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Offered by the The
School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA) and
The Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM)
1. Joint Program
The School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA) and the Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) have created a joint 5-year BA/MPS program. This option is only available to GW students.
SMPA and GSPM share a common commitment to nurturing students who
are interested in pursuing professional careers in public affairs.
This common commitment leads to a natural affinity between many
of SMPA’s undergraduate courses and GSPM’s graduate-level
courses. In fact, in most instances GSPM graduate-level courses
offer a clear and logical extension of many SMPA undergraduate courses.
To further compliment the intellectual compatibility, the physical
proximity enjoyed by SMPA and GSPM in the new SMPA building adds
to the attractiveness of this proposed program.
- For an estimated 4-6 students per year, a joint degree program
fulfills specific career development goals. SMPA undergraduate
courses provide a solid grounding in liberal arts and social science
theory. GSPM adds to that while providing more technically oriented
courses appropriate for careers in politics and public service.
2. Admission Procedure for the Five-Year Program
SMPA students applying for the joint degree program must do so
during the second semester of their junior year.
Students should apply online to the Master of Professional Studies program under the College of Professional Studies. Applicants must take the GRE during the junior year at a point that will allow scores to be considered as a part of the application.
The committee will meet during the spring term of each academic
year. Admissions will be granted during that term alone.
3. The Senior Year Curriculum
Students must meet all of the requirements of their respective
SMPA program. Nothing in the 5-year program changes SMPA program
requirements. For example, a student in the Political Communication
Program may take Journalism 150 and PCM 128 to fulfill PCM graduation
requirements. As noted below, these same courses also fulfill part
of the requirements for the SMPA/ GSPM 5-year program. During either
their junior or senior year, students will take two courses from
the SMPA curriculum, selected from among the following:
- Journalism 134 Washington Reporting [3]
Examination of reporting and writing techniques employed in news
coverage of the national government, with an emphasis on serving
a regional readership or audience. Prerequisite: Jour. 111
- Journalism 150 Media Law [3]
Freedom of the press, censorship, legislative controls, copyright
laws, laws of libel and privacy, and other law relating to the
news business, privilege and fair comment.
- Media, Politics and Government. [3]
Exploration of the role played by communication, principally through
the mass media, in the conduct of government and the making of
public policy.
- Television and Politics. [3]
Examination of the impact of television on American politics and
society, the nature of coverage of political issues and campaigns,
the dynamics of selecting and presenting news stories.
- PCM/Journalism 132 Campaign Reporting. [3]
In this course students will develop news gathering and writing
skills and apply those skills to the coverage of political campaigns.
Emphasis on use of reporting techniques to illuminate how campaigns
work and how politics affects the lives of citizens.
- PCM 150 Principles of Public Relations. [3]
Theory and practice of public relations, including approaches,
problem-solving, effects and ethics.
- PCM 152 Public Affairs and Government Information. [3]
Theory and practice of public affairs, with particular emphasis
on the government information function in the federal government,
including Congress and the White House. Includes a review of the
principal roles and functions, administrative relationships, legal
requirements and responsibilities, ethics.
- PCM 155 Strategic Political Communication. [3]
Origins of strategic approaches to political communication; techniques.
Use of strategic communication by individuals, groups, organizations
and governments in both domestic politics and the international
system. PRE: PCM 100 or permission of the instructor.
- PCM 157 Political Campaign Communication. [3]
Communication aspects of political campaigns for candidates and
ballot issues. Examinations of techniques and channels of communication,
role of communication in campaign strategy, ethics and implications
of campaign decision making.
- PCM 158 Political Campaign Advertising. [3]
Theory and practice of campaign advertising, with special emphasis
on televised political spots, direct mail and the Internet.
- SMPA 199 Senior Seminar in Political Communication. [3]
Capstone seminar open only to senior EMDA, Journalism. and Political
Communication majors.
Additionally, during their senior year students must take two courses
from the Political Management curriculum
One of those courses is:
- PMGT 201--Fundamentals of Political Management. [3]
An introduction to the field of political management: recent history,
Washington and its centers of power, lobbying and influence, issues
and ideology, elections, and ethical considerations. Required
during first semester senior year.
Students will then choose one course from the following:
- PMGT 206--Speech Writing. [3]
Analysis and techniques of effective speech writing and speech
presentation for public officials and candidates.
- PMGT 207--Strategy and Message Development. [3]
This course introduces GSPM students to the specialized forms
of communication which political professionals use to win support
for their candidates and causes.
- PMGT 240--Campaign Management. This course focuses on the role
and responsibilities of the modern campaign manager at the local,
congressional, statewide and national level.
4. Waiver of GSPM Internship Requirement
GSPM will reduce the 400-hour internship requirement for students
in the joint degree program consistent with the time requirements
of full-time graduate study. During the undergraduate phase of their
education, students will continue to be encouraged to take full
advantage of the internship opportunities available in Washington
for which they can earn credit.
5. Thesis Option
Students in the joint degree program will be encouraged to pursue
the M.P.S. thesis route. If they choose this option, students will
be required to take PMGT 299-Thesis Research I during the first
semester of their fifth year, and PMGT 300-Thesis Research II during
the second semester of their fifth year.
The thesis committee may be comprised of faculty from both the
School of Media and Public Affairs and the Political Management
programs.
6. Example of Five-Year Program:
First Year: Basic undergraduate curriculum, including
prerequisites to a specific SMPA program.
Second Year: Application to an SMPA undergraduate
program (first semester).
Third Year: Application to the Joint-Degree program
(second semester).
Fourth Year: Completion of two Joint-Degree courses.
Fulfillment of all requirements for the B.A. degree.
Fifth Year: Four PMGT courses during first semester.
Four PMGT courses during second semester.
Two PMGT courses during the summer semester.
Fulfillment of all requirements for the M.P.S. degree.
In order to meet the requirements
for the MPS in Political Management, students will be required to
take a total of 12 graduate level courses, two of which will count toward the B.A. degree requirements. PMGT 201 (Fundamentals of Political
Management) and one other PMGT course will be taken in their senior
year. During the fifth year, they must take the remaining core requirements
(PMGT 202 - Qualitativee Methods; 207 - Strategy and Message Development;
260 - Ethics for Political Management). Five year students are encouraged
to take the thesis option, but if they choose not to do so, they
will be required to take PMGT 295 in their final semester of study.
*Please contact Dr. Charles Cushman
for more information on the 5-Year BA/MPS Program at (202) 994-6000.
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