Political Science, MS

Vision Statement

The Department of Political Science's vision is to provide quality research, teaching, and service for our students, community, and academic field in order to produce qualified individuals and advanced knowledge to benefit communities regionally, nationally, and internationally. UNO is recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a doctoral and research institution. We value diversity among faculty, staff, and students and recognize its essential contribution to campus culture and development of knowledge. The Master of Science in political science offers a broad foundation in the discipline with a high degree of interdisciplinary collaboration, if desired. Some students enter the program with the intention of continuing on with their PhD, while others use the program to prepare themselves as practitioners in the fields of education, government, intelligence, law, journalism, non-profit, or lobbying.  Students can earn the degree completely on-line, on-campus, or blended (on-line/on-campus). 

Program Contact Information

casgradonline@unomaha.edu
402.554.4121

Program Website

Other Program Related Information

• The UNO PSCI master's program affords its students an environment that serves as an incubator for acquiring the skills necessary for students’ desired careers, and for developing a self-understanding that will enable students to succeed both professionally and personally. Students are assured of a high-quality degree program that not only meets but exceeds national standards of education in political science.
• Our Flexibility: our program offers flexibility to tailor an area of specialization. This flexibility encourages students to create an approved program of study that incorporates interests in other disciplines, such as communications, criminal justice, economics, geography, history, psychology, public administration, social work, sociology, teacher education, and urban studies. We accept up to 9 hours of graduate-level transfer credit, graded at a B or above, from another accredited institution that has not been applied towards another degree or completed program.  In addition, students can apply up to 12 approved elective credit hours of UNO-taught courses outside the field of political science.

Fast Track Program

The Department of Political Science has developed a Fast Track program for highly qualified and motivated students providing the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in an accelerated time frame. With Fast Track, students may count up to nine (9) graduate hours toward the completion of their undergraduate program as well as the graduate degree program.

Program Specifics:

• This program is available for undergraduate students pursuing BA/BS in Political Science or BA in International Studies desiring to pursue a MS in Political Science.
• Students must have completed no less than 60 undergraduate hours.
• Students must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.5.
• Students must complete the Fast Track Approval form and obtain all signatures and submit to the Office of Graduate Studies prior to first enrollment in a graduate course.
• Students will work with their undergraduate advisor to register for the graduate courses.
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for graduate coursework to remain in good standing.
• Students remain undergraduates until they meet all the requirements for the undergraduate degree and are eligible for all rights and privileges granted undergraduate status including financial aid.
• Near the end of the undergraduate program, formal application to the graduate program is required. The application fee will be waived, the applicant will need to contact the Office of Graduate Studies for a fee waiver code.
  • Admission to Fast Track does NOT guarantee admission to the graduate program. 
  • The admit term must be after the completion term of the undergraduate degree.

Notes:

• 8000-level courses taken at the undergraduate level without having been accepted into the integrated program will not count towards a graduate program.
• Students accepted into the Fast Track program may be denied entry into the graduate program due to, but not limited to poor performance, academic integrity issues, and other violations of the student code of conduct.
• Before starting graduate work, students are expected to complete all PSCI subfield introductory courses (1100, 2000, 2210, 2310, and 2500) and 2-3 upper-level (3000/4000) political science courses.
• Please inquire with the Department of Political Science graduate advisor for more information about this program.

Admissions

General Application Requirements and Admission Criteria

Program-Specific Requirements

Application Deadlines (Spring 2025, Summer 2025, and Fall 2025)

• Fall: Review begins February 15
• Spring: Review begins October 1
• Summer: Review begins April 15

Note: Applications will be received and reviewed until the term begins.

If applying for a graduate assistantship, both admission and assistantship application materials must be completed by February 15 (for fall semester) and October 1 (for spring semester) for priority consideration.

