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Department of Political Science

Master of International Affairs and Administration

The Department of Political Science offers a Master of International Affairs and Administration (MIAA) degree to meet the growing societal and occupational needs in a highly competitive and yet increasingly interdependent world for students trained in international affairs and administration. The main mission of the MIAA program is to produce well rounded and educated persons who understand and appreciate the diversity and complexity of international affairs, the role of global citizenship, and who can bring imaginative and creative problem-solving skills to problems faced by the global community.

The MIAA is designed to equip students with skills in areas such as quantitative analysis, policy analysis, administration/management, foreign languages, communication, and problem-solving that allow them to pursue careers in both public and private sector agencies in an international environment. The MIAA also prepares students to continue their education at the doctoral level in international relations, political science or other related fields..

The MIAA program is consistent with the Missouri State University's statewide mission in public affairs.

Degree Requirements

  • Required Core Courses: Total 18 Hours
  • PLS 605 Seminar in Comparative Politics
  • PLS 613 Seminar in Foreign Policy Decision-Making
  • PLS 632 Seminar in International Relations Theory
  • PLS 637 Seminar in International Organizations and Administration
  • PLS 652 Public Personnel Management
  • PLS 653 Management Techniques and Organizational Behavior

  • Prerequisite Courses:

The MIAA program does not require any specific prerequisite courses. However, an applicant may be advised or required to take undergraduate prerequisite courses in areas pertinent to the program.

  • Research Options: Total 3-6 hours

Option 1 (Thesis): PLS 699 Thesis (6 hours)

Option 2 (Non-Thesis): PLS 680 Independent Study in Political Science (3 hours)

 

  • Cognate Fields: Total 15-18 hours

 

The MIAA candidate, in consultation with the advisor and with approval of the department head, shall choose one of the following five cognate fields. Within each field, a student is required to take courses that are related to each other and reflect the student's strength and interest. Depending on the research option selected, students will take five or six courses in their chosen cognate field.

 

  • International Relations and Administration
  • Comparative Political Systems
  • Policy Analysis and Management
  • International Economics and Business
  • Defense and Strategic Studies
  • Foreign Language Requirement: Minimum of 2 years

 

Before being allowed to graduate from the MIAA program, students must have completed the equivalent of two years of courses in any modern language offered either at Missouri State or at another institution of higher learning. A student's language proficiency will be determined by both written and oral examinations in his/her chosen foreign language. In some cases, foreign students may substitute their native language, if it is not English, for the language requirement if it is related to their cognate field and/or professional goals.

 

  • Quantitative Methods Requirement: 0-3 hours

Students without any training in statistical background will be required to take course work in this area. Proficiency in quantitative methods must be demonstrated either by passing a Diagnostic Test in quantitative methods or by having completed PLS 576 (Quantitative Methods of Political Science and Public Policy) or ECO 508 (Introduction to Econometrics) or an equivalent course approved by the advisor.

 

  • Comprehensive Examination:

The candidate's graduate committee will prepare and administer a written examination and oral defense covering the general field of international affairs and administration (core courses), the chosen cognate field, and required readings.

Admission Requirements

All students applying for admission to the MIAA program must submit recent Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores.

Applicants with a 3.00 Grade Point Average (GPA) or above in their undergraduate degree from an accredited institution and strong letters of recommendation from three undergraduate professors or persons well acquainted with the applicant's education and abilities will be admitted to the MIAA program in good standing.

Applicants with an undergraduate GPA between 3.00 and 2.75 must achieve a minimum score of 900 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE, with a minimum score of 475 on either the verbal or quantitative section and a score of not less than 425 on the other.

Foreign students applying for admission to the MIAA program must have an undergraduate degree from an American university or have completed the equivalent of an undergraduate degree at an accredited university in another country. They must also demonstrate graduate-level proficiency in English.

 

International Affairs and Administration
Graduate Faculty

Denny E. Pilant, Professor (Ph.D., Duke University)

Political Theory, American Government, Methodology, Public Administration


Kant Patel, Professor (Ph.D., University of Houston)

Policy Analysis, Public Administration, Health Policy, Federalism


Mark E. Rushefsky, Professor (Ph.D., SUNY/Binghampton)

Public Policy, Public Administration, Environmental Policy, Health Policy


Frank Mazzella, Professor (Ph.D., Indiana University)

Comparative Politics, Latin American Politics, West-European Politics, Italian Politics


Mark C. Ellickson, Associate Professor (Ph.D. Southern Illinois University/Carbondale)

Public Administration, Management Theory, Methodology


Beat R. Kernen, Associate Professor (Ph.D., University of Kansas)

International Relations, West-European Politics, East-European Politics, Post-Soviet Politics


Dennis V. Hickey, Associate Professor (Ph.D., University of Texas)

International Relations, Asian Politics, International Security Policy, American Foreign Policy


Mehrdad Haghayeghi, Associate Professor (Ph.D., University of Southern California)

Comparative Politics, Middle Eastern Politics, Central Asian Politics


Brian A. Ellison, Assistant Professor (Ph.D., Colorado State University)

Public Policy, Program Evaluation, Environmental Policy


Patrick G. Scott, Assistant Professor (Ph.D., Syracuse University)

Public Administration, Organization Theory, Program Evaluation


Karrin Scapple, Assistant Professor (Ph.D., Ohio State University)

Comparative Politics, International Law, International Organizations, Environmental Policy


For additional information, please contact:

Department of Political Science

Missouri State University

Springfield, MO 65804/USA

Phone: (417) 836-5630

Fax: (417) 836-6655


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