University of Idaho General Catalog » Departments of Instruction » Department of Political Science and Public Affairs Research » Political Science and Public Affairs Research Graduate Degree Programs

Political Science and Public Affairs Research Graduate Degree Programs

Candidates must fulfill the requirements of the College of Graduate Studies and of the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs Research. See the College of Graduate Studies section for the general requirements applicable to each degree.

Master of Arts. General College of Graduate Studies M.A. requirements for application must be followed. Applicants must also submit three letters of recommendation and a 300-500 word statement of purpose directly to the Department of Political Science.

Master of Public Administration. Although no specific undergraduate preparation is required for the M.P.A., all applicants must have a 3.0 GPA and submit GRE General Test scores that are no more than five years old. Three letters of recommendations are also required. Students with a lower GPA may, on occasion, be admitted provisionally. Students must have an appropriate background in American National Government and have taken Statistics 251 or its equivalent.

The MPA degree requires a minimum of 30 course credits. In addition a 3 credit public service internship is required for students without appropriate work experience in the public or nonprofit sectors. Students may use credits earned in approved courses taken at any of the cooperating universities (University of Idaho, Idaho State University, and Boise State University).

At least 18 credits must be taken from the Political Science Department with 15 credits required from core areas plus PolS 535. (See Political Science & Public Affairs Home Page for list of core classes). At least 12 credits are required in an area of emphasis. (Currently, the approved fields are: general public administration; community, state, and regional planning; criminal justice administration; environmental and natural resources administration; local government administration; public finance, budgeting, and administrative management; and public works engineering.)

Students may select a thesis or non-thesis option. The preparation and oral defense of the thesis count as six credits in the area of emphasis. Students selecting a non-thesis option must take comprehensive examinations.

Doctor of Philosophy. General College of Graduate Studies requirements for application must be followed. Applicants to the Ph.D. program must also submit Graduate Record Examination scores, three letters of recommendation, and a 300-500 word statement of purpose directly to the Department of Political Science.