The MA Degree in International Studies
The Master of Arts in International Studies provides students with a
strong foundation in the theory and practice of international
studies. The Department offers courses covering a wide array of
topical areas such as area studies, comparative politics, foreign
policy analysis, international relations, international political
economy, international organizations, international law, and the global
environment. The curriculum in the MA program is designed to be
responsive to the more professionally-oriented student rather than the
student seeking an academic career. Normally, the master's
candidate will complete 27 credit hours of substantive course work plus
six hours of thesis credit for a total of 33 credit hours.
Students may elect to take an additional six hours of course work in
lieu of the thesis. The program may require more hours in the
event of deficiencies. An oral comprehensive exam is required of
master's candidates not completing a thesis.
Each student will select one major field within which to complete 9
credit hours of graduate work and one minor field in which to complete
9 credit hours. The available fields are international relations
theory and practice; foreign policy analysis; international law and
organizations; and comparative politics/area studies. Competency
in one foreign language (the equivalent of two years of college course
work, the 210 level at USC, and pass the 315 language course or
translation exam) or in the use of quantitative methodologies (the
completion of POLI 706 with a grade of "B" or better) is required for
the degree. Students must also complete one graduate course in
statistics (POLI 502) or demonstrate equivalent competence. A
full-time course load for students is three courses per semester (not
including, for example, foreign language courses).
Please see the Poli Grad Handbook for additional information.
The MA program in International Studies is designed to be complete in
two years of full-time study, including completion of the course
curriculum and the master's thesis.
The MA Degree in Political
Science
Students are generally not admitted into this program from outside the
Department. It is available only for students originally enrolled
in the Ph.D. program in Political Science who opt not to complete the
Ph.D. program. The MA in Political Science is specifically
designed to provide a knowledge of political science and the
professional skills necessary to pursue a successful career in
governmental, quasi-public, private, and political organizations.
The candidate for the MA in Political Science must pursue a course of
study that will normally include a minimum of 27 credit hours and 6
hours of thesis credit. Competency in one foreign language or in
the use of quantitative methodologies, as well as a thesis, is required
for the MA degree in Political Science. Students must also
complete one graduate course in statistics (POLI 502) or demonstrate
equivalent competence.
Interested in seeing what courses are offered? A complete listing of courses offered in the department of political science can be found here.