Overview

Key facts

The Political Science program at San Diego State University is academically rigorous, offering a variety of courses in the four subfields of American Politics, International Relations, Comparative Politics, and Political Theory. The two-year degree comprises of ten courses providing students a strong foundation in theory, methods, as well as an understanding of a broad range of topics. In the past few years our seminars have covered subjects such as the Arab Spring, gender and politics, immigration and border politics, international law, imperialism, revolutions, religion and politics, and American democracy.

Students work closely with the department’s eighteen full-time faculty, each nationally and internationally recognized. Many faculty take on graduate students as research assistants, giving students a first-hand opportunity to work alongside a distinguished scholar in a field of shared interest.

The program is designed to suit the needs of students with a variety of professional goals and academic backgrounds.

Students seeking an M.A. degree as a springboard to enter Ph.D. programs, receive an advanced training in Political Science theory and research design, develop a specialized area of expertise, and pursue original research in a M.A. thesis. Many of our graduates have gone on to join prestigious doctoral programs in various disciplines.

Students seeking additional training and credentials for a career in government, nonprofit organizations, public interest groups, research organizations or business have also found our program exceptionally valuable. The flexibility of our program enables students who are employed in such fields to enroll part-time. Our public policy emphasis in particular is designed to enhance job placement through an internship in an organization relevant to a student’s interests.

Why San Diego State University?

SDSU is the largest campus in the California State University System and has a national reputation for academic excellence. SDSU researchers continue to be among the most productive in the nation, securing 783 research grants and contracts worth over $134 million in the last fiscal year.

Our geographic location on the U.S.-Mexican border, cosmopolitan context and diverse population provide unique opportunities for local fieldwork and research. SDSU ranks seventh in the nation for ethnic diversity, according to U.S. News and World Report, and ranks fifteenth nationwide for students studying abroad.

SDSU maintains close library ties to other local universities, including the University of California, San Diego, where our students can also arrange to take up to a semester’s worth of coursework (including PhD-level courses in political science). Past students have also taken advantage of the opportunity to take courses at the California Western School of Law and universities around the world via SDSU’s inter-university agreements.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Research Design and Analysis

Applied Qualitative Methods

Statistics

Seminar in Intl Relations

Seminar in Pub Policy

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 12 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-08-25 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-02-01 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

105

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Credits

30 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

San Diego, United States

Disciplines

Political Science View 295 other Masters in Political Science in United States

Join for free or log in to access our complete career info list.

Academic requirements

GPA

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

105

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Fill out an application with Cal State Apply (online)

Official copies of all undergraduate transcripts

An official record of your graduate work at other universities

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

8548 USD / year

≈ 8548 USD / year
Out-of-State

8548 USD / year

≈ 8548 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

8548 USD / year

≈ 8548 USD / year

Additional Details

Non-resident tuition: Add $444 per unit to the basic tuition and fees listed above.

Living costs

San Diego

United States

1400 - 2455 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Financing

Interested in financing your studies? Find a student loan that works for you.

MPOWER Financing No cosigner. No collateral. No hidden fees.

Check your Eligibility

Get the funding you need to study in the U.S. or Canada - with a process that's fast, simple, and built for international students.

Flexible loans from US$2,001 to US$100,000
Fixed interest rates -- no inflation surprises
No upfront fees or prepayment penalties
Accepted at 500+ universities across the U.S. & Canada
100% online application -- instant conditional offer
Free visa & career support through our Path2Success program

Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Political Science.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About

Overview

Key facts

Why San Diego State University?

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Additional Details

Living costs

San Diego

Financing

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

Our partners