Political Science, with its well-balanced curriculum and diverse and experienced faculty, offers two graduate programs for students pursuing academic and professional interests dealing with public policy questions and issues. The Political Science Law Enforcement Department offers a Master of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Arts in Public Administration. In addition, the Department of Political Science! Law Enforcement also collaborates with the institute of Urban and Regional Studies to offer the Joint Program in Public Administration and Urban Studies. Graduates of these programs are successfully pursuing a variety of challenging careers. Many occupy important positions with federal, state, or local units of government Others who have gone on to receive doctorates are teaching political science at colleges and universities, consulting, or doing policy analysis with large businesses and organizations. A large number are working in private enterprises, and several have pursued successful careers in practical and electoral politics.
The MAPA (Master of Arts in Public Administration) admission requirements are: A. A minimum of a 3.0 GPA in the last two years of undergraduate coursework, orB. By using other factors (e.g. promising public or private sector work experience, GRE Score) to demonstrate the program can be successfully completed. Applicants are admitted each semester.
It is assumed that all applicants will have a reasonable background knowledge of government and will be generally skilled in quantitative methods. In some cases, the student's advisor may require that knowledge and skill deficiencies be remedied or this may be included as part of a provisional admission. The MAPS (Master of Arts in Political Science) admission requirements are:A. An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on 4.0 scale,B. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, and C. To have at least 9 credits of undergraduate political science course work.
Note: This may be waived if the applicant can show relevant work related or other experiences that provide the necessary background to pursue graduate work in political science. D. When candidates do not meet the normal admission requirements, they may be recommended for admission by the department subject to removal of deficiencies or other conditions.The GRE is not required for admission to either program, but could be used to demonstrate the program can be successfully completed. All applicants are required to submit the following information to the College of Graduate Studies by the deadline for the semester applied: application for Graduate Study, all college transcripts (official) in duplicate, verification of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college, and required information from international students.Upon receipt of these materials, the College of Graduate Studies forwards the student' s file to the Department for admission recommendation. After the Graduate Coordinator of the Department of Political Science / Law Enforcement has recommended the student be admitted to the program, the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies will certify that the student meets the admission requirements and will then admit the student to the program and the College of Graduate Studies. Application forms and information are available from:
College of Graduate Studies
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Wigley Administration Center 125
Mankato, MN 56001(507)389-2321(V) Or(800) 627-3529 (MRS~TY)
Toll-Free 1-800-722-0544
e-mail: grad@mnsu.edu or www.mnsu.edu
The Master of Arts in Public Administration (MAPA) is primarily a generalist degree, within which a student and advisor can plan a more concentrated program of study. The program seeks to train public managers who are sensitive to the broader contexts of the profession, have an understanding of organizational practices, human resource management, and public finance; and be able to use analytical and quantitative skills effectively to manage public policy and administer complex organizations in the public sector. Because of the number of program faculty, there is close faculty- student interaction while offering a full range of MAPA courses. MAPA Degree Requirements: The student may select either the thesis or alternate plan. Both the thesis plan and alternate plan require a minimum of 34 credits. Thesis students must write a thesis involving original research while alternate plan students submit a substantial research paper.The core program requires 18 credits consisting of the following six courses:
POL 600(3) Research Methods
POL 606 (3) Organization Theory
POL 622 (3) Seminar: Theory and Practice of Public Administration
POL 662 (3) Human Resource Management
POL 663 (3) Budget and Fiscal Management
POL 665 (3) Seminar: Bureaucracy and Administrative Process
In addition, MAPA students must demonstrate proficiency in an advanced research methods area. This second requirement may be satisfied by taking POL 669 Seminar: Public Policy Analysis or, with approval of the student's advisor, passing a foreign language competency examination, or by completing an advanced research methods course in another academic discipline. These credits may not be applied toward the master's degree. Elective credits constitute the balance of the course work (7 of which must be at the 600 level). Elective courses may be taken in any department, but only with the concurrence of the student's advisor. The limited number of required classes allows students to concentrate in a variety of areas or take a more general approach. After the completion of course work, the student must take a written comprehensive examination and an oral examination. Those writing a thesis have an additional oral defense of the thesis.
The Master of Arts in Political Science (MAPS) program is intended to serve the needs of both those who desire to eventually pursue a Ph.D. in Political Science and those who desire a terminal degree. As a terminal degree, Me M.A. in Political Science is designed to educate professional political scientists for careers in (or to enhance careers in) applied research, public service, public and governmental relations, journalism, political party affairs, interest group and civic group management, public and private international organizations as well as philanthropic, nonprofit research, and social action foundations.The MAPS is primarily a generalist degree in political science which also provides for a wide range of specialization or for interdisciplinary work The students in consultation with a faculty advisor, plans a program of study reflecting the student's specific interests. MAPS students must complete 34 graduate credits to include the following:
POL 600 (3) Research Methods
POL 611 (1) Orientation for Graduate Students
POL 650 (3) Seminar: Political Theory
POL 669 (3-6) Thesis OR
694 (1-2) Alternate Plan Paper
A minimum of 12 of the remaining credits must be in Political Science.The following course work is required, but is not applied toward the Master's degree:The research tool for the International Affairs emphasis is reading knowledge of a foreign language. An advanced statistics course can be substituted for the foreign language requirement with prior approval of the student's graduate committee. The research tool for the Public Affairs emphasis is an advanced statistics course.
