The Master of Arts in Political Science and International Affairs is a two-year degree program culminating in a master's thesis.  Students are required to complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of coursework: 6 graduate seminars (18 credits) , a three-course methodology sequence (9 credits), and 3 credits of master's thesis work.  A master's thesis must be successfully defended to complete the degree.

Please see the MA degree timetable for more detailed information.

The PhD in Political Science and International Affairs is a degree program culminating in a doctoral dissertation.  Students are required to declare a major field (minimum six courses) and minor field (minimum four courses).  Students also complete a four-course methodology sequence.  After all required coursework has been successfully completed, students sit for comprehensive exams in both their major and minor fields.  A dissertation propsectus and doctoral dissertation must be successfully defended to complete the degree.

Please see the PhD degree timetable for more detailed information.

The Fast Track PhD is an option for highly qualified students who have or who will have obtained a bachelor’s degree and allows for direct entry into the PhD, bypassing the MA degree altogether. It is offered to a very limited number of strongly qualified individuals. They are expected to complete the PhD program in four years and are eligible for a four-year assistantship that will fund their studies for the duration of their graduate career.

In order to qualify for the program, students must have an entrance score of at least 4,500 based on the following formula:

Undergraduate GPA x 1000 + GRE score (Verbal + Quantitative)*

For example, a student with a 3.0 GPA and a 1200 GRE would not qualify for the Fast Track (score = 4,200). An individual with a 3.5 and a 1300 GRE (score = 4,550) would qualify. This is not the only qualification for the program. One’s entire file is examined and provides the basis from which the ultimate decision regarding admission to the Fast Track will be made.

Direct admission to the PhD program is restricted to only the most competitive applicants. Not all applicants who meet the minimum score will be admitted. However, if students meet the criteria for the Fast Track and are not admitted, they will be automatically considered for the MA program. Upon completion of the MA, students can request admission to the PhD program.

If you are interested in the Fast Track option, you should note this in your personal statement as well as on your Personal Objective Form.

Please see the Fast Track PhD degree timetable for more information.

*As of December 2011, the Graduate Committee has not approved an entrance score equation to accommodate the new GRE scale.  Fast Track applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis until a minimum entrance score has been agreed upon.

The Honors Program provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to plan a curriculum leading to both the Bachelor’s and the Master’s degree in four years.

The Departments of Political Science and International Affairs have worked with the Honors Program to make this joint venture a very productive one for qualified students.

In general, students with very strong grade point averages, who are Political Science or International Affairs majors, have done very well on the GRE, and have had some advanced math courses are ideally situated to take advantage of the dual degree program.

Undergraduates must be in a position to basically finish their undergraduate coursework at the end of their second year at UGA, but withholding a few hours of their undergraduate requirements. Then they will begin taking graduate courses in the fall semester of their third year following the timetable that all MA students utilize. At the end of their fourth year, they are expected to finish their undergraduate courses and their master's thesis and graduate with two degrees. Students interested in this program should contact Martin Rogers at the Honors Program Office and the Graduate Coordinator in the Department of Political Science (Dr. Trey Hood) or the Department of International Affairs (Dr. Jeff Berejikian).

Please see the MA degree timetable for more detailed information.

"Pursuing a master’s degree through SPIA’s AB/MA program is by far the best decision I have made in my academic career. I have no doubt that I would not be in the position that I am today without having completed the program during my junior and senior years at UGA. It provided me with a skill set that has been valuable in my current PhD program, and would no doubt have been useful no matter what I decided to do after graduating from UGA. Not only that, the AB/MA program allowed me to build relationships with professors that are stronger than would have been possible as just an undergraduate. Although undergraduates may work as a research assistant on a topic of a professor’s choosing, I was able to coauthor work with a professor on a topic that was of our mutual interest. My endorsement of SPIA’s AB/MA program could not be stronger. I recommend it to any undergraduate considering future graduate work not only in political science or international affairs, but any field." – STEPHEN PETTIGREW, AB/MA 2011

“As a student who has always felt a little above the curve, the AB/MA program has challenged me to take control of my own studies and investigate the questions in the academic world that are important to me. While I have learned more in this program than I did in any of the other classes I have taken in college, the greatest part of the program is the bonds you create by working closely with faculty and other graduate students. I would recommend this program to anyone who's looking for a challenge and wants to dive deeper into the subjects that are interesting to her or him.” – ERIN KRINSKY, AB/MA 2009