Politics (MA)

The New School is a progressive university in New York City where scholars, artists, and designers come together to challenge convention and create positive change. Founded in 1919, the university consists of Parsons School of Design, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, the College of Performing Arts, The New School for Social Research, and numerous renowned graduate programs. The New School’s rigorous, multidimensional approach to education gives students the academic freedom to shape their unique, individual paths of study for a complex and rapidly changing world.

About

The MA in Politics is a 30-credit program providing students with advanced training in political analysis and political science research methods.

With individualized advising and mentoring from faculty in the department, students specialize in one of the four departmental fields (political theory, American politics, comparative politics, or global politics) and complete two substantial research papers. The MA in Politics prepares graduates for academic and professional careers in diverse fields, including government, NGOs, law, consulting, journalism, or further study and research at the doctoral level

Entering students work with an individual faculty advisor. This advisor, together with the departmental student advisor, introduces them to the curriculum as a whole and helps them to formulate the program that best suits their interests and needs.

Program highlights

• Study and contribute to emerging forms of knowledge that interrogate systemic exploitation and inequality, emphasizing political theory, political economy, and the challenges of democracy.
• Explore the intersection of theory and praxis, discovering the world-changing potential of what occurs when a progressive scholarship is integrated with activism.
• Choose from four areas of instruction offered by the department: American politics, comparative politics, political theory, and global politics.
• Collaborate on the work of groundbreaking research institutes, including the Heilbroner Center for Capitalism Studies and the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility.
• Write for Public Seminar, an online publication produced by students and faculty at The New School for Social Research.

Curriculum

A full account of degree requirements and procedures is contained in the Politics departmental handbook.

To earn the MA in Politics, a student must complete a total of 30 credits with a minimum grade point average of 3.0.

A maximum of three credits taken at another university may be granted toward the credit requirement for the master's degree. Twenty-seven credits must be completed at The New School for Social Research.

• MA Seminar
  Required for all MA candidates, the seminar is designed to introduce students to basic concepts and approaches in analyzing politics. The substantive focus will vary according to the choices of the instructors.
• Research Methods
  All MA students must take one course in either quantitative or qualitative methods. Students who have completed an equivalent course elsewhere can petition for a waiver of the methods requirement.
• Politics Courses
  At least 18 credits, including the research methods course, must be taken in courses offered by the Politics department. Courses offered by other departments of The New School for Social Research that are cross-listed in Politics may be used to meet the 18 required Politics credits. Many cross-listed courses have prerequisites. The course instructor and the chair of the department or committee offering a course will determine whether a Politics student meets the prerequisites and can be admitted to the course in question. Courses that are not cross-listed in Politics may only be taken as electives (see below), unless by special permission of the Politics department.
• Elective Courses
  The remaining 9 credits are electives that may be taken within or outside the Politics department. The department encourages students to avail themselves of the rich course offerings of the other departments of The New School for Social Research, but this should be done with appropriate guidance from advisors so as to maximize the coherence of the overall program of study.
• Research Portfolio
  In addition to the 30 credits of coursework, MA candidates must provide evidence of ability to carry out a significant intellectual research project in the field. This ability is established by the submission of the MA portfolio of two papers, which may originate as papers submitted for courses. Students must consult with a faculty advisor when planning their portfolio submission. The MA portfolio will be evaluated by a full-time member of the faculty of Politics.