Foundations of Political Analysis (Graduate Certificate)

This certificate prepares you to conduct high-quality research with a solid understanding of contemporary political theory. The program requires 12 hours of graduate-level courses from an approved list.

Who Is Eligible?

Students pursuing graduate degrees at Virginia Tech who wish to demonstrate a competency in the foundations of political analysis without undertaking an entire degree can add this certificate to their transcript. Commonwealth Campus students who have been permitted to take courses by the Graduate School are also eligible. Non-degree seeking students can pursue this certificate to develop a professional competency relevant to their chosen careers. Both degree and non-degree seeking students complete this certificate by studying on campus or through on-line courses.

What Will I Study?

Requirements: Completion of a total of twelve credit hours; 9 credits in required courses and 3 elective hours. Receive a grade of B or better in each course. (Note: Students will not be allowed to retake a course for a better grade if they receive below a B.)

Required courses:

PSCI 5214 - Contemporary Political Theory

PSCI 5115 - Research Methods I

PSCI 5116 - Research Methods II

In addition, students must complete at least 3 credit hours of Political Science graduate course offerings from such courses as:

PSCI 5344 - Political Behavior

PSCI 5504 - Discourse Analysis