Frequently Asked Questions | Department of Political Science

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the Graduate Advisors?

Dr. Paul Hensel - Paul.Hensel@unt.edu

Dr. Jacqueline DeMeritt - Jacqueline.DeMeritt@unt.edu

Is financial assistance available?

Answer: Our financial assistance is in the form of teaching and research assistantships and teaching fellowships. We normally provide assistantships and fellowships to approximately 20 doctoral students an academic year. Of these, approximately 5 awards are to new students. Assistantships are competitive and require that the student work for 10 or 20 hours a week (depending on the award). Doctoral degree students who continue to make satisfactory progress towards his/her degree can expect to be funded for 8 semesters.

Do I need to take the Graduate Record Exams?

Answer: At this time, the GRE is no longer required of applicants to the graduate program in Political Science.

Who can I ask to write my letters of recommendation?

Answer: We prefer that your recommendation letters come from professors who know your academic work. If this is not possible, we will accept letters from work supervisors or other people who know you (but not from your relatives).

What is the difference between the M.A. and the M.S. program?

Answer: The difference between the two programs is that the M.A. program requires foreign language credit hours while the M.S. program requires research methodology credit hours.

How long does it take to complete the M.A., M.S. or the Ph.D. program?

Answer: On average the M.A./M.S. degree can be completed in two academic years. For the Ph.D. degree it is reasonable to be able to complete all degree requirements in five years (of course depending on how fast the student completes the dissertation research and writing).

Marketable Skills for MA-MS

Answer: Public Communication, Analytical Thinking, Data Collection and Analysis, Statistical Software Literacy, Introduction to Knowledge Building

Marketable skills for this degree include interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skill areas that are primary or complementary to the major. These skills are valued by a wide range of employers and discipline-specific agencies. For information on these marketable skills - Click Here.

Marketable Skills for PhD

Answer: Advanced Public Communcation, Advanced Analytical Thinking, Advanced Data Collection and Analysis, Theory Building, Topical Expertise.

Marketable skills for this degree include interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skill areas that are primary or complementary to the major. These skills are valued by a wide range of employers and discipline-specific agencies. For information on these marketable skills - Click Here.