Political Science (Political Analytics), MA
Turn political data into powerful insight. Learn how to interpret the data that drives policies, campaigns and strategies across government, advocacy, research and business. This fully online master's degree program lets you strengthen your expertise anywhere, on a schedule that works for you.
Quick facts
Locations
Credits
Additional facts
STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
International students (F1), this program is not eligible for the STEM-OPT extension.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Degree description
Political Science (Political Analytics) master's description
The Master of Arts program in political science with a concentration in political analytics prepares you to meet the rapidly growing demand for data-literate professionals in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. In an era when political decision-making, campaign strategy, policy development and public opinion research are increasingly driven and shaped by big data, you develop the skills to collect, analyze, interpret and communicate data in real-world political contexts.
GI Bill® benefits
This new program is not yet approved for use with GI Bill® benefits.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/.
Why specialize in political analytics at ASU?
You ground technical skills in the pressing political questions that matter most, learning from a mix of research faculty and active practitioners, including campaign professionals, policy analysts and survey researchers.
Curriculum
This graduate degree includes courses focused on a specialized topic, so you can advance your skills for further professional opportunities. Explore all courses below.
30 credit hours including the required capstone course (POS 597)
Required Core (3 credit hours) Concentration (6 credit hours) Other Requirements (3 credit hours) Restricted Electives (9 credit hours) Electives (6 credit hours) Culminating Experience (3 credit hours) Additional Curriculum Information Other requirements coursework may be substituted with approval by the program director. Substitutions are based on student interest in narrowing their focus with guidance. Students should see the academic unit for a list of approved elective courses. The capstone course allows each student to explore a research area, interest, theme or question. Final written products are individually developed based on consultation with faculty.
POS 503 Empirical Political Inquiry (3)
POS 602 Methods of Political Analysis (3)
POS 605 Political Data Wrangling and Visualization (3)
POS 603 Polimetrics I (3)
POS 598 Special Topics (3)
PPS 506 Experimental Design (3)
PPS 514 Campaign and Elections (3)
PPS 598 Topic: Political Campaign Management (3)
POS 597 Capstone (3)
For restricted electives coursework, students select three of the courses from the list in consultation with their program advisor. The program advisor can also provide a complete list of approved topics for POS 598.
Admission requirements
Here are the admission and application details
All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
U.S. applicants (opens in new window) | International applicants (opens in new window) | English proficiency (opens in new window)
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in political science or a related field from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = ''A'') in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = ''A'') in an applicable master's degree program. Applicants are required to submit: Additional Application Information The letter of intent should describe the applicant's academic and professional interests to date, their reasons for pursuing a master's degree in political science with a concentration in political analytics, and how this advanced degree relates to their future goals.
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of current residency by scoring at least 4 on the Internet-based TOEFL (iBT)®, or a score of 80 if taken before January 21, 2026 in a testing center; 6.5 on the IELTS; or 105 on the Duolingo English test.
Application deadlines
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | 07/25 | Priority* |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | 12/11 | Priority* |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | 04/14 | Priority* |
*A priority deadline means that applications submitted and completed before the priority deadline will receive priority consideration. Applications submitted after the priority deadlines will be reviewed in the order in which they were completed and on a space-available basis. An application is complete after all materials are received by Admission Services.
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students recieve financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimateCareer opportunities
Careers this political analytics concentration prepares you for
This concentration is ideal for students pursuing research, policy or analytics careers that demand strong statistical and methodological skills, while still grounding their expertise in core political science concepts.
Graduates are prepared for research or applied careers in political science in government, nonprofits and the private sector. Career examples include:
- campaign consultant
- campaign strategist
- data analyst
- lobbyist
- research specialist
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
Prospective students should fill out the Request for Information form.
School of Politics and Global Studies
|
COOR 6801
spgs@asu.edu
480-965-8563
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) provides a reduced tuition rate to non-resident graduate students who qualify. Visit the WRGP/WICHE webpage for more information: https://graduate.asu.edu/wiche.
