Master of Political Science

The Master of Political Science is a two-year full time program, or up to four years part time. Deakin University offers these to students with varying agendas, with coursework or research-oriented options being available. This is a significant choice, as it determines the direction of the degree and thus availability of career options.

Coursework master

Should students favour coursework over research, they’ll learn a variety of fundamentals and gain access to a selection of electives. Some of these include:

• Challenges to democratic governance
• Intergovernmental relations
• Managing public expenditure
• Political competition
• Political values and public policy

This pathway will often include some sort of research project or dissertation regardless of choice, as is certainly the case for Deakin’s Master of Politics and Policy. Neither of these are as extensive as what a research project entails, however.

Research master

Completing a degree by research is a rigorous process, requiring students to:

• Design a project and have it reviewed by a supervisor
• Undergo relevant research
• Write a thesis explaining the results

This is quite a different approach to the coursework master, but will sharpen each student’s research and analytical skills considerably.

Employment options

Those who’ve undergone a coursework focussed program would be well-suited to the employment options specified here. Whether it’s working as a policy advisor at FTI Consulting or a public relations specialist at Edelman, these courses provide the knowledge to be of great help.

Students from research masters are capable of making great strides in academia. Whether it’s teaching university students, making great discoveries or writing oft-cited papers, political science graduates from a research stream are well equipped. It’s also possible to enter a PhD program in this manner, as the tasks required throughout these degrees are almost like a condensed PhD in and of themselves.  

Scholarships and funding

Students in these programs have access to several lines of funding, including:

• The Fulbright Anne Wexler Scholarships in Public Policy, valued at up to $140,000. They provide non-US citizens with the means and permission to study and conduct research in the US. This funding covers all manner of expenses, from food and accommodation to course fees.
• The T.B. Millar Scholarship, with variable funding. This is a scholarship only available across four social sciences, political science being among them. They’re available to students at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre.
• The Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship, valued at $120,000 pa. This requires students to argue for why their line of study benefits one of three focuses:
  • Technology and innovation
  • Strengthening Australia-Asia ties
  • Enabling positive social change

Arguing for the third option is likely the easiest case to make, as political science is focussed entirely on exacting positive social change through understanding of political landscapes and policy development. Units regarding Australia-Asia ties can be found in master’s degrees, so those who’ve taken them or plan to take them could also argue in favour of the second option too.

Prerequisites and selection process

Students must usually have one of three things to enter these programs

• A bachelor’s degree from any discipline with at least a 4.5/7 GPA,
• Several years of work experience
• A graduate certificate or diploma from any discipline