Politics (MA, One-Year)

A full account of degree requirements and procedures appears in the Politics student handbook.

To earn the one-year 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 from another university may be applied toward the credit requirement for the master's degree. Twenty-seven credits must be completed at The New School for Social Research.

First Year Seminar (Fall)

Required for all MA Politics candidates, the First Year Seminar is designed to introduce students to key concepts, traditions, and debates in politics and political thought. In the second part of the course, students will have the opportunity to read related work by department faculty members and to meet and discuss the work with them. (3 credits)

Research Methods (Spring)

Required for all one-year MA students, this course covers interpretive and qualitative research methods and methodology in politics, culminating in a research proposal for projects that might be pursued in the future in academia, policy, NGOs, activism, or elsewhere. (3 credits)

MA Capstone and Independent Study

All one-year MA students must take the Political Research Seminar, in which they develop and complete a capstone project, and an Independent Study, which provides faculty advising for the capstone. The capstone builds on a course paper from the fall and must be completed by the end of spring, under the supervision of relevant faculty. This capstone could, by approval, also be fulfilled by a directed internship or practicum or a policy white paper. (6 credits)

Elective Courses

The remaining six courses (18 credits) are electives. Students must take at least four of these electives in the Politics department; the remaining two electives may be taken either in or outside the Politics department. The department encourages students to avail themselves of the rich course offerings of NSSR’s other departments, with guidance from advisors, so as to ensure the coherence of the overall program of study.

The department also strongly encourages students to take a three-week NSSR Winter Intensive course (3 credits) as one of their electives. The Winter Intensive helps students better balance course loads during the semesters.

Students who already know they want to pursue doctoral study or who want to focus more on intensive research should apply to the two-year MA Politics program instead of the one-year program.

One-year students who later decide they want to apply to the PhD Politics program at NSSR or elsewhere should consult the Politics student handbook.

The one-year MA Politics program cannot be completed as part of The New School’s Bachelor’s-Master’s program. The program is, however, open to all students who have graduated with a bachelor’s degree.