MA in Government
The curriculum of the Master of Arts in Government program is designed for working adult students who have specialized skills in a particular field and desire the broader perspective necessary for leadership in politics and administration. The courses are based on the latest scholarly and scientific knowledge but emphasize the application of such knowledge to the practical governmental, political, and policymaking problems of today.
Admissions Criteria for All Advanced Academic Programs
PROGRAM-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
In addition to the materials and credentials required for all programs, the MA in Government program requires:
- Resume
- Two Letters of Recommendation
- Statement of Purpose: Please provide a statement, up to one page in length, describing your personal background and/or a part of your life experience that has shaped you or your goals. Feel free to elaborate on personal challenges and opportunities that have influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree at Johns Hopkins.
- Writing Sample:
- Submit a research-focused five- to ten-page writing sample. The purpose of the writing sample is to demonstrate the applicant’s ability to make and support an argument.
If the applicant does not have an existing research-focused writing sample that they wish to submit, the applicant may write a five-page paper responding to the following:
"If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.” — James Madison, Federalist 51
In this well-known quote, Madison points toward the age-old problem of reconciling democracy and political power. Discuss this problem in reference to some recent policy issues or political events, citing at least three references.
Program Requirements
Students pursuing the MA in Government program must complete:
- Three required core courses
- Two customizable core courses for those pursuing applications of research
- One customizable core course for those pursuing thesis
- Seven or eight electives to meet the 12-course requirement
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses - Required: | 9 | |
| Government & Politics | ||
| Research and Thesis I: MA in Government | ||
| Thesis and Applications of Research | ||
| Core Courses - Customizable for Applications of Research | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Bureaucratic Politics | ||
| The Courts and Public Policy | ||
| Race, Politics, and Policy | ||
| Models of Democratic Leadership in America | ||
| Democracy and Its Modern Critics | ||
| Separation of Powers and Democratic Governance | ||
| Corruption and Democratic Governance | ||
| Religion and American Political Culture | ||
| Political Debates and the US Constitution | ||
| Legislative Language and Policymaking | ||
| Political Institutions and the Policy Process | ||
| Comparative Democracies | ||
| American Exceptionalism | ||
| Congress: Why the First Branch Matters | ||
| Hate Groups and Domestic Terrorism | ||
| Comparative Federalism: The United States and the European Union | ||
| Western Political and Constitutional Thought | ||
| The FBI and Information Sharing in the Post 9-11 World | ||
| American Political Development | ||
| Nationalism in the Democratic Age | ||
| Core Courses - Customizable for Thesis | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Probability and Statistics | ||
| Research and Thesis II: MA in Government | ||
| Fundamentals of Quantitative Methods | ||
| Electives (7 or 8 to reach 12 courses) | 21 -24 | |
Concentration: Political Communication
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select four of the following: | 12 | |
| Social Media and The American Presidency | ||
| Leadership Skills in the 21st Century | ||
| Speechwriting: Theory and Practice | ||
| Political Ideas, Strategy, and Policy Implementation | ||
| Money and Politics | ||
| Negotiating as a Leadership Skill | ||
| Introduction to Advocacy and Lobbying | ||
| Social Media and Politics: Elections, Strategy and Mobilizing Voters in the Digital Age | ||
| Communications and Congress | ||
| Politics and the Media | ||
| Campaigns and Elections | ||
| The FBI and Information Sharing in the Post 9-11 World | ||
| Campaigns and Running for Office | ||
| Data-Driven Campaigns and Elections | ||
| Communicating Public Policy | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Concentration: Security Studies
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select four of the following: | 12 | |
| Global Political Economy | ||
| U.S. Security in a Disordered World | ||
| Intelligence Ethics | ||
| Global Terrorist Organizations | ||
| Congress and the Making of Foreign Policy | ||
| Challenges of Transnational Security | ||
| Security Issues in South Asia | ||
| Democracy and Its Modern Critics | ||
| Russian National Security Policy | ||
| Radicalization and Deradicalization in Terror Networks | ||
| Military Strategy & National Policy | ||
AS.470.697 | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Concentration: Democracy Studies and Governance
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select four of the following: | 12 | |
| Government & Politics | ||
| The Courts and Public Policy | ||
| Race, Politics, and Policy | ||
| Models of Democratic Leadership in America | ||
| Democracy and Its Modern Critics | ||
| Separation of Powers and Democratic Governance | ||
| Corruption and Democratic Governance | ||
| Presidential Power and Politics | ||
| Religion and American Political Culture | ||
| Political Debates and the US Constitution | ||
| Legislative Language and Policymaking | ||
| Political Institutions and the Policy Process | ||
| Comparative Democracies | ||
| American Exceptionalism | ||
| Congress: Why the First Branch Matters | ||
| Hate Groups and Domestic Terrorism | ||
| Comparative Federalism: The United States and the European Union | ||
| Western Political and Constitutional Thought | ||
| American Political Development | ||
| Nationalism in the Democratic Age | ||
| Fixing American Politics | ||
| State Politics: A Year in the Life | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |