• Master of Arts in Political Science (MA)
• Master of Public Administration (MPA)
• Master of Public Administration Degree with a Criminal Justice Concentration.  Click on link for more information http://www.bsu.edu/cjc/masters/

The Academic Environment

The Department of Political Science at Ball State University provides a particularly congenial environment for graduate work. Although political science faculty members are engaged in research and community service, teaching is the highest priority of the department and the university. Students have easy access to faculty on a one-to-one basis. Furthermore, there is a camaraderie among graduate students that makes their graduate work more pleasant and enjoyable.

The university has excellent research facilities, including the Bracken Library and the University Computing Center.

Areas of Study

The Department of Political Science offers graduate courses in the following areas:

• Political Theory and Methodology
• American Government (National, State, and Local)
• Public Law and Policy
• Public Administration
• Politics and the Political Process
• Foreign and Comparative Government
• International Law and Diplomacy
• Degree Plans

At the beginning of the graduate program, students must consult with advisers in the Department of Political Science to develop degree plans in accord with their needs and goals.

Admission Requirements

Applicants for the master of arts (MA) and master of public administration (MPA) programs must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate School, submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, and be accepted by the Department of Political Science.  Students seeking admission to the MPA program with a concentration in criminal justice and criminology must also be accepted by the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology.  Applicants whose undergraduate majors are not political science or closely related subjects may be required to complete undergraduate courses to acquire background knowledge.  Credit for these courses does not apply to degree requirements.

To apply for admission, write to the Dean, Graduate School, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, 47306. Or, you can go to the Graduate School's homepage and request application materials online or apply online. A graduate catalog and other information will be sent to you.

To obtain further information, write to the Chairperson, Department of Political Science, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306 or send an email message to our departmental secretary, Debbie Lyon (dlyon2@bsu.edu).

Graduate Assistantships and Financial Aid

A limited number of graduate assistantships are available. Each provides a stipend for the academic year. Graduate assistants also receive a remission of the contingent portion of the general fee, remission of the graduate course fee, and an out-of-state fee waiver. The work of the graduate assistant (20 hours a week) is designed to assist in the teaching and research goals of the faculty and to contribute to the professional education of the graduate assistant. Contact the Political Science Department for an application; you can send an email message to our departmental secretary Debbie Lyon.

To print an Application for a Graduate Assistantship, click here and then print the page that appears.

In addition to the gradate assistantships, several loan programs are available to graduate students, including the National Direct Student Loan Program. Parent Loans (PLUS), and Guaranteed Loan Programs. Applicants should contact the Office of Student Financial Aid.

Master of Arts in Political Science (MA)

This degree gives students opportunities to broaden and strengthen their understanding of political science.  The master of arts in political science prepares students for a variety of goals.  Some students may wish to pursue doctoral work at another university after earning the MA degree at Ball State University.  Some may wish to enter law school; others may seek governmental employment; still others will go into business or professional organizations that require a knowledge of governmental processes.  The MA degree program is flexible enough to prepare students for such a range of possibilities.

Degree Requirements

The MA degree program in Political Science requires a minimum of thirty semester hours. At least fifteen semester hours must be completed in Political Science courses at the 600 level. This includes a core of required courses which includes Research Methods in Political Science (POLS 625) and at least three additional 600 level courses in at least two subfields of the discipline chosen by the student in conjunction with her/his advisor.  Subfields include American politics, comparative politics/international relations, and public policy/administration.  The university research and writing requirement can be met in one of four ways: a thesis for 6 hours of credit, a research paper for 3 hours of credit, a creative project for either 3 or 6 hours of credit, or satisfactory completion of POLS 626 Research Seminar.

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

This degree provides graduate professional education to students who wish to prepare for administrative or research careers in public management at the federal, state, or local government level with nonprofit organizations or private sector corporations extensively involved with government.  The flexibility of the program allows students to tailor an interdisciplinary curriculum to their needs, objectives, and goals.  A full-time student can complete the MPA program (including internship) in four semesters or two academic years.  An inservice student with a strong background may be able to complete the program with a minimum of one calendar year of course work.  The requirements of the program ensure that each student will have a theoretical understanding and practical awareness of public policy and of the principles of management and administration in the public sector.  The program blends the study of politics and administration with the techniques of modern management.  To accomodate practitioners and others who have daytime commitments, evening and Saturday morning classes are offered as well as weekday classes.  Many opportunities exist for student participation in workshops and experiential learning settings where students and public administrators can interact.

