MA Political Science

The Political Science Department offers a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Political Science with an emphasis on building academic and practical skills in key areas of the discipline. Research and teaching in the department centers on the major fields of American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory and public policy. The department also offers more specialized training in community organizing, human rights, legal studies, gender politics, race and ethnic politics, European studies, indigenous politics and urban politics. Students pursuing the MA have the option of completing the traditional track or an "alternative" track centered on public, non-profit and community leadership. Students completing the alternative "public, non-profit and community leadership" track take most courses in weekend, off-campus locations. Students completing either track have gone on to PhD programs across the country and work in a variety of areas, including: state and local elected office, government service, community organizing and development work, nongovernmental organizations, legislative analysts, UN affiliates, lobbyists, teachers, media analysis and political consulting.

These degree requirements are subject to periodic revision by the academic department, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences reserves the right to make exceptions and substitutions as judged necessary in individual cases. Therefore, the College strongly urges students to consult regularly with their Political Science faculty advisor to confirm the best plans of study before finalizing them.

Alternative Political Science Master's Program: The New Directions Program

In addition to its traditional, on-campus Master's degree, the Political Science Department offers a Public, Non-Profit and Community Leadership MA program through the Center for New Directions. The Center for New Directions offers an MA program focused on 1) public leadership; 2) community and labor organizing; and/or 3) political and social economy innovations. These options are carried out in collaboration with local government jurisdictions, community and labor organizations, and advocacy groups across Colorado. The program develops public leadership & community organizing competencies for addressing social, economic, and political challenges within Colorado communities and regions.

Plan II is available both under the traditional MA track offered on the Denver campus, as well as through an alternative track offered off-campus through the Center for New Directions in Politics and Public Policy. For details about this off-campus track in politics and public policy, see New Directions, MA in Political Science.

The Political Science graduate program offers two transcripted certificates, allowing students to focus their studies within a specific track (Public, Non-Profit, and Community Leadership; Labor Leadership; and Political and Social Economy and Innovation) and an option to have the track courses listed on their transcript. Students do not need to be seeking a full Master’s degree to earn a certificate of completion through the Graduate Certificate program. These Graduate Certificates can be obtained in one of three areas: 1) Public, Non-Profit and Community Leadership; and 2) Labor Leadership.

• Public, Non-Profit and Community Leadership
• Labor Leadership

For more information on these graduate certificates, click the links above.

Graduate Education Policies and Procedures apply to this program