Master of Arts in Political Science

Why Choose an M.A. at Western Michigan University?

The Master of Arts in the Department of Political Science at Western Michigan University offers students options to prepare for various career goals such as:

• Positions in public service and quasi-public agencies.
• Further professional training in political science and related professions, such as law.
• Teaching positions in community colleges.
• General positions in the business world.

View a current list of the department M.A. students

Our graduates have been successful in attaining placements both inside and outside of academia.

Admission Requirements

The Graduate College at Western Michigan University requires the following from Master of Arts applicants within the Department of Political Science:

• Students must have completed at least 24 hours of work in the social sciences or other relevant fields and have achieved a 3.0 grade point average.
• Additional materials to be submitted include a brief essay about the student’s academic and professional objectives, a curriculum vita, and three recommendations (on WMU Graduate Reference Forms).
• The department may require the student to make up deficiencies in undergraduate preparation.
• Must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and have achieved a 3.25 GPA in the last two years of their bachelor’s degree.
• The MA program has both thesis and field exam tracks. You need not not decide which track to follow before applying. See the Graduate Catalog for details.
• International applicants may have additional university required items. WMU International Admissions and Services counselors can assist international students in questions regarding these items. Many answers can also be found at https://wmich.edu/internationaladmissions including contact information. 

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Department Funding

The department offers graduate assistantships for a limited number of students on a competitive basis. Assistantship stipends include tuition remission and start in the fall semester only. Indicate that you are applying for an assistantship while completing your application.

Return the completed assistantship application by the February 1 deadline to apply. 

Advising and Forms

See the M.A. and Ph.D. advising and graduate forms pages for detailed information.