Master of Arts in Political Science – Legislative Studies
Faculty
Professors: Thomas Brunell, Anthony M. Champagne, Marie I. Chevrier, Harold
D. Clarke, Euel Elliott, Edward J. Harpham, Robert C.
Lowry, Marianne C. Stewart
Associate Professors: Patrick Brandt, Linda Camp Keith, Gregory S. Thielemann
Mission Statement
The mission of the Master of Arts in
Political Science - Legislative Studies degree is to offer pre-professional
instruction for students interested in positions as legislative staff,
political consultants, or other careers in professional politics. Students will
receive instruction that moves beyond the standard coursework in American and
Texas government and politics by advancing their knowledge of legislative
processes and the role that legislatures play at the local, state, and national
levels of government. Graduates will have the communication, research and
project management skills that are necessary for undertaking policy or
political analysis in legislative and/or public affairs offices of the state of
Texas and elsewhere.
Objectives
Students in the Master of Arts in
Political Science - Legislative Studies program will:
•
Demonstrate knowledge of subnational
political institutions and processes in the United States and their effects on
politics and policy
•
Acquire detailed practical knowledge
of the workings of the Texas state legislature.
•
Acquire detailed knowledge of common
campaign practices in the United States, including media relations.
•
Develop competency in the designof
public opinion surveys.
•
Demonstrate the ability to analyze
survey data using methods and tools appropriate for the practice of politics.
•
Demonstrate proficiency in skills
required for at least one position in the practice of politics by successfully
completing an internship.
Facilities
Students
have access to the computing facilities in the School of Economic, Political
and Policy Sciences and the University’s Computing Center. The School has two
computing laboratories that have over 30 computers that are network linked and
equipped with major social science software packages, including E-Views, R.
Rats, SPSS, and STATA. A computerized geographic information system, the Lexis Nexis database and Westlaw are also
available for student use. The University’s Computing Center provides personal
computers and UNIX Workstations. Many important data and reference materials
are available online from professional associations or at UTD via the Library's
and School's memberships in the American Political Science Association, the
European Consortium for Political Research, the Inter University Consortium for
Political and Social Research, the Roper Center, and the University Consortium
for Geographic Information Systems, and other organizations.
Students
also have access to the non-partisan Center for the
Study of Texas Politics. The Center develops opportunities for North
Texans to interact with Texas’ leading policy-makers while simultaneously
enhancing the quality of instruction, research and service that exists in the
School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences.
Admissions
Requirement
The University’s general admission
requirements are discussed here.
The Master of Arts in Political
Science seeks applications from students with a baccalaureate degree from an
accredited university or college. Although applications will be reviewed
holistically, in general, entering students have earned a 3.0 undergraduate
grade point average (on a 4.0 scale), and a combined verbal and quantitative
score of at least 1100 on the Graduate Records Examination (GRE). Standardized
test scores are only one of the factors taken into account in determining
admission. Applicants should also submit all transcripts, three letters of
recommendation (preferably from individuals who can evaluate the applicant’s
potential for a career in professional politics), and a one-page essay
outlining the applicant’s background, education, and professional objectives.
Applications are reviewed by the Political Science Program Committee in the
School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences.
Undergraduate
students who are interested in completing their undergraduate degrees while
simultaneously taking graduate courses in the M.A. in Political Science -
Legislative Studies program are expected to meet the School’s "fast-tracking"
requirements.
Prerequisites
While
there are no specific course prerequisites, entering students will benefit from
exposure to undergraduate courses in the Economic, Political and Policy
Sciences, statistics, and research design. In cases where undergraduate
preparation is not adequate, students may be required to take additional course
work before starting the master's program.
Transfer Policies
Students who have previous graduate work pertinent to the
requirements of a master’s program may be given up to 6 hours of transfer
credit, and the hours of coursework required for the degree will be reduced
accordingly. Students desiring to transfer graduate courses thought to be
equivalent to core courses may be required to demonstrate competency through
examination. The award of such transfer credit must be consistent with the
University’s "Transfer of Credit" policy.
Degree Requirements
The
University’s general degree requirements are discussed here.
Students
seeking a Master of Arts in Political Science - Legislative Studies must
complete at least 30 semester credit hours of work in the program, must receive
a grade of B- or better in all required classes, and must maintain at least a
3.0 grade point average to graduate.
The
curriculum has three components:
(1)
Fifteen semester hours of required
coursework
(2)
Nine semester hours of prescribed
electives
(3)
Six semester hours of internship.
Required Courses (15 hours)
All students should complete the
core courses as soon as possible.
EPPS 6313 Introduction to Quantitative Methods
PSCI 6324 Local and State Government and Politics
PSCI 6330 Campaigns and Media Relations
PSCI 6364 Public Opinion and Survey Research
One of the following:
PSCI 6340 Texas Legislative Affairs Workshop OR
PSCI 6341 Texas Legislative Process
Prescribed Electives (9 hours)
Three
additional courses at the 6000 level on political and civic organizations,
bureaucracy and public policy. Congress, or executives, legislatures and policy.
Internship (6 hours)
Each
student’s degree program concludes with a six-credit hour internship over the
summer semester. Internships will be done in the state legislature in Austin,
in Congress in Washington DC, or at some other state or local agency.