Political Science (AM)

Program Code: G-POLI-AM
Degree Designation: Master of Arts
Department: Political Science Department
Website: polisci.duke.edu/graduate/ma

Program Summary

The Department of Political Science offers graduate work leading to the MA and PhD in political science.

Instruction is designed to prepare the student primarily for teaching and research. Instruction is currently offered in the following fields: political economy; behavior and identity; security, peace, and conflict; political methodology; normative political theory and political philosophy; and political institutions.

Further details on the Graduate Program in Political Science, the departmental facilities, the staff, and available financial aid may be obtained from the director of graduate studies, Department of Political Science.

Academic Requirements

The terminal degree of master of arts is awarded following successful completion of (1) eight one-semester courses of 3-course credits each, at least half of which must be in political science; (2) six-course credits of ungraded research (thesis option) or two additional courses of 3-course credits each (non-thesis option); 3) complete and defend a thesis or a non-thesis portfolio of two research papers completed during the students’ coursework. In addition, candidates for the degree must demonstrate competence in one foreign language or statistics.

These requirements for the degree apply both to students enrolled in the terminal program and to students originally enrolled in the PhD program who decide to end their involvement in the PhD program with a terminal degree.