Other Requirements

• Baccalaureate degree or previous master's degree with a minimum of 3.0 GPA.
• Fifteen credit hours in political science-related courses is preferred.  The selection committee looks for previous coursework in American government, political theory, international relations, comparative politics, and social science (quantitative) methodology. Applicants without the above undergraduate background in political science may be admitted on a provisional basis and be required to take prerequisite courses before starting graduate work. A grade of B or above is required in each of these courses.

• English-Language Proficiency: Applicants are required to have a command of oral and written English. Those who do not hold a baccalaureate or other advanced degree from the U.S., OR a baccalaureate or other advanced degree from a pre-determined country on the waiver list, must meet the minimum language proficiency score requirement in order to be considered for admission. 

  • Internet-based TOEFL: 80 with no sub-score under 15, IELTS: 6.5, PTE: 53, Duolingo: 110

    • Passing with a minimum score does not guarantee admission into the program.

• Statement of Purpose: A personal statement should be 1-2 pages and address why you are seeking admission to this program, how your academic/professional experiences will contribute to your success in the program, and how the program will contribute to your future academic/professional ambitions.  
• Writing Sample: Submission of an academic, research-based writing sample. The sample must be written in English, include citations, and be a minimum of five pages in length. This writing sample can be a previous academic course assignment. If no such paper exists, the applicant should contact the academic advisor for an alternative assignment.
• Resume: Submit a professional resume
• Letters of Recommendation: Submit two letters of recommendation from a former professor (preferred), supervisor, or other professional contact who can speak to one's academic potential in a graduate program. If applicants have recently graduated from UNO, it is expected that one of the letters will be from a UNO political science faculty member. It is preferred that applicants use their references' institutional (.edu) or professional email.
• GRE scores are not required for admission, however, applicants are welcome to submit them. 

Degree Requirements

Notes on Courses:

• Courses may not be available every term or may only be offered on-campus or online for said term. 
• Students must successfully complete PSCI 8000 within the first 15 credit hours/five courses of their program.
• A student who does not have sufficient background in one or more subfields may be required to take a provisional undergraduate course before taking its equivalent graduate seminar.
• Electives may be taken outside of the political science department with approval from the graduate chair. The course must be related to political science. 
• Students who were undergraduate students at UNO cannot take a dual-listed course at the graduate level if they have already taken the course at the undergraduate level. For example, if they completed PSCI 4270/ENVN 4270 Global Environmental Politics as an undergraduate student, they cannot take PSCI 8276 Global Environmental Politics as part of their MS degree. 
• Students may not count more than six credit hours of courses ending in 8-5 (for example, 8265) towards the completion of their degree.
• Any concentration or certificate a student must be added within the first 15 credit hours of the political science MS program.

Notes on Exit Requirements

All students begin this program as a non-thesis student. Students who would like to complete a thesis may petition to do so after completing 15 credit hours, but at least one term before they plans on starting the thesis. To petition to change to the thesis track, a student must request an application from, and submit it to the academic advisor during the time specified above. The graduate chair will then evaluate whether a thesis track is the best option for the petitioning student. If denied, a student may appeal once in a following term by going through the same process. During a petition, the graduate program committee will review the application.

Non-Thesis Exit Requirement: Comprehensive Exam/Essay

Graduating political science master’s degree students will complete a written comprehensive essay synthesizing their knowledge of at least two political science subfields to answer one prompt. Passing answers must demonstrate proficiency in each of the four MS-PSCI student learning objectives: research methods, writing in the discipline, critical thinking and knowledge in the subfields.

Students must notify the graduate advisor at the beginning of their graduating term, and register for PSCI 8950.  The essay is open book, open note. Students will have 72 hours to complete their essay(s).

Students must write their essay during the spring or fall semester of the year in which they graduate.  Students graduating in the summer may write their essay the prior spring if they have 6 or fewer credit hours remaining to complete in the degree program to be taken over the summer term, AND they have completed at least three subfield seminars.

At the discretion of the GPC, in extenuating circumstances, PSCI 8910 or PSCI 8980 may fulfill the exit requirement.

