The Department of Political Science offers the following graduate degrees:
If you are considering attending graduate school to further your education, consider Northern Illinois University's political science programs. Recent graduates of NIU's political science programs have successfully served in a variety of fields and disciplines, and an advanced degree in political science can help create the solid foundation you need for success in your chosen career, such as:
The Department of Political Science offers six fields for scholarly study:
Interdisciplinary concentrations in Southeast Asian studies and women's studies are also available at NIU.
The department has a distinguished faculty of nearly thirty members, including faculty in the Division of Public Administration, and it enrolls approximately 100 M.A., M.P.A., and Ph.D. students. It graduates around 10 M.A., 12 M.P.A., and six Ph.D. students each year.
Although completion times vary, an M.A. can be completed in four semesters and an M.P.A. in 21 months of full-time study. A Ph.D. for M.A. graduates who stay at NIU can be completed with an additional five to six semesters, which includes course work, comprehensive examinations, and dissertation writing. Approximately eighty percent of full-time graduate students secure assistantships or fellowships (with tuition waivers) from the department or other units in the university, such as the Center for Southeast Asian Studies. Minority graduate students are eligible for the Rhoten A. Smith fellowships awarded by the graduate school.
For application forms and printed materials, please contact Sarah Lindell, Graduate Secretary, slindell@niu.edu.
If you have specific questions about the graduate program, please contact Professor Barbara Burrell, Director of Graduate Studies, Office: Zulauf Hall 115, (815) 753-7050; bburrell@niu.edu.
For information about the M.P.A. program, contact the Division of Public Administration, IASBO Building (815-753-0184).