Masters Program

The Master of Science in Political Science is a one year program intended for students who wish to develop skills in applied research and who are not preparing for careers in academia, but careers in government agencies, business and research organizations. The master’s program emphasizes intensive preparation in a single field of study. Applicants to the SM program should specify their field of specialization.

Requirements for the Master of Science in Political Science:

  1. The minimum number of subjects required for the SM Degree is six graduate subjects, at least four of which must be completed in the Political Science Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The remaining two subjects may be taken at MIT or through cross-registration at Harvard University.

    The student must have completed satisfactorily a program of study of at least 66 units, of which 42 units shall be H-level subjects, and a thesis, both acceptable to the department.
  2. A 3.5 grade point average must be maintained for subjects toward the SM degree.
  3. The Master’s program requires a minimum of three semesters, typically fall, spring, and summer (summer tuition is subsidized by MIT). Students are normally not permitted to enroll for more than seven semesters to complete the degree.
  4. A Master's thesis is required, which must be read and approved by two faculty members and defended orally before them. It is the responsibility of Master's candidates to seek out two faculty members to serve as principal advisor and second reader of the thesis. These faculty members should be consulted regularly during the planning and writing of the thesis, with outlines and drafts of work in progress reviewed according to some mutually agreed schedule. The first thesis draft must be submitted by the end of the second term.
  5. Students should consult the MIT Specifications for Thesis Preparation booklet and the Department’s own guidelines, for rules governing the format for submitting the SM thesis. These rules are enforced. See the Graduate Administrator for details.