Objectives:

In order to develop professional public administrators, the Ball State MPA degree program aids students in developing a theoretical understanding of public organizations, in gaining a thorough knowledge of policy analysis, in improving interpersonal skills, and in learning the application of modern management techniques in the public sector.

Prerequisites for admission to the MPA program:

• A baccalaureate degree from a college or university of accredited standing.
• Normally a grade point average of 2.8 overall on a 4-point scale.
• A minimum Graduate Record Exam score and two letters of recommendation.

Requirements for the Master of Public Administration (MPA) Degree:

Core area of study in Public Administration                       18 hrs

Electives in Public Administration related courses            9-12 hrs

Research Requirement POLS 626 (3-6 hrs), or RES 697 (1-3 hrs), or
THES 698 (1-6 hrs)                                                         

                                                                                          3-6 hrs

Minor area of study and/or electives in related or complementary area
6-9 hrs

                                                                            Total 36-45 hours

The student's plan of study, including the major area, and minor area and/or electives will be selected in consultation with the program advisor. Each student's background will be evaluated individually and recommendations on program content will be made according to educational and job experience of the student and his/her career plans. Students without responsible professional experience will be required to complete for credit (6 hours) a full-time internship of not less than one semester.

Core Courses: 18 hrs.

Electives in Public Administration (Political Science) 9-12 hrs

Minor area of study and/or electives in related or complementary area.        6-9 hours

Requirements for the MPA with Criminal Justice and Criminology (CJC) Concentration:

Core Course:

In addition, for both the MPA and the MPA with CJC concentrations, each student is required to have a basic understanding of and ability to deal with introductory accounting.  This may be fulfilled by a previous undergraduate accounting course or completion of ACC 501 or the equivalent.  The student's plan of study, including electives, will be selected in consultation with the program advisor.  Each student's background will be evaluated individually, and recommendations on program content will be made according to the student's educational and job experiences and career plans.  Students without appropriate professional experience will be required to complete for credit (6 hrs) a full-time internship.

Before beginning a graduate program each student should consult with the program advisor and develop a degree plan in accordance with individual needs and professional goals. Based on academic background, experience and career goals, the student may pursue specialized courses in a minor or elective area of study.

The student is encouraged to develop a degree plan which lends itself to mastering a substantive area. Operating in the context of a restricted job market, in decades ahead, individuals have a greater market potential and job mobility if they can demonstrate special expertise in an important policy area of administrative skills.

Interdisciplinary Emphasis

Courses in a number of other departments may be taken as electives to broaden and strengthen the student's training.  Selection of such courses must be made in consultation with the major advisor.  Students may complete part of their MPA elective courses in such departments as accounting, criminal justice and criminology, economics, journalism, educational leadership, management science, marketing, natural resources and environmental management, physiology and health science, and sociology.

Graduate Study in

Political Science?

What are the important things to consider when applying to graduate school?

How do I go about registering for the GRE, and doing well on it?

How does the application process work?

How do I prepare myself for graduate work?

*****************************************

~When applying to a graduate program, there are a few things you should keep in mind: 

• Application deadlines (for admission and financial support),
• Application fees (ranging anywhere from $25-$65),
• Personal Statement (usually about your intents),
• Academic References (2-3 usually),
• Graduate Record Examination,
• Writing Sample,
• Resumé.

*~Many colleges prefer that applicants take the GRE CAT (computer-adaptive test).  The turn around time is about four weeks, whereas the written test takes about 6 weeks to receive your scores.  A good source of preparation is by using The Kaplan Three-Level Master Plan.  You can register online at http://www.gre.org

~*~The application process varies from school to school.  Obviously, some requirements are higher than others.  Some schools put more emphasis on a particular type of study, offering only degrees in areas like International Relations or Public Policy.  Furthermore, make sure you put a lot of attention into your personal statement.  Many on the admissions team have said that is what they use to finally determine one student above another.

~~*Ball State's Political Science department offers three options for a political science major:

• Option 1:  Political Science, Liberal Arts
• Option 2:  Political Science, Economics
• Option 3:  Political Science, International Studies

Other ways to prepare:

• Political Science majors at BSU are required to complete one foreign language at the intermediate level.  A lot of the graduate programs (usually the Ph.D.) require proficiency in at least one language.
•  An undergraduate major in Political Science provides for a good liberal arts foundation.
• Study, get good grades!  Tutoring is available in the Learning Center for some undergraduate courses.  If you need advanced help, talk to your professor or a member of Pi Sigma Alpha to see if they have any suggestions for you.

