Many of our majors decide to go to graduate school. A Master's degree (Master of Arts in Political Science, Master of Public Administration, or a more specialized degree such as Master of International Management) can make you more "marketable" in a variety of positions in government, trade associations, business, junior college teaching, etc. A Master's degree generally takes one and a half to two years to complete.

If you want to teach Political Science in a university or have a research career, you will need a Ph.D. That degree generally takes three to four years to complete after you earn the Master's degree.

If you plan to attend graduate school, you should take the Graduate Record Exam in the Fall semester of your senior year. The exams are generally given in October, December, April, and June. At the beginning of the Spring semester of your junior year, you should get the application materials from the ISU Graduate School office.

The Graduate Record Exam has three general sections: verbal, quantitative, and analytical. You would also take the Political Science subject test. It has questions dealing with American government, comparative political systems, political theory, international relations, and methodology.

The ISU bookstore has a booklet for sale which is designed to prepare you for the Graduate Record Exam. The Department of Political Science has computer software available which you can use in practicing for the exam.

In order to enhance your chances for admission and financial assistance, you should apply to several graduate schools. In addition to the Graduate Record Exam, you will need letters of recommendation from several of your professors. You should pay special attention to the preparation of your personal statement, which is required by most graduate schools. This statement is centered around your interest in Political Science, your personal background, the reasons you are applying to that particular graduate program, and your career and personal objectives. A well-written personal statement should enhance your chances of admission.

There are several excellent graduate schools in Indiana: Indiana University, Purdue University, University of Notre Dame, Ball State University, and Indiana State University.

The following is a list of some leading graduate programs in Political Science: 
 

  • Yale
  • Harvard
  • California, Berkeley
  • Chicago
  • Michigan
  • MIT
  • Stanford
  • Wisconsin
  • Princeton
  • North Carolina
  • California, Los Angeles
  • Minnesota
  • Cornell
  • Indiana
  • Northwestern
  • Rochester
  • Iowa
  • Oregon
  • Illinois
  • Johns Hopkins
  • Washington (St. Louis)
  • Duke
  • Hawaii
  • Michigan State
  • Ohio State
  • Pennsylvania
  • Syracuse
  • Texas
  • Vanderbilt
  • Washington (Seattle)
  • Claremont
  • Florida
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Massachusetts
  • Missouri
  • New York University
  • New School
  • Penn State
  • Pittsburgh
  • Rutgers
  • Southern California

The following is a list of some leading graduate programs in Public Administration:

  • Syracuse
  • Harvard
  • Princeton
  • Indiana University
  • Georgia
  • Kansas
  • North Carolina
  • Southern California
  • Carnegie Mellon
  • Wisconsin
  • State University of New York
  • American University
  • Columbia
  • George Washington University
  • Chicago
  • Pittsburgh
  • Duke
  • Florida State
  • Ohio State
  • Minnesota
  • Virginia Tech
  • Yale
  • Arizona State University
  • Cornell
  • University of Washington