Degree Requirements
Students must meet all university requirements for a master's degree.
I. Required Courses (15 Hours)
POJS 6100 Political and Justice Studies (3)
POJS 6120 Research Methods (3)
POJS 8200 The Presidency, Congress, and the Courts (3)
POJS 8210 Public Policy and Politics (3)
POJS 8300 Comparative Political and Justice Systems I (3)
II. Selectives (15 Hours)
In consultation with an advisor, students select at least 15 hours from the areas below. Courses must be taken in at least two areas of concentration. The following courses are suggestive of those that will fulfill this requirement.
A. American Politics and Public Policy
POJS 6100 Race, Class, Politics, and Justice (3)
POJS 6200 Community Conflict Resolution (3)
POJS 6300 Corporate Influence in Politics (3)
POJS 6320 Political Sociology (3)
POJS 7150 Law, Society, and Public Policy (3)
POJS 7190 Gender, Political Culture, and the Law (3)
POJS 7200 Non-Profit Organizations and Social Justice (3)
POJS 7250 American Political Behavior (3)
POJS 8200 The Presidency, Congress, and the Courts (3)
POJS 8240 Intergovernmental Relations (3)
POJS 7035 Topics in American Politics and Public Policy (3)
HIST 8400 Research in African-American History (3)
POLS 5380 Urban Politics (3)
B. Social Justice and Public Policy
ICS 5100 Introduction to Gender Studies (3)
POJS 6100 Race, Class, Politics, and Justice (3)
POJS 6150 Civil and Human Rights (3)
POJS 6250 Community Justice (3)
POJS 7037 Topics in Social Justice and Public Policy (3)
POJS 7101 Constitutional Law: Process and Change (3)
POJS 7150 Law, Society, and Public Policy (3)
POJS 7190 Gender, Political Culture, and the Law (3)
POJS 7220 Global and US Justice Movements (3)
POJS 7300 Social Origins of Violence (3)
POJS 7400 Sexual Politics (3)
POJS 8100 Labor, Workforce and Social Change (3)
POJS 8110 Wealth, Power and Inequality (3)
POJS 8150 Contemporary Theories of Social Justice (3)
POJS 8500 Victimology (3)
C. Comparative and Global Politics
POJS 6150 Civil and Human Rights (3)
POJS 6200 Theories of Conflict Resolution (3)
POJS 7036 Topics in Comparative & Global Politics (3)
POJS 7220 Global and US Justice Movement (3)
POJS 7330 U.S. Foreign Policy (3)
POJS 7350 Third World in Global Development (3)
POJS 8390 Challenges of Globalization (3)
POJS 8450 International Law and Organization (3)
ECON 7200 Current Global Economic Problems (3)
HIST 5115 Modern African History (3)
HIST 5300 Modern Middle Eastern History (3)
HIST 5470 Latin American History (3)
HIST 5650 Europe in the 20th Century (3)
ICS 5320 African Politics (3)
POLS 5360 Problems in International Politics (3)
POLS 5480 Politics of Latin America (3)
III. Thesis/Internship Paper/Practicum/Directed Readings Options (3 or 6 Hours)
Students must be in Candidacy Status before registering for the thesis, internship, practicum, or directed readings options. This includes having completed all core courses with a grade of “B” or better and an overall grade point average of B or higher.
Select one of the following options:
A. Thesis/Project Option (3 Hours)
A panel of three faculty members, one of which is the thesis director who is faculty from Political and Justice Studies, must approve the thesis. Students must also present their thesis to invited faculty members in a public forum. It is highly recommended that student enroll in POJS 8700 Graduate Research prior to registering for thesis hours in order to allow the student the requisite time to complete the readings and research needed for a quality thesis. The student is also responsible for circulating the paperwork so that all three readers (one main reader from Political and Justice Studies faculty and at least two secondary readers, with one of the secondary readers being a faculty member from Political and Justice Studies) sign the appropriate paperwork for a timely registration. POJS 8700 and POJS 8990 must be completed with at least a “B” grade.
POJS 8700 Graduate Research (1-4)
POJS 8990 Graduate Thesis/Project (3)
B. Directed Readings Option (6 Hours):
The directed readings option requires students to take the directed readings course twice covering two distinct areas of study. Readings are selected from the followingareas: American Politics and Public Policy, Social Justice and Public Policy, and Comparative and Global Politics.Students must successfully pass two comprehensive examinations covering the two areas selected with a “B” or higher. Directed Readings (POJS8981 & 8982) must be taken in two different fields and they must be taken with two different faculty members as the main readers, with at least two secondary readers, with one of the secondary readers being a faculty member from Political and Justice Studies.
POJS 8981 Directed Readings in. . . (3)
POJS 8982 Directed Readings in: . . . (3)
C. Internship/Practium Project and Paper Option (6 Hours):
Students may select the internship project for a total of six
credits and will have completed 300 hours at the internship/practicum experience. The analytical internship paper option involves the application of the student’s knowledge and skills in a culminating experience approved by a main faculty supervisor in consultation with a panel of two additional faculty readers, with at least one of the secondary readers being a faculty member from Political and Justice Studies who will also read and evaluate the culminating major analytical paper. POJS8970 must be completed with at least a “B” grade.
POJS 8970 Internship/Practicum Project (6)
D. Directed Scholarship l
If the Thesis/Internship/Practicum/Directed readings Options (graduate capstone) is not completed in the term the student is enrolled in the graduate capstone course, students may, under the supervision of the graduate faculty member, register for POJS8999 Directed Scholarship to maintain active enrolment in their graduate program while completing the requirements for their degree. To receive this option, students must have received a grade of “CO” in the graduate capstone course and completed a Student Contract that is signed by the student, thesis director, and department/division chair that clearly specifies how the student will demonstrate significant progress towards or completion of the graduate capstone designate for which they are registered (hold the “CO” in). NOTE: This course is variable (1-2) in credit hours, repeatable (not replaceable) for a maximum of three times in a degree program, and is a P/NC option.
Total with Thesis/Project (33 Hours)
Total with Directed Readings/lnternship/Practicum Project (36 Hours)
Admission to Candidacy
After admission as a degree-seeking student, a student also must apply for candidacy. Application for candidacy should be made at the beginning of the term in which the student expects to fulfill the candidacy requirements. Application forms are available in the college office. To qualify for degree candidacy, a student must:
1. complete each of the core courses listed below with a grade of “B” or better;
2. complete the selectives course work with a grade average of “B” or better, and;
3. with approval of a committee comprised of at least two Political and Justice Studies faculty, complete a proposal for either a thesis topic, internship project, or directed readings and obtain the committee’s approval to study for the comprehensive examination.
More detailed candidacy information is available through the division office or the student’s advisor.
