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Jackson State University students will have the option to earn a master’s degree in Political Science this fall. The M.A. program returns with an in-person and online option for qualifying students.
Political Science Chair and Professor Maurice Mangum, Ph.D., said the M.A. degree would present graduates with a vast selection of career opportunities.
“You can do numerous things. You can work for government agencies and political offices. You can do public opinion surveys and marketing analyses,” said Mangum. “Because you’ll learn so many different skills, you can become a writer on a number of topics; a statistician, consultant, public policy expert, just a whole number of things because of the skills you will develop and learn.”
Byron Orey, Ph.D., political science professor, credits the department for being one of the largest contributors of Black students to doctoral programs in political science. He predicts the online program will expand the outreach of the department.
“I’m excited because there may be constraints for some students attending classes in person, so having an online option will definitely broaden student interest. So, I’m excited to expand the program,” stated Orey.
The department offers a thesis and non-thesis route to the M.A. in political science.. Designed for students who desire to pursue a doctorate; the thesis route requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of coursework and six credits of thesis hours culminating in the writing and defense of a thesis.
The non-thesis route requires completing a minimum of 36 semester hours of coursework and submitting a significant research paper.
Mangum said the course is designed for students to complete the M.A program in one academic year.
“We made the courses eight weeks, so instead of taking 16 weeks and three courses per semester, you can take six courses in 16 weeks,” explained Mangum. “That means you can get your master’s degree in political science in two semesters.”
Admission into the graduate program is limited to students who have earned a bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 GPA scale in a relevant undergraduate major from an accredited institution. Students may also receive admission through special permission from the graduate faculty of the Department of Political Science.
All applicants are required to take the Graduate Records Examination (GRE); supply at least three reference letters from persons qualified to evaluate their undergraduate scholastic performance and their suitability for graduate work in the program.
Those interested in applying for the program can click here for more information.
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Media Contact: Anthony.j.howard@jsums.edu