Of Interest?

(to complement your major)

Minors:        African American Studies

                   African Studies

                   American Studies

                   Asian Studies

                   Chinese

                   Clustered Minors in Environmentally Sustainable Practices

                   Communication Studies

                   Criminal Justice & Criminology

                   Economics

                   European Studies

                   French

                   German

                   Greek

                   History

                   Japanese

                   Latin

                   Latin American Studies

                   Medieval and Renaissance Studies

                   Native American Studies

                   Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution

                   Psychology

                   Sociology

                   Spanish

                   Women's Studies

                   …plus a lot more!

Organizations:       *Pi Sigma Alpha*

                             University Democrats

                             College Republicans

                             Ball State Libertarian Party

                             American Civil Liberties Union (BSU Chapter)

                             …and many others!

Application Process

Junior Year:

Starting early can only help.

• Start thinking of professors you could ask for letters of recommendation. These will play an important role in your completed application packet.
• Begin researching all the graduate programs in the field you would like to pursue. Get information from a lot of schools, even the ones to which you may not be initially drawn.

Summer between Junior and Senior Year:

This is the time most students start getting serious about graduate school, so don't worry if you haven't done much yet. Begin or continue your researching of programs. You will want to receive up-to-date catalogues. Talk to students and faculty from programs you are interested in. As you start to compare programs, begin to weed out the schools that don't interest you.

• Send for applications from the schools you are looking at. Some schools not longer have paper applications--they are done strictly on-line.
• Begin researching scholarships and fellowships to help you pay for school.
• Get federal and institutional financial aid information.
• Sign up for and begin reviewing for the standardized test you will be taking (unless you are applying to medical school, then you will want to take this test earlier). Make sure to find out if GRE subject tests are required.
• Estimate expenses. This will help you work the expensive process of graduate school application into your fall semester budget.
• Make photocopies of the paper applications and begin to fill them out.

You will be very busy once you begin your fall semester courses. Try to get as much research done during the summer as possible so that you can concentrate on the programs that interest you most when you time is more limited. Also, it can be very helpful to get a jump-start on the applications when you have some down time.

Fall of Your Senior Year:

September:

• Finalize you list of programs to which you will apply.
  Make note of all your application due dates and whether or not the school has rolling admissions. Then create a deadline for yourself to mail each of your completed applications.
• Put together a packet of information to give the people who you will ask to write you letters of recommendation. This may include a copy of your unofficial transcript, a very rough draft of your statement of purpose (to give your recommenders a better idea of what you are interested in studying and why), a list of schools to which you are applying.
• Prepare your resume.

October:

• Take the standardized test required for your program if you haven't already.
• Write your statement of purpose and have it reviewed by a faculty mentor or a writing coach.
• Request OFFICIAL transcripts.
• Complete financial aid and scholarship forms.
• Think about alternatives to graduate school. 

November/December:

• Finalize all application packets.
• Contact your recommenders and kindly remind them of the deadlines for your application (if they have not already completed and mailed them). Make sure to send them a thank you letter after they mail your recommendations.
• Mail your application packets. (Spending the extra money on return receipt is a good idea so that you are guaranteed the school received your application.)
• Follow-up and make sure that each school has received your application packet and that it is complete. You wan to do this at least 1 ½ weeks prior to the deadline so that you can resend anything that didn't make it to the school.

GRE General Test Overview

What Is It?

The GRE® General Test measures critical thinking, analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning skills that have been acquired over a long period of time and that are not related to any specific field of study.

Analytical Writing — The skills measured include the test taker's ability to

• articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively
• examine claims and accompanying evidence
• support ideas with relevant reasons and examples
• sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion
• control the elements of standard written English.

Verbal Reasoning — The skills measured include the test taker's ability to

• analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it
• analyze relationships among component parts of sentences
• recognize relationships between words and concepts.
• Types of Questions: Analogies, Sentence Completions, Reading Comprehension, Antonyms

Quantitative Reasoning — The skills measured include the test taker's ability to

• understand basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis
• reason quantitatively
• solve problems in a quantitative setting.
• Types of Questions: Multiple Choice, Quantitative Comparions (you are given two columns and must determine if one is greater than the other, they are equal, or that it cannot be determined)

Study Guides – Personal Recommendation – Kaplan's