
Accelerated Master's in Political Psychology
The Accelerated Master's Program in Political Psychology is designed to enable highly qualified undergraduate students in the following online and on-ground majors to earn both a Bachelor of Arts/Science degree and a Master of Arts in Political Psychology degree in five years:
- BA in Political Science
- BS in Political Science
Students accepted into the Accelerated Master's program may apply up to 3 credits of 400-level coursework and 9 credits of 500-level coursework as “shared” courses, allowing the student to complete both degrees more quickly.
These degrees are designed to meet the needs of students pursuing careers in a variety of areas. Students completing the accelerated program are well-positioned for application into a PhD or law program or enter the work force in a variety of fields, including community organizing, voter mobilization, campaign strategy, political marketing, and others.
Eligibility
To be eligible for admission to the Political Psychology Accelerated Master's program, a student must:
- be a declared, on-ground or online student in the Political Science BA or BS program
- have earned at least 75 hours toward the undergraduate degree at the time of application; 90 hours are needed to begin taking graduate courses
- have completed (or be in the process of completing at the time of application), 3-credit, 400-level POS course. Internship credits, independent study, and Junior Fellow courses are not eligible.
- have completed (or be in the process of completing at the time of application) POS 401 or SGS 401, Political Statistics
- have a minimum 3.6 cumulative GPA at the time of application (cumulative GPA earned at ASU, excluding transfer credits.)
- be on track to graduate with the undergraduate degree within two semesters after being accepted into the program (one calendar year after the acceptance date)
- identify a faculty mentor in the School of Politics and Global Studies to serve as an Accelerated Master's advisor. Please see list of eligible faculty members here. Mentors must be tenured or tenure-track faculty in the School of Politics and Global Studies. Please verify on the SPGS website that mentors are Professors, Associate Professors, or Assistant Professors. Teaching Professors, Instructors, Faculty Associates, Professors of Practice, and faculty from other units are not eligible to serve in this role. The mentor helps with course selection and general guidance in the program; they may or may not end up serving as a thesis or portfolio advisor.
- complete an application packet and submit all materials by the May 15th deadline.
Students who do not meet these criteria may still apply to the regular M.A. in Political Psychology here, pending graduation with a BA or BS degree.
Application Process
The application deadline is May 15th of the year prior to participation (typically, this will be in the spring of the student’s junior year). Please contact Jenna Roelle, Graduate Coordinator, with any questions.
Applicants will be notified by email by June 15th of their admission status. Admitted students must submit the online Graduate College application by October 1st and pay the application fee.
Electronic application packet should be sent in one email to Jenna.Roelle@asu.edu and include four attached documents:
- Cover page. Please include:
- Name
- Specify BA/BS degree and major/minor
- Cumulative GPA
- POS courses taken and grades for each course (please include table or bullets for this information)
- Anticipated date of graduation with Bachelor’s degree
- Name, title, and email address of faculty advisor.
- Copy of unofficial transcript
- Personal statement (2-3 pages) describing why you are interested in the Accelerated Master's program. Within this statement, identify a SPGS faculty member that will serve as the advisor. Be sure to request this of the faculty member before identifying them.
In addition: The letter of recommendation form should be sent to spgs@asu.edu from the faculty advisor by May 15th. Recommender may also attach an additional letter, but it is not required. Please include applicant’s name and “Accelerated Master's LOR” in the subject line.