Graduate Course Catalog 2012-2013
Graduate School
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Political Science (POLT)
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This program is offered in Durham.
Degrees Offered: M.A., M.P.A.
Certificate Offered: Sustainability Politics and Policy
About the Department of Political Science Graduate Programs
The Department of Political Science at UNH offers two graduate degrees: the master of arts in political science and the master of public administration. Both provide advanced study in political science, public policy, and public administration for students interested in professions in the fields of government, public service, nonprofit management, electoral politics, education and research, or as preparation for Ph.D. programs. These degree programs give students the flexibility to tailor their coursework to individual interests within a curriculum that ensures a strong foundation in research methodology, management, and other needed skills in the professions. Faculty engage in teaching and research activities encompassing the fields of American politics, political thought, comparative/international politics, and public administration.
Both programs are offered to full- and part-time students. The M.A. program is offered in Durham. The M.P.A. program offers evening courses for working professionals at Durham and Manchester.
Additionally, a graduate certificate in sustainability politics and policy is offered.
Admission Requirements
Applicants are expected to have majored in political science or a related field, or have worked in government or the nonprofit sector, and must possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. Where undergraduate preparation has been insufficient, applicants may be admitted provided that they follow a program of study approved by the Graduate Committee. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test is required for the M.A. program. M.P.A. applicants are strongly encouraged to include GRE test results with their application, but it is required only for those M.P.A. applicants requesting consideration for graduate assistant or tuition assistance awards. M.P.A. applicants may be asked to interview either in person or by conference call with the director of the M.P.A. program and the graduate program coordinator.
Degree Requirements
M.A. with Thesis Option Degree
Master's degree students must complete a minimum of 30 credits for the degree: eight courses and a 6 credit master's thesis (POLT 899). Of the eight courses, two are required seminars - Pro Seminar (POLT 900) and Introduction to Statistical Analysis (POLT 905) - and are to be taken during the student's first semester. Students are also required to take electives totaling 9 credits. This must include two courses in the student's major subfield (Comparative Politics, International Politics, Political Thought/Theory, and American Politics/Public Administration).
Nine credits must be completed at the 800 or 900 level from political science courses or related discipline courses. The M.A. program director must provide approval if the course selected is a not a political science course.
Successful completion and defense of a 6 credit master's thesis is required.
M.A. Non-Thesis Option Degree
Master's degree students must complete ten courses totaling a minimum of 30 credits for the degree. Students must also pass a comprehensive exam. Of the ten courses, two are required Pro Seminar (POLT 900) and Introduction to Statistical Analysis (POLT 905) and are to be taken during the student's first semester. Students are also required to take electives totaling 9 credits. This must include two courses in the student's major subfield (Comparative Politics, International Politics, Political Thought/Theory, and American Politics/Public Administration). One course in a minor subfield is also required for this degree option.
Fifteen credits must be completed at the 800 or 900 level from political science courses or a related discipline. The M.A. program director must provide approval if the course selected is a not a political science course.
The comprehensive examination must be successfully completed in the student's final semester.
M.P.A. Degree Requirements
Master of public administration students must complete a minimum of 36 or 39 credits for the degree.
Required courses include:
- Four basic core curriculum courses in foundations and theory, organization and management, statistical analysis, and the Capstone internship or project (POLT 905, 906, 909, and the 908 Capstone). 12-15 credits
- Three advanced core curriculum courses in finance and budgeting, human resources, labor relations, public or nonprofit management, administrative law, policy and program evaluation, leadership, or legal and policy-making environments (POLT 804, 808, 812, 907, 911, 912, 914, 918). 9 credits
- Five electives in public administration, political science, or related discipline with adviser’s approval. 15 credits
- Two of the five required electives will be waived for students who have successfully completed Level II of the New Hampshire Certified Public Manager Program.
The Capstone internship or project is the culmination of the student’s graduate work, applying academic knowledge with practical experience. Students without prior public or nonprofit sector professional experience are required to complete the internship component of the Capstone.
