College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department of Political Science
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Graduate Studies

Three students on campus in the spring

Are you ready to take the next step in your education and considering an advanced degree? Whether you’re interested in pursuing a government career, becoming a policymaker, improving your credentials to advance your career, or preparing for a Ph.D. or Juris Doctorate, we can help you can find a master’s program that fits your goals.

Our master’s program offers funding to our strongest applicants. Unsure of how competitive you might be for funding or admission? We can help you determine that before you apply.

In addition to a Master of Arts in political science, we offer several other advanced degree options, detailed below.

Political science graduate programs

  • Two men in front of flags of many different nations

    Political science: Master of Arts

    A master’s in political science enables you to dissect policy challenges, explore international relations intricacies, and navigate the complexities of American governance, building skills as a leader in contemporary politics.

  • JD Degree

    Political science: Master of Arts /Juris Doctorate

    Drake Law School and Iowa State’s Department of Political Science are co-sponsors of the Master of Arts/Juris Doctorate degree, which combines courses at both schools and follows most of the same requirements as a double degree. However, students must have full admission to both schools.

  • Cyber security: Master of Science

    The Master of Science in cyber security is a multi-disciplinary degree that provides students with the opportunity to obtain professional training in the emerging field of information assurance – studying the practices and policies we use to safeguard data. The program is built around electrical and computer engineering, mathematics, and computer science courses that introduce students to both the software and hardware components of cryptography and computer security.

  • Graduate certificate of public management and policy

    A graduate certificate of public management and policy (GCPMP) helps professionals in the public sector advance their professional roles, and gives students the opportunity to bolster their career prospects.

    The GCPMP is a 15-credit program that requires completion of at least 9 credits from a set of core courses. An additional 6 credits may be earned in other approved courses. GCPMP students are not required to designate a major professor and a program of study committee because the graduate director approves course selections for each student.

  • Combined Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts

    Political science graduates with a master’s degree typically earn higher incomes than graduates with only a bachelor’s degree. At Iowa State, it’s possible to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in five years – and possibly four years – with college credits earned while in high school.

Ready to apply?

Graduate student resources