Associate Professors: Thomas Brunell, Marie I. Chevrier,
Gregory S. Thielemann
Assistant Professors: Patrick Brandt,
Linda Camp Keith, Carole J. Wilson
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.
Students in the
Master of Arts in Political Science - Legislative Studies program will:
�
Demonstrate the ability to apply
political science theories and concepts to the practice of politics.
�
Acquire detailed practical knowledge
of the working of institutions and processes related to legislatures in Texas
and the United States.
�
Develop basic skills in professional
communication appropriate to political professionals.
�
Develop competency in analysis,
evaluation and research design relevant to the practice of politics.
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. Students should also submit all transcripts, three
letters of recommendation, 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 12 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, 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.
PSCI 5360�������� Data Collection and Analysis
PSCI 5362�������� Multivariate Models for Analyzing
Political and Social Science Data
PSCI 5364�������� Public Opinion and Survey Research
PSCI 6324�������� Local and State Government and Politics
PSCI 6331�������� Executives, Legislatures, and Public
Policy
Prescribed Electives (9 hours)
Three
additional courses at the 6000 level on political and civic organizations,
bureaucracy and public policy, campaigns and media, Congress, or the Texas
legislature.
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.