Majors and Programs

Recent Sul Ross political science and public administration graduates have moved on to careers in local, state, and federal government, higher education, and administration of private non-profit organizations.

Students will graduate with the ability to:

• Organize and execute verbal and written presentations about complex social issues
• Tackle social and political problems by acquiring relevant data and using insight and technical skills to analyze data and develop logical solutions
• Understand the roles and responsibilities of institutional authority within local, state, national, and international communities.
• Understand and execute a policy analysis

With the low student-faculty ratio, public administration students are provided with more opportunities for one-on-one collaboration with faculty members.

All students have the opportunity to present research at the annual research symposium, as well as regional and national conferences.

Eligible students will be encouraged to develop connections with fellow students and scholars through involvement in the Omicron Phi chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honors Society, as well as through membership in the American Political Science Association (APSA) and/or the American Society of Public Administration.

Comprehensive Exam Procedures for
Master of Public Administration and Master of Arts in Political Science

As part of the degree requirements for the Master of Public Administration or Master of Arts in Political Science, each graduate student must pass a comprehensive examination of their coursework.  The exam consists of a take-home written component and an oral component.

Scheduling the Exam

After mid-term of the last semester of the student’s coursework in either program, the student should consult with their Public Administration/Political Science advisor to form an exam committee. The committee will be comprised of three Sul Ross State University faculty members. At least two committee members must be from the Public Administration/Political Science faculty.  One member of the committee may be from a related discipline, but it is not required to choose someone from an outside discipline.  The chair of the committee will be the student’s Public Administration/Political Science advisor.  The committee will evaluate the written exam and administer the oral exam.

When the student is ready is to schedule the comprehensive exam, the student should contact his/her advisor to work out scheduling details. This should occur no later than 30 days prior to your preferred date for the written exam.

Structure of the Exam

The take-home written exam will consist of three to four essay questions about the student’s coursework. Members of the committee may submit individual questions, or committee members may collaborate to create questions. During the written exam, students can consult course readings, and assignments, as long as all resources are properly cited. The questions for the written exam will be emailed to the student on the day of the exam.

The oral exam will be conducted after committee members have had an opportunity to review the written exam, usually within two weeks of exam submission. During the oral exam, committee members will ask the student to explain or elaborate upon their answers from the written exam.  Additional questions that were not on the written exam may be included in the oral exam. Students can take the oral exam in person or by phone. The oral exam will last approximately one hour.

Preparing for the Exam

Past students have prepared for the comprehensive exam by reviewing assignments, readings, final exams, and research projects from their Public Administration/Political Science coursework.

Year 2

NOTE:  There are proposed changes to this program, including a reduction in required program hours (from 36 to 30).  Updates will be posted upon approval.

Year 2