HIn the early 1930s with esteemed statesman Ralph Bunche at the helm the Political Science Department began providing undergraduate students a comprehensive education in the art and
science of government. When the Howard University Board of Trustees established the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in 1934, under the leadership of Dwight O. Holmes, the Department of
Political Science was among the initial 15 academic units permitted to offer graduate degrees.

By1940 the Department had awarded two Master of Arts degrees. Graduate education expanded beyond the Master’s level in the early 1960s when Abraham Ribicoff (Democrat–Connecticut),
former Senator and Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, joined the Ford Foundation in supporting funding for doctoral level instruction. The Department granted its first Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1967 to Hanes Walton, Jr. More than 160 doctoral degrees have been awarded in the ensuing 46 years. Howard University–trained political scientists are accomplished professors, university administrators, mayors, lawyers, civic leaders and public
servants.

The study of Political Science at Howard University has a distinctive, distinguished tradition, and promising future. It does not mirror the discipline as taught at most other institutions of higher
learning. While many Political Science programs across the globe refrain from serious study of Black political life, at Howard the study of African American and Black Diaspora politics is a treasured legacy. For eight decades Howard political scientists have defined and refined the conceptual boundaries of the emergent field of scholarship known as Black Politics. Ralph Bunche pioneered the nascent scholarly discipline in an atmosphere at best indifferent to
the significance of systematic study of state–society relations of those of African descent. Hanes Walton, Jr. and Ronald Walters, by contrast, made outstanding scholarly contributions to Black Politics during an era marked by greater openness to intellectual inquiry
focused on Black political thought and behavior.

Currently the Department’s Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Arts programs exist alongside a vibrant undergraduate program comprising four areas of concentrations – Black Politics, International Relations/Comparative Politics, American Government and Political Behavior, and Public Administration/Policy. The Department’s teaching and research examine the political challenges and opportunities facing African Americans and other historically underrepresented
communities; complexities of the interpenetrating domestic and international dimensions of governance; the rich insights derived from empirically grounded comparative analysis of state and nonstate political phenomena; and local, state, and national politics and policy. The Department’s undergraduate curriculum is ideal for those pursuing careers in law, policy making, public service, and advanced study in the social sciences.

The Department of Political Science provides advance graduate study in six academic fields:

• Black Politics
• Comparative Politics
• International Relations
• Public Administration
• Policy and American Governments

Studend may earn a Master of Arts in Political Science; Master of Public Administration with specialations in Public Administration/Public Policy, International Development, and a self-designed concentration; or Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science. These programs provide training and experience to assist students in becoming college and university professors, upper level public administrators, or specialists in a variety of areas in reseach institutes. Formal study is conducted during two semester and two summer sessions each year.

The Department's structure accommodates a wide variety of interestes and teaching styles within a field of study. In addition to formal classroom study, students have a oppurtunity to enroll in independent study courses, and are encouraged to engage in programsof work and study in the community and serve as interns.

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Applicants may seek admission to one of the Department’s two graduate programs: Doctor of
Philosophy and Master of Arts. The Department’s Committee on Admissions and Financial Aid reviews applications and makes admissions decisions. When the Committee is not in session, the Department Chair and the Graduate Program Director act on its behalf.

Admissions decisions are based on the following:

1. Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate studies;
2. Three letters of recommendation from members of the academic community who are familiar with the applicant’s record;
3. A brief autobiographical sketch;
4. A statement of educational and professional objectives;
5. Other evidence – for example the Graduate Record Examination score or work
   experience – that may be pertinent to the applicant’s potential for the successful
   pursuit of a graduate degree.

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Master of Arts Degree Program

Unless otherwise specified, all application and admission requirements to the Graduate Program in Political Science pertain to the Master’s degree program. The Graduate School of Arts and
Sciences requires applicants to have an undergraduate baccalaureate degree, or its equivalent, from an accredited institution. Generally, students with unsatisfactory performance at other graduate schools are not eligible for admission. Applicants should have a cumulative and major discipline grade point average of B or higher. Particular weight is given to the student’s record in Political Science and related fields. Applicants who did not major in Political Science during their
undergraduate career may be required to successfully complete undergraduate Political Science courses as a condition for admission. Credits from these classes would not count toward graduate course requirements.

Doctor of Philosophy Program

Students with a Master’s degree, or its equivalent from an accredited institution, may be admitted to the Doctor of Philosophy Program. Prospective applicants must have a minimum 3.5 grade
point average (on a 4–point scale) in all courses above the Bachelor’s degree.
Admission to the Master of Arts Program is not equivalent to admission to the Doctor of Philosophy Program. Master of Arts students seeking admission to the Ph.D. program must request
approval from the Committee on Admission and Financial Aid. The Committee may admit exceptional students directly into the Ph.D. program. Students with a Master’s degree must complete a minimum of 48 credit hours for the Ph.D. This includes 12 credit hours for the
dissertation. The Doctor of Philosophy degree requires a minimum of 72 credit hours beyond the undergraduate degree.

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Master of Arts Degree Program

Unless otherwise specified, all application and admission requirements to the Graduate Program in Political Science pertain to the Master’s degree program. The Graduate School of Arts and
Sciences requires applicants to have an undergraduate baccalaureate degree, or its equivalent, from an accredited institution. Generally, students with unsatisfactory performance at other graduate schools are not eligible for admission. Applicants should have a cumulative and major discipline grade point average of B or higher. Particular weight is given to the student’s record in Political Science and related fields. Applicants who did not major in Political Science during their
undergraduate career may be required to successfully complete undergraduate Political Science courses as a condition for admission. Credits from these classes would not count toward graduate course requirements.

Doctor of Philosophy Program

Students with a Master’s degree, or its equivalent from an accredited institution, may be admitted to the Doctor of Philosophy Program. Prospective applicants must have a minimum 3.5 grade
point average (on a 4–point scale) in all courses above the Bachelor’s degree.
Admission to the Master of Arts Program is not equivalent to admission to the Doctor of Philosophy Program. Master of Arts students seeking admission to the Ph.D. program must request
approval from the Committee on Admission and Financial Aid. The Committee may admit exceptional students directly into the Ph.D. program. Students with a Master’s degree must complete a minimum of 48 credit hours for the Ph.D. This includes 12 credit hours for the
dissertation. The Doctor of Philosophy degree requires a minimum of 72 credit hours beyond the undergraduate degree.

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Students should consult the Department and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) for other requirements not indicated in this document. Official information for degree requirements is given the publication "GSAS - Rules and Regulations for the Pursuit of Academic Degrees"

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A student should file for admission to candidacy after 12 hours of work has been completed and this student has satisfied the GSAS writing proficiency requirement. Forms provided by the dean should be filed a semester before graduation and approved by the student's thesis committee and the Executive Committee of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciencec.

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Students in the Ph.D. program are required to spend at least three semesters in full-time residence, two of which must be consecutive.

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The Board of Trustees of Howard University on September 24, 1983, adopted the following policy statement regarding applications for admission: "Applicants seeking admission to Howard University are required to submit accurate and complete credentials and accurate and complete information requested by the University. Applicants who fail to do so shall be denied admission. Enrolled students who as applicants failed to submit accurate and complete credentials or accurate and complete information on their application for admission shall be subject to dismissal when the same is made known, regardless of classification."

All credentials must be sent to:

 
Howard University Graduate School
Office of Graduate Recruitment and Admissions
4th and College Streets, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20059

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