College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department of Political Science

Location: MAIN 320
Phone: (435) 797-1306
Fax: (435)797-3751
E-mail: politicalscience@usu.edu
For more information on the Political Science - MS Degree, please see our website at http://politicalscience.usu.edu/

This program requires completion of 30 graduate credits (all courses are three credits unless otherwise designated). Completion of the degree requires a Plan A thesis or a Plan B paper. The department expectation is the completion of a Plan A thesis.

Degree Verification

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university is required for admission to and completion of a graduate program.

Overall Graduate GPA at least 3.0 and no grades of C- or lower;

Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for degree-program courses. Grades of C- or lower will not be accepted for a graduate degree.

Course Number Acceptability

The Program of Study for a master’s degree must include at least 15 semester credits at the level of 6000 or above.

Credits in the following areas are not acceptable in a degree program: foreign languages (unless included in an approved Program of Study), continuing graduate advisement, individual home study, military science, and courses numbered below 3000.

Matriculation Start Semester

A master’s degree must be completed within six years of entering the degree program. Additional time may be requested by the student’s committee and submitted to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for review.

 

Coursework Validity

Coursework over eight years old at the time of degree completion may not be used for a graduate degree unless it is revalidated.

USU Residency Requirement

Master’s

At least 24-semester credits for a master’s degree must be from a committee-approved and a School of Graduate Studies-approved Program of Study from Utah State University.

Thesis/Dissertation Research Credits

Students must take POLS 6970  for their thesis/dissertation research credits.

Plan A students:

The Plan A option for a master’s degree requires the preparation and defense of a thesis. Students are required to complete a minimum of 6 semester credits of thesis research (6970) with a maximum of 15 thesis credits applied toward a Program of Study.

Plan B students:

A Plan B option requires the production and defense of a paper or project, depending on the department and program. A minimum of two credits of thesis research (6970) are required, but no more than three thesis research credits can be included in an approved Program of Study. Some degree programs require creative project credits in addition to or in place of research.

Required for all defense degrees:

Successful defense and submission of the thesis or dissertation to the library.

Master’s forms:

Approval of academic forms required for master’s students by the School of Graduate Studies:

• Supervisory Committee
• Program of Study
• Thesis/Project Approval
• Appointment for Examination
• Record of Examination
• Authorship and Copyright
• Thesis/Dissertation Format and Style
• SGS and library review and approval

Language Requirement Status for Master of Arts (if required by department).