Political Science (B.A. to M.A.)

About Our Program

The Accelerated Masters in Political Science allows current Virginia Tech Political Science Majors the opportunity to complete their master's degree in as little as one additional year after completing their bachelor's degree. Students accepted in the program are eligible to take up to 12 graduate-level courses during their senior year that will count toward their overall required credits toward their graduate degree.

Campus:

Virginia Tech Blacksburg Campus

Type of Instruction:

On-Campus In-Person

Masters in Political Science at Virginia Tech

Accelerated UG/GR Programs at Virginia Tech

Department of Political Science

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. Up to 12 double counted credits can be taken during the last two semesters of the undergraduate political science major program.

The Master of Arts Program covers all sub-fields of the discipline, and it prepares students for careers in academe, government, non-profit and for-profit organizations. It is especially well suited for students who want to acquire sophisticated theoretical and analytical skills before either pursuing a doctoral degree in political science or entering careers in public or private research organizations. The usual course of study is four semesters of full-time graduate work. Please reference the program requirements below:

Required Courses

PSCI 5115 Research Methods I (taken in Fall)
PSCI 5116 Research Methods II (taken in Spring)
PSCI 5214 Contemporary Political Theory (taken in Fall)

Electives

Four 3-credit hour electives (please find qualifying elective courses here) (one elective in Spring)

Research Hours

Minimum of 9 credit hours of PSCI 5994 Research & Thesis

_{*Courses that may serve as both undergraduate and graduate credit must be evaluated with your undergraduate advisor. Only a maximum of 12 credit hours are allowed to be taken in the dual enrolled period. Upon acceptance and course approval, the student will work with the Graduate Advisor to complete the Accelerated UG/GR Course Designation Form to submit to the Graduate School.}

Plan of Study

Political Science (M.A.) Course List

Time Table of Classes

Meet Our Faculty

Why choose this program?

Current undergraduate political science students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher can begin graduate-level courses in their last two undergraduate semesters to double count toward a M.A. in political science.
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.

Requirements and Tuition

Requirements

Current PSCI/IS major, with an overall minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.5
At least 6 PSCI/IS credit hours at the 4000-level
At least two political theory courses (PSCI 2014; 3015; 3016) and Research Methods (PSCI 2024) completed by matriculation

Application Materials

Grad school application (how to apply)
Curriculum vitae or resume
Personal Statement (250-500 words addressing your interest in the program)
Official Transcripts (You can apply with scanned copies as a VT student)
Three letters of recommendation (These would preferably speak to your scholarly potential)
Writing sample (Whatever you feel is your best work, and ideally reflects your main interests. For example, could be your best term paper)
GRE scores (Not required, but recommended)

Application Deadlines

Students must apply in the second semester of their junior year.

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

Tuition

Tuition and Fees

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 15% of overall applications

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