Thesis Exit Requirement (6 credit hours)

PSCI 8990: The first term of thesis includes the forming of the thesis committee and approval of one's thesis proposal. The second three credit hours will focus on writing and defending the thesis.

Students must have a minimum of three voting committee members. All committee members must be graduate faculty members with a PhD and employed by UNO. One of the committee members must be from a non-political science field. Distance students may work with a faculty member outside of UNO, however, this member cannot be a voting member on the committee. Please refer to the graduate catalog's thesis guidelines for more detailed information.

Students must follow UNO's Graduate College's thesis submission guidelines and ensure that all paperwork has been submitted to the graduate office on time.

Concentrations

American Government and Politics Concentration

The American government and politics concentration is a 15 credit hour/5 course subset of the MS in political science program (MS-PSCI). If students wish to add this concentration onto their program, they must do so within the first 15 credit hours of their MS-PSCI program following the proper change-of-program procedures.

International Affairs Concentration

The international affairs concentration is a 15 credit hour/5 course subset of the MS in political science program. If students wish to add this concentration onto their program, they must do so within the first 15 credit hours of their MS-PSCI program following the proper change of program procedures.

Quantitative Analysis and Data Science in Political Science Concentration

¹

 Offered on-line UNO

²

The basic menu lists classes requiring no or few pre-requisites. For example, BIOS 806** requires the student to have passed a statistics class in the last 5 years. CRCJ 8950* has no pre-requisite. Please refer to the departments’ course listings for more information.

³

 Offered on-line UNMC

⁴

The advanced menu lists classes requiring that the student have passed at least one class in advanced math. For example, BIOS 818** requires the student to have passed differential and integral calculus. Please refer to the departments’ course listings for more information. 

Academic Progress Policy

Students may be dismissed from the program after:

1. Not enrolling and/or successfully completing a course after two consecutive years.
2. Earning three or more W grades.
3. Earning two or more grades of C+ or below.

Under extenuating circumstances, students may apply for a waiver through the GPC. If a waiver is granted, students may be updated to the most recent catalog year.

Students who do not successfully complete a course during their admit term, or allowed deferment time, will be dismissed from the program. 

Students may reapply to the program if dismissed for inactivity.

Incomplete Policy

The Department will comply with the UNO’s Incomplete Policy.

In line with the UNO graduate policy on incomplete grades, the grade “I” is only to be issued due to a student’s illness, military service, hardship, or death in the immediate family after the student has completed a substantial amount of the course. The professor reserves the right to use his/her discretion in determining additional situations where a grade of “I” may apply and what “substantial” means for that course. The student is expected to discuss this matter with the professor and create a plan of action towards the completion of the course in a timely manner. The professor also reserves the right to decide the consequences for a student who does not finish the course in the time agreed. Consequences may include, but are not limited to, an extended deadline, a permanent incomplete, or a failing grade for the course.

In-progress grades (IP) are only to be issued during the second part of a thesis project when a student is actively working towards its completion.

Standing I/IP Grades

Students with an I/IP can have a maximum number of 9 'active' credit hours.

Students who have nine credit hours of I/IP grades (total from past terms), may not enroll in new courses. Students may start enrolling in new courses as they reduces their credit hours of I/IP grades. Any student with an I/IP cannot have more than 9 ‘active’ credit hours at one time (includes current courses as well as I/IP grades).

The graduate program chair reserves the right to waive this policy for a student, based on compelling circumstances.

Academic Dishonesty Policy

Academic dishonesty is a violation of the student code of conduct and is cause for a student to be dismissed from the program. Graduate students are expected to know what counts as academic dishonesty.

Instructors reserve the right to decide how to address issues of academic dishonesty in their courses. Students may be subject to (including, but not limited to): the failure on the specific assignment or failure of the entire course.

Faculty will report all instances of graduate student academic dishonesty to the Graduate Program Chair.

The student has the right to appeal this decision through the appropriate channels. Please see the student code of conduct for further information.