Department of Political Science and Public Administration
James W. Lindeen, Chairperson
Lynn W. Bachelor, Director, MPA Program
Ronald R. Randall, Director, Urban Affairs Center
Richard
F. Weisfelder, Director, MA Program
Requirements for the Master of Arts in Political Science (M.A.)
The Master of Arts program at The University of Toledo is designed to help students become thoroughly grounded in the knowledge base and research methods of political science. We offer study in five areas of the discipline: American Government (including state and local politics), Comparative Government, International Relations, Political Theory, and Methodology. Approximately half of our MA graduates go on to doctoral study at highly-ranked programs across the country, while the others accept positions in government or in the private sector.
The requirements for the Master of Arts in Political Science are thirty semester credits:
a.Two required courses: PSC 6110 - Scope & Methods of Political Science (3 credits) and PSC 5110 - Social Science Statistics (3 credits)
b.Three seminars or lecture courses open only to graduate students: several 5000-level courses (3 credits) and any 6000-level course (3 credits each).
c.A required Master's thesis: PSC 6960 - Thesis (6 credits)
d.Two courses (6 credits) may be taken outside of the department
Admission
A Bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution is required for admission, along with acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination General Test. Official results should be sent to the department. Also required are three letters of recommendation from those in a position to judge the academic qualifications of the applicant. While a minimum undergraduate grade-point average of 2.7 is allowed by the Graduate School, those near this threshold should have demonstrated significant improvement in the last two years of their undergraduate work.
Those admitted to the M.A. program normally begin their study in the fall semester. Applications for admission and financial aid should be submitted by March 15, although applications for admission alone are welcome at any time.
Academic Standards
M.A. students must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.0, and only those classes with a grade of "C" or higher may be counted toward the degree. A student receiving two grades below a "B" (i.e., of 2.67 or less) may be removed from the program.
Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.)
The Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) is a professional degree for those pursuing administrative careers in government and nonprofit organizations. The program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), and serves part-time and mid-career, as well as full-time students.
Admission Requirements
Applicants to the M.P.A. program must satisfy the following requirements:
a.An undergraduate degree with a GPA of 2.7 calculated on a 4.0 basis.
b.Scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The GRE should have been taken in the past two years. With permission, the applicant may substitute scores for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or the Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT). Students who are successful in the program generally have combined verbal and math GRE scores of at least 1000.
c.Three letters of recommendation.
d.A thoughtfully drafted statement of purpose (found on the reverse of the application form).
e.A class or work-related writing sample (no more than five pages in length).
Degree Requirements
All students must satisfy the following university and program requirements:
a.Program prerequisites: PSC 3420 - Principles of Public Administration (or equivalent), PSC 3110- Social Science Statistics (or equivalent). Students who are not proficient in basic spreadsheet and database microcomputer applications must complete PSC 4180 - Computer Applications in Public Administration. Prerequisite courses are not counted as part of the 33 hours (11 graduate courses) required for the degree.
b.General Course Work Requirements: 11 graduate courses (33 hours), including at least three courses at the 6000 level. This does not include prerequisites or experiential learning (Research Report for in-service students or internship for pre-service students).
c.Common Core Requirements:
PSC 6410 Proseminar in Public Administration 3
PSC 5430 Public Personnel Administration 3
PSC 5140 Intermediate Social Science Statistics 3
PSC 5370 Administrative Behavior or
PSC 5470 Public Organization Theory 3
PSC 6430 Seminar in Public Policy Theory and Analysis 3
PSC 5440 Budgeting and Financial Administration 3
PSC 6420 Quantitative Methods in Decision Making 3
d.Electives: Students must take a minimum of four additional courses (12 hours). Electives should be selected in consultation with the M.P.A. adviser, and may be used to develop an area of specialization.
e.Experiential learning: All M.P.A. candidates must demonstrate the application of public administration theory, methods, and techniques to a practical job situation. Those currently employed in a governmental or nonprofit agency at the professional level (in-service students) must complete PSC 5950 - MPA Research Report. Those without government or nonprofit job experience at the professional level (pre-service students) must complete 6 credit hours of PSC 6940 - Public Service Internship. While this is one of the last requirements students complete, pre-service students should begin planning their internships with the program adviser well before they expect to receive their degree.
f.Comprehensive examination: Students must pass a written comprehensive examination in order to graduate. A student who fails the examination may retake it once.