Admission Criteria and Degree Requirements
The JMU graduate school requires that prospective students submit official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate course work. International students demonstrate proficiency in English through one of the pathways outlined at https://www.jmu.edu/grad/prospective/international/english-language-proficiency.shtml. The Department of Political Science requires that students submit a written statement of educational and professional goals, a writing sample that demonstrates an ability to carry out academic and/or policy-relevant research, curriculum vita or resume, and two current letters of recommendation from professors qualified to judge the applicant’s ability to complete graduate studies. Students must also submit a statement of language proficiency and prior international experience.
Once admitted to the program, to remain in good academic standing students must comply with the requirements of the JMU graduate school and those imposed by the political science program. Students must complete the EU Policy Studies (EUPS) concentration in a consecutive 10-month period. Students withdrawing from the EUPS concentration may request to be permitted to re-enter the program at the same point in subsequent years. Students must meet The Graduate School minimum requirement of a 3.0 GPA to qualify for graduation.
Mission
The Master of Arts in Political Science program focuses on comparative and international politics. This program is designed to directly engage students in comparative and international politics via studies abroad and practical experience.
Learning Objectives
When students complete the Master of Arts in Political Science program, they should have:
- Comprehensive knowledge of the relevant subfields of political science that pertain to their area of concentration in the program.
- Comprehensive knowledge of the processes that shape politics and policies and the complex interrelationships of political, economic, cultural and ideological interests that influence them in their concentration area.
- Expertise in contemporary policy issues in political science in their concentration area including international security, immigration, human rights, environmental protection, welfare provision, health and human services, and information technology and their underlying political philosophies.
- Analytic and language skills, the ability to express themselves in written and verbal form, the ability to formulate and execute a final in-depth project or apply their learning and skills in a practical situation, and broad intercultural competence.
European Union Policy Studies Concentration
This concentration involves an intellectually rigorous program with a theoretical and practical orientation. It provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the political science literature on the European Union in general (its historical development, current institutions, and practices and future prospects).
The European Union policy studies concentration also places particular emphasis on public policy, policy analysis and the politics of policy-making. All students will take courses in economic and social policy and on foreign policy and internal security. The concentration is designed as a ten-month residential program based in Florence, Italy.
This concentration is intended:
- to improve understanding of the European Union as a system of governance, as a multinational actor, and as a vibrant economy and society;
- to promote awareness and understanding of the importance and scope of the transatlantic relationship between the European Union and the United States; and
- to train students to be effective future participants in this relationship.