Department of Political Science College of Social Sciences and Humanities Northeastern University

Broad-Based and Globally-Focused

Northeastern University's Department of Political Science offers 3 graduate degree programs -- the Master of Public Administration, the Master of Arts in Political Science, and the PhD in Political Science. Broad-based and globally-focused, these programs emphasize the theory and the practice of domestic and international politics, public policy, and public management.

Faculty research covers a wide range of pressing issues, such as the evolution of environmental advocacy, urban and regional economic development, mental health policy, civil rights, the politics of food, small arms proliferation in developing countries, and the US space program.

Courses are offered year round, and are held after 5:00 p.m. to accommodate the schedules of working professionals.

Political Science Degree Programs

Courses in Northeastern's master's program in political science prepares students for work in doctoral programs or for careers in government, nonprofit organizations, or the private sector. PhD students generally work towards careers in research and policy, as well as academic positions.

The PhD program covers the core political science subject areas of American government and politics, comparative politics, international relations, and public policy. Doctoral students are required to choose primary and secondary areas of emphasis. The master's program offers students the opportunity to concentrate in one of these areas.

Core Political Science Concentrations

The American government and politics concentration focuses on the structure of the American system of governance and the broad dynamics of public policymaking.

The comparative politics concentration compares political structures and institutions, along with political culture development and democratization. Students may focus on specific world regions of interest.

Students within the international relations concentration examine influential "actors, issues, and actions," and the evolution of the systems within which their interactions take place.

The public policy concentration employs a multi-disciplinary approach to the subject, drawing from law, history, economics, and other disciplines. Students focus on areas of policymaking process, policy analysis, and substantive policy areas.

Master of Public Administration

Northeastern's Master of Public Administration, offered both online and on-campus, prepares students for careers in the public and nonprofit sectors. The MPA program, which has met the rigorous accreditation standards of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration, emphasizes the development of analytical, conceptual, and practical competencies.

Core subjects include policy analysis, personnel administration, organizational theory and management, and budgeting and financial analysis. A core member of the faculty is Michael Dukakis, former presidential candidate and governor of Massachusetts, who teaches classes in public policy, health care policy, and American politics.

Opportunities for Financial Support

Master's and doctoral students have several opportunities for financial support, including teaching assistantships and research assistantships. Advanced doctoral students may also teach as adjunct lecturers. Graduate student scholarships are available through the Department of Political Science and through the university itself.

The department, along with the Northeastern University Graduate and Professional Student Association, also provides some funding for graduate students interested in attending professional conferences.

More information is available regarding graduate applications and graduate studies at Northeastern University.

Experiential Education

Political science and public policy graduate students participate in internships through Northeastern's well-known co-op program. Graduate students receive 3 academic credits and generally work in professional level activities such as administration, planning, research, policy formulation and implementation, and budgeting.

State-of-the-Art Research Centers

The Political Science Dpartment, as part of Northeastern's School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, benefits from the school's state-of-the-art research centers, including the Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy and the Center for Labor Market Studies. Other affiliated research centers at Northeastern include the Community-Based Research Initiative, the Brudnick Center on Violence and Conflict, the First Amendment Center, the Institute on Race and Justice, and the Institute on Urban Health Research.

Professional Development

In addition to their academic training, political science graduate students have access to a number of pre-professional training and networking opportunities. Student associations include the Political Science Graduate Student Association and the International Relations Reading Group. The Boston area offers valuable leadership development programs such as the Commonwealth Seminar, which provides legislative training; the New Leaders Council, which trains progressive political entrepreneurs; ONEin3 Boston, a network for young professionals; and the Women's Institute for Leadership Development.

Urban Amenities in Historic Boston

Northeastern's urban campus is conveniently located in downtown Boston, allowing students to easily access the city's many amenities via public transportation. Nearly 20,000 full-time graduate and undergraduate students from 50 states and 125 countries lend a cosmopolitan flavor to the student experience. The school is proactively taking steps to promote sustainability by lowering its own emissions.

Campus housing is available, on a limited basis, to full-time graduate students. The Northeastern Off-Campus Student Services assists students with finding off-campus housing and with staying connected to the campus at large.

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Public And International Affairs Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Public Administration Certificate [urban studies]
  Master of Public Administration (MPA) [health administration and policy]
  Master of Public Administration (MPA) [state and local government]
  Master of Public Administration (MPA) [development administration]
• Political Science Master of Arts (MA)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 21
• Doctoral Degrees 3
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? Yes
• Evening/weekend programs available? Yes
• Distance learning programs available? No
• Terminal master's degree available? Not reported

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Optional
• Doctoral Degrees Required
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied132
• Accepted62
• Acceptance Rate46%
• Enrolled23
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $50
• Application Fee - International $50
• Electronic applications accepted? No
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Yes
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's DegreesGRE General Test
• Doctoral's DegreesNot Reported
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesTOEFL required

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *Not Reported
• Out-of-state tuition *Not Reported
• International student tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year feesNot Reported
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitFAFSA
• Application deadlines for financial awardsFebruary 1
• Types of financial support availableFellowships, Research Assitantships, Teaching Assistantships, Tuition Waivers, Career or Field-Related Internships, Federal Work-Study, Financial Support for Part-time Students, Graduate Assistantships

• Existing Research
• Focus of faculty researchPresidency, public opinion, Congress, democratization, national identity
• Externally sponsored research expenditures last yearNot Reported