Graduate study in the Department of Political Science offers students the opportunity to work directly with nationally and internationally known scholar-teachers in American politics, international relations, comparative politics, public policy, and political theory.

Description

Students in the program have close working relationships with faculty and receive quality training for careers in academia, government, the nonprofit sector, and business. Graduate students often collaborate with faculty on research and jointly publish articles in national journals and present at conferences together.

The department is actively involved in several interdepartmental initiatives: ethnic studies; human rights and humanitarian affairs (an interdepartmental area of specialization which examines the diversity of the human condition and human rights issues), the Nebraska Public Policy Center (which seeks to facilitate research and analysis for policy issues important to Nebraskans), the Sorenson Forum (which addresses the difficulties of finding able people who will enter public life), the Gallup Research Center, and the Preparing Future Faculty Program. The department also offers a certificate in public policy analysis and program evaluation.

Specializations

1. Environmental Studies
2. Ethnic Studies
3. Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs
4. Media
5. Women's & Gender Studies

Graduate Admission Requirements

• Application for Admission with $50 non-refundable application fee.
• One set of transcripts.
• If International: upload copies of all college- or university-level transcripts or mark sheets (records of courses and marks earned), with certificates, diplomas, and degrees plus certified English translations.

  * Official documents are required from all students who are admitted and enroll. Photocopies of certified records are not acceptable. International students enrolled in other U.S. institutions may have certified copies of all foreign records sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies by their current school’s registrar office.

• If the student’s native language is not English, verification of English proficiency is required.

  * When sending TOEFL scores, our institution code is 6877 and a department code is not needed

• If applicant is not a US citizen and expects an F or J visa: financial information.
• Applicants must also fulfill any additional requirements the department specifies at the time of application.

Major Admission Requirements

• Minimum English proficiency: Paper TOEFL 600, Internet TOEFL 100, IELTS 6.5
• Three recommendation letters
• Writing sample: One paper, no more than 20 pages. Example: a paper you wrote for a political science class.
• Personal Statement: This two-page statement should describe your immediate educational and long-term career goals and how graduate study in political science at Nebraska will help you achieve your goals. Discuss which area or research question within political science that you want to investigate during your graduate studies. If there is a particular faculty member with whom you wish to study, give that person’s name and explain why you want to study with that person. You may also include other information, such as undergraduate research experience, internships, or other experiences you may have had to prepare you for advanced study in political science.

Admission Deadlines

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The priority application deadline for funding consideration is January 1, 2023, for Fall 2023 admission.