Certificate in Sustainability Politics and Policy
The graduate certificate in sustainability politics and policy is administered by the Department of Political Science Graduate Program, though it can include coursework from a number of other graduate programs. The certificate is designed to give current graduate students, alumni, and others in the community training and analysis on issues connecting environmental and social sustainability, politics, and policy making initiatives. Such training is increasingly valuable for careers in the public sector, in nonprofit organizations, and in the private sector for both small and large companies. For more information, please visit the Sustainability Politics and Policy website. Students interested in this certificate are encouraged to contact Professor Jeannie Sowers at (603) 862-1752.
Applying
In accordance with Graduate School requirements, the graduate certificate in sustainability politics and policy requires:
• Completed UNH Application for admission to a Graduate Certificate Program
• Personal statement on applicant’s interest and goals regarding sustainability
• Current resume
• Official transcripts from previous undergraduate education and graduate education (if applicant has received graduate degree)
• Three letters of recommendation
Please visit the Graduate School website for detailed instructions about applying to the graduate certificate program.
Certificate Requirements
The course requirements focus the debates, in both the global North and the global South, on exactly what sustainability politics should (and/or should not) include. The goal is to connect global sustainability policy debates to those occurring at the local and national levels in New England, the United States, and other countries.
This graduate certificate program requires 13 total credits.
Required courses:
- POLT 995/996: Independent Study “Defining and Debating Sustainability” (1 credit)
The independent study will include a core list of readings on sustainability concepts and cases in wealthier and poorer societies and methodological debates about how these concepts may be measured and assessed. - POLT 851: Comparative Environmental Politics and Policy (3 credits)
- POLT 880: International Environmental Politics (3 credits)
Electives (any two of the courses listed below) (6 credits):
Students will be advised by the certificate program director and other participating faculty members about which electives might be most appropriate and consistent with their interests and career goals. The list of approved electives affords students opportunities to focus on particular areas of environmental or social policy, or to seek to acquire additional methodological skills and disciplinary approaches in areas such as policy analysis or economics. Other electives offered by University of New Hampshire Graduate Programs may be approved by the Sustainability Certificate program director.
- POLT: 843, 862, 878, 912, 914, 918
- ECON: 807, 908
- NR: 801, 818, 820, 824, 831, 838, 850, 884, 885
- HIST: 818, 866
- PHP: 907, 914, 930
- RAM: 911
- RECO: 856
- SOC: 880, 894
Courses
Courses
| Abbreviation | Course Number | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| POLT | 801 | Courts and Public Policy | 3 |
| POLT | 804 | Policy and Program Evaluation | 3 |
| POLT | 806 | State and Local Government | 3 |
| POLT | 808 | Administrative Law | 3 |
| POLT | 811 | Public Opinion and Survey Research | 3 |
| POLT | 812 | Leadership Theory and Practice | 3 |
| POLT | 815 | Art of Negotiation | 3 |
| POLT | 818 | Special Topics - Public Administration | 1 |
| POLT | 821 | Feminist Political Theory | 3 |
| POLT | 825 | Politics and Literature | 3 |
| POLT | 840 | States and Societies in the Middle East | 3 |
| POLT | 851 | Comparative Environmental Politics and Policy | 3 |
| POLT | 860 | Theories of International Relations | 3 |
| POLT | 862 | International Political Economy | 3 |
| POLT | 878 | International Organization | 3 |
| POLT | 880 | International Environmental Politics, Policy and Law | 3 |
| POLT | 899 | Master's Thesis | 3 TO 6 |
| POLT | 900 | Political Science Pro-Seminar | 3 |
| POLT | 897B | Seminar in American Politics | 3 |
| POLT | 897C | Seminar in Comparative Politics | 3 |
| POLT | 897E | Seminar in International Politics | 3 |
| POLT | 897F | Seminar in Public Administration | 3 |
| POLT | 897I | Seminar in Political Thought | 3 |
| POLT | 898B | Seminar in American Politics | 3 |
| POLT | 898C | Seminar in Comparative Politics | 3 |
| POLT | 898E | Seminar in International Politics | 3 |
| POLT | 898F | Seminar in Public Administration | 3 |
| POLT | 898I | Seminar in Political Thought | 3 |
| POLT | 908A | Capstone in Public Administration | 3 |
| POLT | 908B | Capstone in Public Administration | 6 |
