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Why Choose WMU for a Graduate Degree? Why a PhD in Political Science at WMU? Why an MA in Political Science at WMU? Why a PhD in Political Science at WMU? Program: Our PhD program centers on the fields of American Politics, Comparative Politics, and Political Theory. The program enrolls a small number of students each year by design. The size allows us to maintain small classes and increases opportunities for students to interact with faculty members. Graduate Students as Part of the Department: Our graduate students comprise an important part of the intellectual life of the Department, interacting with visiting scholars, participating on committees, and supporting our undergraduate program. The Political Science Graduate Student Association (PSGSA) sponsors its own lectures and other programs to enhance the complete educational experience of all graduate students. Career development is encouraged through required courses on teaching and research, workshops, and mentoring by faculty members and veteran graduate students. International Students: International students are a welcome part of our program, and in fact comprise around 50% of the graduate student body. Students come from around the the world, including countries such as Armenia, Bolivia, China, Croatia, Egypt, Germany, Ghana, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Romania, Russia, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, South Korea and Turkey. Conference Activity: Most graduate students are active in professional conferences by their second or third year. Students have presetned papers at conferences organized by:
Graduate Student Research: Students have been successful in attracting external grant funding, including from IREX, the American Councils, and the Middle Eastern Research Competition. One recent student won a national prize for her research. Students regularly conduct field research all over the world; recently research sites have included Russia, Poland, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Kenya, Bolivia, China, Armenia and Senegal. Financial Support: Graduate assistantships are available on a competitive basis. Graduate assistants receive a salary/stipend and tuition remission. Assistantships include 20 hours per week assignments in either teaching or research assistance. Additional financial aid opportunities may be available through the Graduate College. Placement: Our graduates have been quite successful in attaining placements both inside and outside of academia. In the 2003-2004 cycle, five out of five students on the market obtained tenure-track placements in colleges and universities around the United States. Some international graduates have academic appointments in their home countries. Faculty: The twenty (or so) faculty members in the Political Science Department have established solid records of research, teaching, and service. Their books have been published by major university presses, and their articles have appeared in the top general and specialized journals in the discipline. Several have received funding for their research from the National Science Foundation.
The University WMU is a student-centered research university with nearly 30,000 students, including 6,000 graduate students, making it one of the 50 largest universities in the country. WMU is a Carnegie-designated Doctoral/Research-Extensive university, one of only 102 public research universities to be included in this top classification, and is ranked among the top 100 public universities according to U.S. News & World Reports' annual ranking of the nation's over 3,000 colleges and universities. In athletics, WMU is in the NCAA Division I Mid-American Conference (MAC). The Community Kalamazoo is the fifth largest city in Michigan, with a county population of more than 220,000 residents. The city is located midway between Chicago and Detroit, 140 miles from each, 2.5 hours driving time on I-94. Kalamazoo offers commercial transportation by train, bus, and major airline. Why an MA in Political Science at WMU? Program Our MA program centers on the fields of American politics, comparative politics, and political theory. Students take one of two core courses in each field to expose them to the breadth of the discipline. Completion of the program through either a thesis or comprehensive exam gives students the opportunity to tailor the program to fit their interests and career goals. The MA program enrolls about a dozen full-time and part-time students each year. The size allows us to maintain small classes and increases opportunities for students to interact with faculty members. Students in our MA program come from around the United States and the world. Our graduate students comprise an important part of the intellectual life of the Department, interacting with visiting scholars, participating on committees, and supporting our undergraduate program. The Political Science Graduate Student Association sponsors its own lecture series and other programs to enhance the complete educational experience of all graduate students. Career development is encouraged through required courses on teaching and research, workshops, and mentoring by faculty members and veteran graduate students. A limited number of graduate assistantships are available on a competitive basis. Graduate assistants receive a salary/stipend and tuition remission. Assistantships include 20 hours per week assignments in either teaching or research assistance. Additional financial aid opportunities may be available through the Graduate College. For High School Teachers The
MA program provides opportunities for high school teachers to further
their expertise in political science. Nearly all graduate classes are
taught in the late afternoon and evening, with limited course offerings
in the Spring and Summer sessions. Many of the teachers in our program
like the option of taking a comprehensive exam to complete their degrees.
(Note: At the present time, WMU's School of Education does not offer an
MA leading to initial teacher certification.) The twenty faculty members in the Political Science Department have established solid records of research, teaching, and service. Their books have been published by major university presses, and their articles have appeared in the top general and specialized journals in the discipline. Several have received funding for their research from the National Science Foundation. Placement Students in the MA program have a wide variety of career goals. The program is designed to be flexible enough to allow students to tailor their coursework to meet their unique goals. Some of our graduates have pursued careers in government, politics, and journalism. Others have gone into teaching at the community college or secondary level. Still others have gone on for PhDs, either at WMU or other universities. The University WMU is a major research university with nearly 30,000 students, including 6,000 graduate students, making it one of the 50 largest universities in the country. WMU is a Carnegie-designated Doctoral/Research-Extensive university, one of only 102 public research universities to be included in this top classification, and is ranked among the top 100 public universities according to U.S. News & World Reports' annual ranking of the nation's over 3,000 colleges and universities. In athletics, WMU is in the NCAA Division I Mid-American Conference (MAC). The Community Kalamazoo is the fifth largest city in Michigan, with a county population of more than 220,000 residents. The city is located midway between Chicago and Detroit, 140 miles from each, 2.5 hours driving time on I-94. Kalamazoo offers commercial transportation by train, bus, and major airline.
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