Political Science, M.A.

Program Scope

The Master of Arts in Political Science is designed for students who wish to proceed to further post-graduate study at the doctoral level as well as those who seek to terminate their study with the master’s degree.

For many college graduates, an M.A. in Political Science is a good investment of time and money. Graduates from our M.A. program teach at community colleges, go on to prestigious Ph.D. programs and work in a variety of jobs: running election campaigns, teaching high school students, and as elected officials, policymakers and policy analysts.

For those who go on to a Ph.D. program, a more specialized M.A. or M.P.A., or law school, the M.A. provides both a solid substantive foundation and an advantage in admissions to top graduate and law programs.

An M.A. in Political Science is highly relevant for those who wish to go into high school or junior college teaching, or into some aspect of local, state or federal governmental work. Unlike Ph.D.s, which commonly take five to seven years to complete, an M.A. generally only takes two years to complete, and it provides an advantage on the job market over those with only bachelor’s degrees. In the meantime, students have had more time to think about the professional direction they want to pursue.

Given the cost of graduate education, two years of CSU tuition is a relative bargain for a degree that can do so much. Graduate seminars are offered starting at 4 p.m. and, occasionally, later in the evening, allowing professional students to work and attend class.

At SFSU, our Political Science faculty are experienced, well-published scholars and teachers specializing in American Politics, Comparative Politics, Political Theory, Public Law and Empirical Methods. M.A. students work closely with faculty to learn how political scientists produce knowledge about politics, and contributing themselves to that scholarship. Our students have opportunities to teach classes and present their own work at conferences.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Students demonstrate a systematic comprehension of the discipline of political science; and acquire a specialized knowledge of three sub-fields of political science (political theory, American politics, comparative politics) in which they demonstrate not only familiarity and expertise with key concepts, arguments, and theorists, but an ability to contribute meaningfully through their written work to one or more subjects of study.
2. Students demonstrate advanced training in research, writing, and presentation, including the ability to think critically, construct logical arguments, collect and analyze relevant evidence, formulate reasoned conclusions, and situate themselves as critical subjects in their work.
3. Students demonstrate a knowledge of the professional aspects of the field through one or more of the following experiences: teaching in political science, research assistantships; and classroom, conference, or workshop presentations.