UWM Graduate School
Prospective Students
Political Science Requirements
Political Science Graduate Courses
Online Application Procedures
Financial Support
The department provides graduate training leading to the Master of Arts, Master of Public Administration, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Its nationally recognized faculty produces an extraordinary variety and volume of publications. In recent years the journals American Politics Research, Journal of Politics, and the American Journal of Political Science were edited by department faculty.
The department's membership in the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research offers access to major data collections. Research opportunities are also enhanced by the department computers and terminals, by data sets and consultative services available through the Institute for Survey and Policy Research, and by the resources of the...
The fields of doctoral study are American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and public administration and public policy. The emphasis is on training students for careers in university research and teaching. Each student must demonstrate competence in two fields by successful completion of written and oral comprehensive examinations. Methods of conducting research are strongly emphasized.
The M.A. program serves as an intermediate degree for people pursuing the doctorate. However, because of the flexibility (9 credits of required core courses out of a total of 24), it accommodates other purposes as well, such as substantive training for teachers and journalists, community service, and intellectual enrichment.
The program prepares students for leadership and managerial roles in government, primarily at the local level. The program requires 42 credits of course work. Concentrations are available in municipal management, urban policy, and transportation and public works management. Eighteen of the total credits are in required core courses. Each concentration involves additional required courses. A dual degree option is available for obtaining both the Master of Public Administration and the Master of Urban Planning.
Applicants must submit their materials to the Graduate School (visit Online Application Procedures), with the exception of letters of recommendation (from three references), which should be submitted directly to the Department. Applicants are asked to provide their references with the recommendation form found in the following link ( Word, PDF 31kb ). Official GRE score reports should be submitted directly to the graduate school.
If you have not received a letter from the Graduate School regarding your admission status within 2 months of your initial application, you should contact the Department to make sure there are no missing items holding up the review of your file.
Additional information about the Masters and Doctoral programs can be found in the Graduate Program Policies Manual ( Word, PDF 70kb ).
Financial aid is awarded on a competitive basis. Most students who receive aid work as teaching assistants. Political science graduate students also have received University fellowships, dissertation grants, grants for minority students, and research assistantships with the Center for Urban Initiatives. Occasionally, student aid will be financed through research grants awarded to a faculty member. Application deadlines vary. Many doctoral and some masters students receive funding.
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Last Updated: April 7, 2008