The Political Science Law Enforcement Department is usually able to award two or more graduate assistantships per year. Tuition reciprocity is available to residents of North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Manitoba, the Mid-West Compact and for senior citizens. This allows students to pay resident tuition of the home state. The combination of tuition stipend and assistantship salary more than meets the tuition and fee expenses for the MAPA & MAPS programs. Graduate assistants are required to be full-time graduate students. The assistants help faculty with special projects, research and classes. Students must be admitted to a graduate program to qualify for consideration for an assistantship. Decisions on assistantships in the Political Science Department are made in the spring for the following academic year. The normal deadline for applications is April 1.Other assistantships are available from Federal Work Study, Student Affairs, the Memorial Library, and the Residential Life offices of the University. Affirmative action graduate assistantships are available for American ethnic minority students. A listing of available graduate assistantships is maintained at the Career Development and Counseling Center and the Graduate Office. Assistantship applications can be obtained at the Graduate Studies Office or Career Development and Counseling Center. Completed applications are submitted to the office or department offering the assistantship. The Financial Aid Office has guaranteed student loans, part-time student loans, and other programs.For more information about these sources of aid, contact:
Office of Financial Aid
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Wigley Administration Center 109
Mankato, MN 56001(507) 389-1185 Or(800)627-3529 (MRS/T?~Y)
Toll-Free 1-800-722-0544
The University's Memorial Library provides excellent opportunities for study and research through its own holdings, the statewide MINITEX, and a state-of-the-art information retrieval system. The Academic Computer Center provides students with 550 micro-computers, a large open lab, access to five different types of micr- computers, mainframes, national internet network, color and black and white laser printers, multimedia technology lab and classroom, and five computerized classroom labs. The Department of Political Science has a substantial investment in personal computers and obtains additional support from the University's Computer Services.
Minnesota State University, Mankato is a multipurpose university with approximately 12,000 students, includ- ing approximately 2,100 graduate students in 70 graduate programs. Since 1970 MSU has offered the MAPA degree program. The University was founded in 1867 with the first graduate program authorized in 1953. MSU is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. All of the University's facilities, located on a 4O acre campus, are modem and well maintained. Most buildings are interconnected for easy access.The greater Mankato community, consisting of Mankato and North Mankato, has a population of approximately 50,000 people. The community is situated in the scenic Minnesota River Valley approximately 65 miles southwest of the Twin Cities to which it is connected by convenient transportation. This location provides good opportunities for employment and for practical professional experiences. The Mankato area offers superior educational, cultural, and recre- ational opportunities both within the immediate area and within a 90-minute drive.
Drop by, give us a call or contact us on the web. Political Science / Law Enforcement Department
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Morris Hall 109
Mankato, MN 56001
Chair: N. Doran Hunter, Ph.D.Office Manager: Pat Davis
Phone(507)389-2721
Fax (507) 389-6377
Or (800) 627-3529 (MRS/TTY)
Toll-Free 1-800-722-0544
E-mail Patricia.Davis@mnsu.edu
Abdalla Battah, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., American U.; International Relations, Comparative Politics
(Middle East), International Political Economy.
Sue Burum, Associate Professor, J.D., U. of North Dakota, M.A., Hamline Univ.; Legal Research,
Federal Indian Law, Criminal Law and Procedure,
Constitutional Law.
Doran Hunter, Professor, Ph.D., U. of Washington; Administrative Law and Process, Political Theory,
Techniques of Management and Organizational Behavior.
Tomasz Inglot, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., U. of Wisconsin; Comparative Politics, International
Relations, Political Theory.
Joseph Kunkel, Professor, Ph.D., U. of Minnesota; U.S. Politics, Political Philosophy, Citizenship and
Civic Education.
William Lewinski, Associate Professor, Ph.D., Union Institute of Cincinnati; Police Psychology, Critical
Incident Decision Making and Performance, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
John H. Parham, Associate Professor, Ph.D., U. of Houston; Policy Formation, Urban Administration,
Law Enforcement Administration.
Mark Rohhins, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Northern Illinois U.; Police Administration and Organization,
Community Policing.
Richard Seklecki, Assistant Professor, ABD, Syracuse U.; Law Enforcement, Issues of Gender, Race and Ethnicity.
Carolyn Shrewshury, Professor, Ph.D., U. of Oklahoma; Aging Policy, Human Resource Manage-
ment, Organization Theory, State and Local Politics, Women and Politics.
Fred Slocum, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., U. of Iowa; American Politics, Comparative Politics, Social Psychology.
Jacqueline Vieceli, Professor, Ph.D., Indiana U.; Comparative Politics, African Studies, Political Theory.
Tamara Wilkins, Assistant Professor, ABD, Florida State U.; Comparative Criminal Justice Systems,
Juvenile Justice, Race and Ethnicity.
MSU is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity University.
This document is available in alternative format to individuals with disabilities by calling the
Department of Political Science & Law Enforcement at (507) 389-2721(V) or (800) 627-3529 (MRS/TTY).
