Join the New Directions Program!

We offer an MA in applied Political Science focused on local leadership in government and non-profit community or labor organizations.

Our program specializes in developing informed leaders to serve within local communities. A well rounded curriculum provides students with skills ranging from administration to management and budgeting, public policy analysis, and community or labor organizing methodology. Learning in New Directions is contextualized to deepen understanding of race, class, gender and other inequalities that shape local challenges, and of political systems. 

Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, careers, and experiences. The varied experiences of our diverse student population promote cross-sector learning and model the kind of partnerships and collaboration sought by many local governments and community or labor organizations. 

Our instructors are practitioners in their respective fields.Therefore they are skilled in providing our students with opportunities to learn practical content, develop relevent tools, and apply effective strategies within their professional environment. 

We deliver most courses through a weekend program format. Courses taught over the course of three weekends in a term (9 am to 4 pm Saturday and Sunday) provide flexibility for working professionals and other non-traditional students.

The New Directions Model in More Detail

New Directions is a customizable program. We welcome students with a strong interest in local government or community leadership, and those with an interest in both. Students may focus a little more in one sector or another, but will generally take courses that cut across sectors. Local government and community-based efforts intersect and influence each other. For example, it is helpful for a local government administrator to understand the historic inequalities that have given rise to a particular community challenge and what social movements and policy innovations are emerging to overcome that challenge. Non-profit organizations often partner with local government in the delivery of services or programs, or they may be engaged in community organizing to achieve changes in state, city or town laws. Budgeting and management skills are applicable in both sectors. Political education courses provide important context on the forces shaping opportunities and challenges in any jurisdiction. 

Local Government: These courses prepare students to work for or better understand local, county, or state government. Students will gain skills in government administration, politics of budget and finance, local politics and public policy. 


Community and Labor Organizing: Courses in these areas prepare students to lead and manage community or labor organizations, or to respond and partner with these grassroots movements from within government. Students will examine different social movement theories, labor unions, community organizing models and political contexts to develop practical strategies for building or engaging with broad social movements. 


Policy and Political Topics: New Directions students may be offered special topical courses on hot topics in public policy or political movements in our intensive weekend format. Examples might include Latino Politics, courses on gender, and new courses on affordable housing. Students are also eligible to take several courses in the traditional political science MA program should they see a course that is especially applicable to their interests. And of course, the Master's Project is an opportunity to develop expertise in a student's selected area of study, with the guidance and expertise of a team of faculty advisors. 

 

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Degree Requirements

Students must complete a total of 33 graduate credit hours to complete the MA degree, including 6 credit hours of required courses, a 3 credit hour mater's project, and an additional 24 credit hours of elective, graduate level PSCI courses.

  Required Courses

PSCI 5468

Research Methods in Political Science                                                               

PSCI 5914

Community Organizing and Community Development

Complete a three credit hour master’s project under the direction of a faculty advisor.
Registration is done using the Special Processing form, rather than online.

PSCI 5960

Master's Project

Elective courses are drawn from the focus areas above or address public, non-profit or community leadership generally. The program aims to provide 2 to 3 course offerings every spring and fall semester and 1 to 2 courses each summer. Up to 6 credits of independent study and up to 3 credits of internship can be pursued in any semester. Students may also enroll in courses offered through the traditional Political Science MA; though those courses are not offered in the intensive weekend format, they may be offered on-line and/or in evenings.