Prospective Students - Graduate

Political Science

Areas of Study and Research

The Department of Political Science offers instruction and research in the art and science of politics. Work within the department is organized around six basic fields: American government and politics, comparative politics, public policy, political theory, empirical theory and methodology, and international relations. Three major current research interests cut across these areas and concentrate teaching and research efforts in the areas of American government, comparative politics, and international relations.

The department also offers a graduate certificate program in environmental policy which draws on courses in political science, anthropology, economics, geography, philosophy, psychology, sociology, the School of Architecture and Planning, law, and the College of Engineering.

Degrees Offered

MA
The department offers three MA degrees: political science, international affairs, and public policy. A Plan I (thesis) degree requires 31 credit hours of graduate work including at least 24 credit hours at the 7000* level or above, 1 course on Teaching Political Science (PSCI 7008 and 7028) for 1 credit hour, and a minimum of 4 but no more than 6 thesis hours. (*6 of the 24 credit hours may be completed at the 3000 or 4000 level.) The specialized international affairs and public policy degree programs have additional requirements. A Plan II (non-thesis) degree may be earned by those students enrolled in the PhD program.

MA students will concentrate in one of six fields and participate in at least 3 credit hours of work in regularly scheduled political science seminars in each of three areas defined as follows: American, including American government and politics and public policy; international political science, including comparative politics and international relations; and theory, including political theory and empirical theory and research methods.

PhD
The department requires a minimum of 42 hours of graduate level course work in which the student must maintain a B or better average (a maximum of 3 hours may be completed at the 3000-4000 level). In addition a minimum of 30 credit hours of dissertation work must be completed.

Admission

Graduate School Minimum Admissions Standards
Individual graduate departments may have additional or more restrictive standards by which they evaluate graduate applicants. However, the Graduate School at CU-Boulder has established minimum standards for graduate admission. Applicants must:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, or have done work equivalent to that required for such a degree.
   
2. Show promise of ability to pursue advanced study and research, as judged by the student’s scholastic record.
   
3. Have adequate preparation to enter graduate study in the chosen field.
   
4. Have at least a 2.75 (2.00=C) undergraduate grade point average. Note: Applicants who cannot meet this undergraduate standard may still secure regular admission if they have completed 9 semester hours of relevant graduate course work with at least a 3.25 average.
   

Political Science Admissions Requirements
Applicants must:

1. Have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 (out of 4.0) from an accredited university in the United States, or equivalent credentials from a non-U.S. institution, or a graduate cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.
2. Have a cumulative score on the Graduate Record Examination of at least 1100 (verbal + quantitative), with a score of at least 500 on the verbal examination. Students not meeting the GRE requirements are advised to resubmit their application after retaking the examinations and obtaining satisfactory scores.
3. Submit three official copies of all transcripts. Transcripts must be issued to this university or department. They may not be issued to the student.
4. Provide three letters of recommendation from members of the profession who can judge the student's ability to participate in a graduate program.
5. Provide a statement of professional and academic goals and intent.

Financial Support Available
All applicants, both MA and PhD, are eligible to be considered for departmental financial support. Applicants will be considered for teaching assistantship positions and a limited number of supplemental fellowships based on merit.

Application Information and Deadlines   Fall admission Yes Application deadline December 31 International application deadline December 31 Financial assistance application deadline December 31   Spring admission No   Summer admission No

Contact Information

University of Colorado at Boulder
Department of Political Science
Graduate Program Assistant
Ketchum 106
Box 333 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0333
Phone: 303-492-7872
Fax: 303-492-0978
E-mail: pscigrad@colorado.edu
Website: polsci.colorado.edu/