Graduate Policy Studies

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

Students choose one of three specializations:

agriculture and food - issues/policy affecting agriculture and food production and distribution
environment 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

Students are required to complete the following courses as part of the core, regardless of their sprecialization.

GPS 6010 - Intro to Policy Studies 3 Credits
GPS 6020 - Political Economy 3 Credits
GPS 6030 - Policy Analysis 3 Credits
GPS 6040 - American Politics 3 Credits
GPS 6051 - Qualitative Research Methods 3 Credits
GPS 6052 - Quantitative Research Methods 3 Credits

Specialization Courses

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 M.A. in Policy Studies, applicable graduate business courses are also available as electives.

Thesis orInternships

Thesis or Internship (six 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.

GPS 6998 - Thesis 6 Credits
GPS 6999 - Internship 6 Credits