Professional Politics Track

Requirements (5 courses, 15 credits):

GVT 723 Graduate Internship
GVT 747 Seminar in Legislation and Lobbying*
GVT 755 Seminar in Campaigns and Elections
GVT 772 Ethical Issues in Professional Politics
GVT 776 Advanced Research Methods in Professional Politics
or
GVT 777 Joint Research Methods

*Prerequisite: Course in American Politics at the undergraduate level. 

Electives (5 courses, 15 credits):

Electives can include any graduate course offered by the Government Department, or:

CJN 740 Political Communication
EC 710 Macroeconomics
EC 730 International Trade and Theory
EC 733 Public Choice
EC 740 International Monetary Economics
PAD 815 Nonprofit Organizations in the Community
PAD 830 Public Liaison Strategies
PAD 832 Disability Issues

Other Suffolk University graduate courses may be taken as options with the approval of the program director.

Electives will be chosen to support your field of concentration and choice of internship area or thesis topic.

International Relations Track

Requirements (5 courses, 15 credits):

GVT 723 Graduate Internship
GVT 761 Seminar in International Relations Theory
GVT 763 International Political Economy*
GVT 765 Seminar in Contemporary International Relations
GVT 778 Advanced Research Methods in International Relations
or
GVT 777 Joint Research Methods

Electives (5 courses, 15 credits):

Two courses (6 credits) must be chosen from one of the following focus areas:

InterAmerican Politics Focus

GVT 686 Political Economy of Latin America
GVT 687 Caribbean and Central American Politics
GVT 691 Canadian Politics
GVT 693 Politics of Mexico
GVT 697 South America: Political Institutions and Political Change
PAD 840 Comparative Public Policy (when offered in Puerto Rico or Canada)

European Politics Focus

GVT 682 Politics of European Integration
GVT 683 Politics of Europe
GVT 695 Politics of East European Transition
PAD 840 Comparative Public Policy (when offered in Dublin or Prague)

International Political Economy Focus

GVT 686 Political Economy of Latin America
EC 730 International Trade Theory and Policy
EC 733 Public Choice
EC 770 Economic Integration
BLLS 830 Managing in the International Legal Environment
FNEC 810 The Manager in the Global Economy – Trade Issues and Policy
MBA 730 Managing in the Global Legal and Economic Environment
MGIB 810 International Business

International Organizations Focus

GVT 663 International Legal Systems 
GVT 665 International and Transnational Organizations
GVT 669 Human Rights
CJN 750 Organizational Communication and Development
PAD 815 Nonprofit Organizations in the Community
PAD 844 Management of Nonprofits

East Asian Focus

GVT 610 Politics of Korea
GVT 617 Korean Summer Institute: East Asian Governance
GVT 618 Korean Summer Institute: East Asian Peace Culture
GVT 689 Politics of China
GVT 680 Politics of Japan
GVT 808 Political Economy of East Asia

Middle East Focus

GVT 685 Politics and International Relations of the Middle East
GVT 690 International Relations of the Middle East
GVT 692 Women and Politics in Islam
GVT 694 The U.S. and the Middle East
GVT 698 Islam and Politics

Individually Designed Focus

Students, with approval of their advisor and the program director, may design their own focus area from graduate courses offered at Suffolk University.

Thesis Option

Master’s students should normally choose the internship option. Students wishing to write a thesis instead must submit a proposal for approval by a faculty committee. Such applications will be considered only from students who have completed 14 credits, including two of their core courses, with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5. For students in the International Relations track, the topic of the thesis must be related to the student’s focus area.

The research, writing, and defense of a master’s thesis will normally require an additional year of study. Students approved for the thesis must enroll in GVT 907, followed by GVT 957. Completed theses must be defended before a committee of the faculty.

GVT 907 Pre-thesis Reading Course (6 credits)

GVT 957 Thesis Research and Writing (6 credits)

Total requirements (39 Credits)

Internship Option

The internship option is recommended for students seeking careers in professional politics or international relations. Typically, an internship will involve supervised work at a professional level in a political campaign, on a legislative staff, or in legislative relations, an international organization, or issue advocacy for a government agency, interest group, or non-governmental organization. Internships are available in Massachusetts, or in other countries, with suitable offices in New York or Washington. Internship placement must be approved by the student’s advisor and will typically require at least 20 hours of work per week for the duration of a semester and the completion of a research paper based on the internship experience. The research paper must be approved by a departmental committee.

GVT 723 Graduate Internship (3 credits)

Total requirements (30 Credits)

Language Requirement

In addition to their coursework, all students concentrating in International Relations must demonstrate written and oral proficiency in a language other than English. Proficiency will be evaluated by a standardized examination approved by the department. Students may enroll in language courses for the purpose of mastering the chosen language, but credits in those courses will not be applied toward the degree. Language proficiency should be demonstrated as evidenced by test results either prior to admission or by the end of the first year in the program.