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? You can find a masters program to help you achieve your goals, whether you are interested in pursuing a job in government or a policy-related field, improving your credentials to advance in your career, or preparing for a Ph.D. or J.D. program.

We are one of the few M.A. programs in political science that can offer funding to our strongest applicants. If you are not sure how competitive you would be for funding or admissions, we can help you determine that before you apply.

We offer several other degree options including a Graduate Certificate in Public Management and Policy requiring only five courses, all of which can be applied toward the M.A..  We are also one of the home departments for the M.S. in Cybersecurity.

Political Science graduate programs

  • Political Science: M.A.

    An M.A. 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.

  • Juris Doctor Degree Law School Higher Education Lawyer

    Political Science: M.A. / J.D.

    The 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 much the same requirements as a double degree. However, students must have full admission to both schools.

  • cyber-security

    Cybersecurity: M.S.

    The M.S. in Cybersecurity is a multi-disciplinary degree designed to provide students the opportunity to obtain professional training in the emerging field of information assurance, studying the practices and policies we use to safeguard data. It is offered through the program is built around electrical and computer engineering, mathematics, and computer science courses that introduce students to software and hardware aspects of cryptography and computer security.

  • Graduate Certificate of Public Management and Policy

    A Graduate Certificate of Public Management and Policy (GCPMP) can help professionals in the public sector advance their career, and can help students 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 Director of Graduate Education will approve course selections for each student.

Ready to apply?

Graduate student resources