2003-2005 - Graduate School - The University of Alabama

Political Science197Master of ArtsAdmission RequirementsApplicants for admission to the M.A. program must submit scores from the GraduateRecord Examination general test or from the Miller Analogies Test. Additional informationis in the “Academic Policies” section of this catalog.Degree RequirementsPlans I and II. M.A. students may follow either Plan I, requiring 30 semester hours ofcoursework, a written comprehensive examination, a thesis, and an oral examinationin defense of the thesis; or Plan II, requiring 36 hours of coursework and a written comprehensiveexamination. Students who anticipate seeking a Ph.D. from this de part mentshould ordinarily follow Plan I.Course requirements. Under either plan, students must take courses in three offi ve fi elds, including a core seminar in each. The available fi elds are American politics,comparative politics, international relations, public policy and administration, and politicaltheory. The core seminars are PSC 611 American Political Behavior, PSC 615 AmericanNational Government Executive and Legislative Institutions, PSC 631 Seminar inComparative Politics, PSC 642 Concepts and Theories of International Relations, PSC651 Political Theory Seminar, and PSC 565 Survey of Public Administration. Studentschoosing American politics as a fi eld may take either PSC 611 or PSC 615. All studentsmust complete PSC 521 Research Design and PSC 522 Quantitative Methods in PoliticalScience I (or approved substitutes).Comprehensive examination. The written comprehensive examination will cover thestudent’s three fi elds and will require integration of material across courses.Thesis. After passing the written examination, a student following Plan I shouldprepare a thesis prospectus, which should describe the substance and methods of thethesis research, outline the thesis itself, and provide a pre lim i nary bibliography. Oncethe prospectus has been approved, the chair per son will formally appoint a committeeof three faculty members to supervise the thesis. The student must submit four copiesof the completed thesis and must take a fi nal oral examination to defend it and showcompetence in the fi eld in which it lies. Except in unusual circumstances, the fi nal oralexamination must be taken during the fall or spring semester and before fi nal courseexaminations begin. After the examination, the student must deposit two copies of theapproved thesis with the Graduate School and two copies with the department.Master of Public AdministrationAdmission RequirementsThe M.P.A. is a professional degree program designed primarily for those who plan acareer in federal, state, or local government. Applicants for admission to the M.P.A. programmust submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination or from the Miller AnalogiesTest. Additional information is in the “Academic Policies” section of this catalog.Degree RequirementsPlans I and II. M.P.A. students may follow either Plan I, requiring 30 hours of coursework,a written comprehensive examination, a thesis, and an oral examination in defenseof the thesis; or Plan II, requiring 36 hours of coursework and a written comprehensiveexamination. Students following Plan II may receive up to 6 hours of credit for an internship,and students following Plan I may receive up to 3 hours.Course requirements. M.P.A. students must complete at least three of the followingfour courses: PSC 565 Survey of Public Administration, PSC 662 Organization Theory,PSC 667 Public Budgeting, and PSC 562 Public Personnel Administration. Includingthe preceding, at least 18 hours must be taken from the courses listed under “PublicPolicy and Administration.” Student must also complete PSC 522 Quantitative Methodsin Political Science I.