Master of Arts in Policy Studies

Our master’s degree in policy studies can shape those skills by giving you the knowledge, education, and experience to move to the next level in your career. Our policy studies program can:

Give you a holistic approach to understanding today’s pressing societal problems and issues and the conditions surrounding them
Prepare you to make a difference and solve questions in many industries, including agriculture, food, sustainability and community development
Hone your analytical and leadership skills to find solutions instead of roadblocks.
The master’s in policy studies is a 36-credit program, which includes your choice of either a practical capstone internship or a research based master’s thesis. There are three specialization areas:

Community and international development
Food and agriculture
Sustainability and environment

The Master of Arts in Policy Studies Program requires students to complete 36 credits: 18 in the core, 12 in specialization/elective, and 6 in internship or thesis courses.

Students choose one of three specializations:

Agriculture and Food - Issues/policy affecting agriculture and food production and distribution
Eenvironment and Sustainability - issues/policy relating to sustainability questions and the environment
Development - issues/policy related to socio-economic development, both domestically and internationally

Required Core Courses (18 credits):

PS 6010 Introduction to Policy Studies
PS 6020 Political Economy
PS 6030 Policy Analysis
PS 6040 American Politics
PS 6051 Qualitative Research Methods
PS 6052 Quantitative Research Methods

Specialization Electives (12 credits): Students, in consultation with their advisor, choose elective courses in their specialization as appropriate to their program and career interests. For the MA in Policy Studies, applicable graduate business courses are also available as electives.

Thesis or Internship (6 credits): Working with faculty advisors, students will choose to complete either a thesis or an internship:

Thesis Option - Appropriate for those considering further graduate study, students will research and present on a topic selected in consultation with faculty and their committee. Thesis students will apply the research methods learned during the coursework.
Internship Option - Completion of a 200-hour (minimum) internship with a policy organization, including completion and presentation of a reflective paper demonstrating the transdisciplinarity of the program. Students choosing to work as interns in such an institution will, on the other hand, be encouraged to study the particular set of policy issues in depth while also keeping abreast of the day to day concerns of the particular institution. Both the thesis and the internship are detailed more fully in separate thesis and internship manuals.