Graduate Studies in Political Science
The M.A. degree in political science was first awarded in 1932 by the History and Political Science Department at the State College of Washington (renamed Washington State University in 1959). In 1982, the Criminal Justice Department was reorganized into the Criminal Justice Program and was housed within the Political Science Department. Henceforth, this department has been referred to as the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice Program. The Criminal Justice Program at WSU is the second oldest program west of Mississippi.
WSU has granted more than 220 M.A.'s in political science, 250 M.A.'s in criminal justice (prior to 1974, 93 degrees were given as the Police Science Department), and nearly 100 Ph.D.'s in political science. The department has graduate programs on 3 different campuses: Pullman, Vancouver, and Spokane. The Pullman campus awards an M.A. and Ph.D. in political science and an M.A. and Ph.D. in criminal justice. The Vancouver campus grants a master of public affairs, independently from Pullman, and Spokane offers an M.A. in criminal justice. The M.A. in criminal justice in Spokane is an integral part of the WSU graduate program and, hence, is operated under the same policies as the M.A. in criminal justice on the Pullman campus. In an average year, there are approximately 75 students on the Pullman campus, 20 in Spokane, and 40 in Vancouver.
In recent years, our graduate program has gone through a great deal of exciting changes and growth. Responding to the growing number of applicants and the goal of a smaller, higher-quality program, we have become increasingly selective. An energetic faculty maintains these performance standards in the classroom. With the competitive student body and academically active faculty, we are enhancing an already strong national departmental reputation.
The major aim of all of our graduate degree programs is to provide students with a broad and thorough training in the theories and methods of political science and/or criminal justice so that they can be successful professionals in a variety of applied, educational, and scholarly settings. Our graduate programs are explicitly designed to respond to the realities of a highly competitive job market. From 1989 to 2006, we placed nearly all Ph.D. graduates who have been on the market. In addition, M.A. students who complete our program are highly sought after in applied settings.
The faculty has been selected through a highly competitive process and comes from some of the top doctoral programs, nationally and internationally. In addition to being highly active in their fields, our faculty works closely with graduate students in teaching, advising, research, and publication. Indeed, more than 3/4 of our faculty have co-authored publications with graduate students. This level of collaboration is quite unusual in graduate degree programs of this stature.
All of our degree programs are implemented through a committee advising system, in parallel with a comprehensive examination system by departmental committee. Upon entering the program students are assigned a faculty advisor. This faculty member will normally come from the field or area of expressed student interest (e.g., American politics, comparative, international relations, public policy, etc.). Students should rely upon their faculty advisor or on the graduate director for advice and direction during their first year in the program. As soon as possible, and before the beginning of their second year, students should select 3 graduate faculty to serve on their formal advising committee (this may or may not include their original faculty advisor). This committee will help students design their program, prepare for their written and oral exams, and otherwise aid in their professional development. The current Ph.D. curriculum in political science began in 1993, while in 2005–2006 the faculty approved a major change to examination policies and procedures. Our Ph.D. is designed to give students the greatest flexibility in mapping out their program of study. Currently, the department offers a Ph.D. in political science and, since 2004, a Ph.D. in criminal justice. The Ph.D. programs offer students the possibility of examining in a variety of fields that reflect the expertise and strengths of our graduate faculty. We strive to maintain an atmosphere of collegiality, diversity of ideas, respect, and tolerance, and to prepare our students for the rigorous demands of a career in academia or another chosen profession.
Contact Us
Department of Political Science
Washington State University
Johnson Tower 801
P.O. Box 644880
Pullman, WA 99164-4880
Ph: 509-335-2545
Fax: 509-335-7990
Graduate and Student Records Coordinator:
Sisouvanh Keopanapay
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