MA Political Science Course: The MA Political Science Course is the right course if you’re seeking to build a career in the humanities stream. With a great curriculum and highly qualified professors in any institute, this course will make you qualified in one of the most important fields of study in the contemporary world, international relations, alongside Indian polity.
Get to Know More about other types of Course Details in Stream wise, and Category wise.
- MA Political Science Course Details
- MA Political Science Course Overview
- About MA Political Science Course
- MA Political Science Course Eligibility Criteria
- MA Political Science Admission Process
- MA Political Science Syllabus PDF/Curriculum
- MA Political Science Course Fee Structure
- List of MA Political Science Colleges in India
- MA Political Science Job Opportunities and Salaries of a MA Political Graduate
- FAQ’s on MA Political Science Course
MA Political Science Course Details
The MA Political Science course is a two-year post-graduate programme which specializes in the theory and practicality of the political science discourse in Indian as well as international spheres. It is a fantastic Master’s option if you wish to hold public office, i.e. any positions in public administration and governance.
To enhance your knowledge about the processes of public policy, public administration, international relations, political theory, and other related spheres, the Master of Political Science course is the apt course for you.
MA Political Science Course Overview
| Course name | Master of Arts in Political Science |
| Course duration | 2 years |
| Eligibility | 50% minimum marks for BA in the qualifying test, 60% minimum marks for other Bachelor courses in the qualifying test |
| Syllabus/curriculum | Public Administration, International Relations, Comparative Politics, |
| MA Political Science Course Fees | Rs 20,000 to Rs 80,000 |
| Job opportunities | Academician, educator, teacher, bureaucrat, public official, etc. |
| Average salary | Rs 50,000 to Rs 37 lakh p.a. |
| Top colleges | JNU, BHU, IGNOU, BU, LPU, OU, etc. |
About MA Political Science Course
The MA Political Science course aims to educate all of its students in the various sub-disciplinary facets of the subject of Political Science. This includes Indian and as well as International Contemporary political thought. It strives to show students how to apply their theoretical knowledge of political frameworks to understand and approach the subject is a fruitful manner. Additionally, the Master’s in Political Science course aims to develop a variety of skills in students through textual analyses and varied forms of learning.
MA Political Science Course Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for the MA Political Science course are both merit-based as well as entrance-test-based. Bachelor’s degree is a must – while Arts or Humanities Bachelor degrees are preferable, other Bachelors are welcome to apply as well.
The following is the eligibility criteria for the MA Political Science course:
| Admission Category | Course Requirement | Marks Requirement |
| Entrance | Any BA degree (BA Hons/BA Programme/BA Pass/BA Degree) from a recognised university. | Minimum 50% marks in the last qualifying examination |
| Any Bachelor’s degree (BSc, BCom, BTech, etc.) from a recognised university. | Minimum 60% marks in the last qualifying examination | |
| Merit | BA Hons in Political Science | Minimum 60% marks |
MA Political Science Admission Process
The admission process for the MA Political Science Course is fairly simple. The first thing to do is to fill up the application form to sign up for the entrance test. The following are some of the entrance tests for MA Political Science according to the top universities under which the course falls. While these universities have entrance exams, they also have respective merit-based systems, as mentioned earlier.
- Banaras Hindu University Postgraduate Entrance Test (BHU PET)
- Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Exam (JNUEE)
- Delhi University Entrance Test (DUET)
- Osmania University Common Entrance Test (OUCET)
- Sharda University (Online) Admission Test (SUAT)
- Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT)
Once you have cleared the entrance exam, you will be shortlisted by colleges on the basis of your results. If you do not make the first cut-off list, wait for the next, and so on.
After shortlisting comes the final admission round for admission to the Master of Arts in Political Science course. The final admission round consists of the following three components to further assess the abilities of MA Political Science aspirants:
- Group discussion (GD)
- Written ability test (WAT)
- Personal interview (PI)
MA Political Science Syllabus PDF/Curriculum
The MA Political Science course curriculum consists of about 80 credits spread out over its four semesters. This includes core courses, electives, skill-based compulsory courses as well as open electives. The final assessment consists of the theory exams (70 marks), internal assessments (30 marks) and your dissertation (100 marks), which together hold a culminatory value of 200 marks.
The semester-wise breakdown of the syllabus of the course is as follows:
Semester I – 20 credits
- Debates in Political Theory (5)
- Theories of International Relations (5)
- Politics in India (5)
- Themes in Indian Political Thought (5)
Semester II – 18 credits
- Comparative Political Analysis (5)
- Administrative Theory (5)
- The third and fourth papers in the second semester of MA Political Science consist of 2 open elective papers of 4 credits each. There are a cumulative 10 open elective papers from which a student can choose.
Semester III
The third semester of MA Political Science consists of 4 elective papers of 5 credits each. These papers can be chosen by students from the 71 elective options available to them under the sub-disciplines of International Relations, Public Administration, Political Theory, Indian Political Thought, Indian Politics and Comparative Politics
Semester IV
- 4 more electives of 5 credits each.
- Skill-based compulsory course: Applied Political Science (2)
List of Electives
| Ethics and Politics | Indian Strategic Thought | Key Ideas in Contemporary Critical Theory in India | Ambedkar in Contemporary India | Gandhi, Autonomy and Discourse |
| Dalit-Bahujan Thought | Contemporary Explorations in Tagore | Discourses on Hindu Nationalism | Culture and Politics in India | Social Conservatism in India |
| Global Justice and the South | Politics and Ethnic Conflicts in J&K | Identities and Political Transformation in India | Nationalism in Comparative Perspective | The Politics of Identity in Comparative Perspective |
| Themes in Citizenship | Democracy and Human Rights in India | Religious Nationalism and Political Violence | Society, State and Politics: Comparing India and Israel | The State in Diverse Political Traditions |
| Theory and Practice of Democracy | Development Process and Politics in India | Constitutionalism in Comparative Perspective | Politics of South Asia in Comparative Perspective | Social Movement and Revolution |
| Critical Traditions in Political Theory | The Modern State in Comparative Perspective | Comparative Federalism: Theory and Practice | Security Studies | The Politics of Violence in South Asia |
| State Politics in India | Indian Polity in State-Society Interactions | Elections and Electoral Process in India | Public Institutions and Governance | Institutions, Development and Poverty |
| Democracy and Violence: Contestation, Convergence and Discourse | Social Exclusion: Theory and Practice | Pakistan and the World | State and Society in Pakistan | Gender in International Relations |
| Law, Crime and Politics in India | Collaborative Governance Transforming Engagements in Public Management | Corporate Citizenship and Governance: Theories and Practices | Political in Local Governance | Environmental Policies & Politics |
| Politics of Knowledge | Marx’s Politics: Labour, Equivalence, Rights | Politics and Psychoanalysis | Political Theology Debates | Black Radical Tradition |
| Comparative Political Theory | Egalitarianism: Theory and Practice | Theorizing the Politics of Diversity | Interpreting Indian Classical Texts | Modern Indian Political Thinkers |
| Regions and Regionalism | India in World Affairs | Power Transition and the Dynamics of Foreign Policy in International Relations | Conflict Analysis | ‘Worlding’ International Relations: Perspectives from the Global South |
| Islam and International Relations | International Relations of South Asia | The United States of America in the Transforming Global Order | China’s Role in the Contemporary World | Citizenship and Borders |
| North America in Comparative Perspective | Contemporary Debates in Indian Federalism | Political Parties and Party system in India | International Political Economy | Key Texts in Political Philosophy |
| Public Policy |
List of Open Electives
| Ethics and Governance | Understanding the International | Political Institutions and Processes in India | Gender Studies | Security: An Interdisciplinary Discourse |
| Development | Environment | Human Rights: Challenges and Concerns | Research Methods in Political Science | Digital/Social Media and New Public |
MA Political Science Course Fee Structure
The average fees for the MA Political Science Course range about Rs 20,000 to Rs 80,000, depending on the University which you would prefer.
Not that the fees at private universities are generally higher than the fees at government universities, as is true for most courses.
The quality of education in India for MA Political Science courses remains impeccable due to the large number of highly qualified Humanities academicians produced in our country. Thus the fee is in accordance with the same.
List of MA Political Science Colleges in India
Please note that most universities in the country offer the MA Political Science course. For your information, the following is a list of the best institutions which offer the Postgraduate Political Science Course:
- Indira Gandhi National Open Univerity (IGNOU)
- Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
- Amity University, Noida
- Delhi University (DU)
- St Joseph’s College (Autonomous) (SJC)
- Bangalore University (BU)
- Lovely Professional University (LPU)
- Jadavpur University
- OP Jindal Global University
- Banaras Hindu University
- Osmania University
- St Xavier’s College
- Sharda University
Also, Find
MA Political Science Job Opportunities and Salaries of a MA Political Graduate
As a MA Political Science course graduate, there are several appropriate job profiles for you with their salaries listed for you below:
| Jobs | Average Salary |
| Archivist | Rs 37 lakh p.a. |
| College Professor | Rs 15 lakh p.a. |
| Civil Servant (varying pay grades according to seniority of position) | Rs 50,000 to Rs 12 lakh p.a. |
| Public Officer | Rs 24 lakh p.a. |
| School Teacher (varies pay grades according to the teacher specialisation) | Rs 3 lakh to Rs 6 lakh p.a. |
| Writer/Author | No specific amount – get paid according to work which comes and goes |
| Activist | Does not pay |
FAQ’s on MA Political Science Course
Question 1.
What are the eligibility criteria for an MA Political Science course?
Answer:
If you wish to apply for an MA Political Science course, you require to have a Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university. If you have a Bachelor of Arts degree, then the marks requirement is 50% or more for the qualifying exam. If you are the holder of any other Bachelor’s degree other than of Arts, you need to score 60% or more in the qualifying exam.
Question 2.
What is the MA Political Science course duration?
Answer:
MA Political Science courses are two-year post-graduate courses which are spread over four semesters.
Question 3.
What is the average fee for the MA Political Science course?
Answer:
The average fees for the MA Political Course widely range between ₹20,000 and ₹80,000.
Question 4.
Which colleges offer the MA Political Science course?
Answer:
Indira Gandhi National Open University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Amity University, Delhi University and St Joseph’s College (Autonomous) are some of the institutions which offer Political Science Master’s.
Question 5.
What kind of jobs does an MA in Political Science open up?
Answer:
With an MA in Political Science, you can be a schoolteacher, college professor, archivist, civil servant, public office holder, activist and political writer. The salary ranges between Rs 50,000 and Rs 37 lakh per annum, depending on the job.