Virginia Tech® home

Political Science (M.A.)

Online and On-Campus

Political Science (M.A.)

The Master of Arts in Political Science prepares students for careers in academic life and government such as pursuing a doctoral degree in political science or entering a career in a public agency, non-profit organization or private research organization.

About Our Program

Our graduate study program is designed to provide students with a firm, broadly based grounding in the discipline of political science and a strong foundation in social science research methodologies. The Master of Arts Program covers all subfields of the discipline. It prepares students for further study at the doctoral level, and careers in government, the not-for-profit, private research and industry sectors. Our graduates have pursued doctoral studies in the ASPECT program at Virginia Tech and at numerous universities in the US and overseas. They have also  taken-up professional positions in government agencies, political organizations, in think-tanks, consultancies, and private industry.


30 hrs
Total Credit Hours

9 hrs
Required Courses

12 hrs
Elective Courses

9 hrs
Thesis and Research


 

Curriculum

What You'll Study

You will complete 21 hours of coursework and 9 hours of Thesis and Research.

  • PSCI 5115-Research Methods I
  • PSCI 5116-Research Methods II
  • PSCI 5214-Contemporary Political Theory
  • PSCI 5994 Thesis and Research 
  • PSCI 5994 Thesis and Research
  • PSCI 5994 Thesis and Research
  • Elective Course 1
  • Elective Course 2
  • Elective Course 3
  • Elective Course 4

Why choose this program?

  • The Master of Arts (M.A.) in Political Science was established in 1969. Currently the program enrolls 10 to 15 full-time students on campus each year.
  • The department's relatively small scale provides excellent opportunities for close student-faculty interaction in residential program of study. 
  • Our Blacksburg campus offers students the full services of the university, including an extensive library, technology support, and the Graduate Life Center for residential students.
  • Department faculty is drawn from outstanding universities around the United States and around the world, and the department has strong expertise in all major subfields of political science. 
  • As active research scholars, members of the faculty regularly review research grants for major granting bodies in the U.S. and abroad, and serve as editors or on editorial boards of major peer-reviewed journals, including Administration & Society; Capitalism, Nature, Socialism; Critical Policy Studies; Congress and the Presidency; Fast Capitalism; International Political Sociology; the minnesota review; New Political Science; Peace Studies Journal; Presidential Studies Quarterly; Rhetoric & Public Affairs; and Telos.

Admissions and Tuition

Admissions Requirements

  • Minimum GPA 3.0 (4 Scale)
  • GRE Recommended
  • TOEFL/ IELTS score required  (if applicable)

Learn more about admissions requirements

Application Deadlines

Domestic (Blacksburg Campus Only) Application Deadlines:

  • Spring: January 1
  • Summer I: May 1
  • Summer II: June 1
  • *Fall:  August 1

International (Blacksburg Campus) Application Deadlines:

  • Spring: September 1
  • Summer I: January 1
  • Summer II: February  1
  • *Fall: April 1

*Deadline for admission with Graduate Assistantships consideration for Fall: February 15

Tuition

 

Funding Opportunities

The Department of Political Science has an extremely limited number of graduate assistantships and fellowships available for highly promising students applying for full-time study on the Blacksburg Campus. Entering students can apply for such funding as part of their admissions application. No separate application required. However, we are only able to accept approximately 30% of all applicants to the program overall, and of that group, only 30% of that pool is offered funding. As one of the few fully-funded MA programs in Political Science, we receive a high volume of applications, and can generally fund only a small percentage applications.

Find out what loans are available as a graduate student and other opportunities (US citizenship or immigration status requirements may apply).

Contact Graduate Programs Coordinator

Sarah Harvey
Graduate Programs Coordinator
531 Major Williams Hall
540-231-6572
saharvey1@vt.edu