GRADUATE PROGRAMS
The Political Science Department at Colorado State University offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees as well as a graduate certificate in political economy. Our curriculum includes coursework in traditional political science sub-fields, including American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and public policy and administration. The Department has a unique specialization in environmental politics and policy, which is the emphasis of the Doctoral program. M.A. students may select environmental politics and policy as one of their two sub-field areas of study. Graduate teaching assistantships are available on a competitive basis.
All graduate programs are individually designed to fit the student’s educational background and career objectives. Graduates with the M.A. degree are recruited by a wide variety of local, state, federal and non-governmental agencies as well as the private sector. Many M.A. students continue in the doctoral program at CSU or at other universities. Recipients of the Ph.D. degree are employed in research organizations, universities and public service positions.
Due to the unique focus on environmental politics and policy, the program welcomes and attracts M.A. and Ph.D. candidates from diverse academic backgrounds and careers who all share an interest in the political dimensions of environmental protection.
For additional information or to set up a virtual appointment, please contact
Dr. David McIvor
Graduate Coordinator
Dept. of Political Science
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1782
What Our Graduates Say
Martin McCoy, City Rebate Program Coordinator, City of Fort Collins
"Learning about political science has helped shape the way I view everyday circumstances, and has positively influenced the conversations I have with friends and family. Knowing more about the inner-workings of American politics and how government ACTUALLY functions have led to a deeper appreciation for the selfless individuals who strive to keep our municipalities, states, and county going. Moreover, my degree has prepared me to seek out the answers to questions that I have by enabling me to know where to go to find those answers."
Catherine Okukotun, Chief Financial Officer, Colorado Division of Water Resources
"A political science degree not only teaches you how to think and the science and methods of reasoning, logic, debate, communication, research and mathematics skills, but more importantly, to develop and understanding of human nature and human thinking that are critical in success no matter the path you choose. My education at CSU helped me develop a way of looking at the world and at problems through the human eye. We are all humans and more often than not, we get stuck looking at solving problems though data and techniques and forget that the path to come up with a practical path and a solution is to not only look at those things but to understand how and why people think how they do, what motivates them, and using that knowledge to look at the big picture, build a strategy for action, and make decisions. This combination of skills is what helps me understand power and power dynamics, and ultimately be able to guide and unify teams that will move forward and act."
