JSUPoliSciDept

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