Traditionally, a terminal degree refers to the highest possible degree in a particular field of study. For politics, this is a Doctorate of Philosophy degree. In practice, however, it often refers to the highest degree that most people will obtain, or the highest degree needed for a particular employment opportunity. In political science, this includes a Masters degree, either as a professional degree or as an exit point on the path to a Doctoral degree.
Politics, or political science, is the academic study of power, politics and government -- local, national and global. From as far back as Plato, theorists have debated the ideas of struggle and co-operation in the polity or state. In the United States, there are four well-defined fields of political science, namely political theory, international relations, comparative politics and American politics. Topics covered in political science degree studies include war and peace, community power, voting, urban dynamics and poverty and gender and class.
Professional Masters' degrees in Political Science position students for employment in local and national governmental positions. The Master of Applied Politics at the University of Akron focuses on practical politics and the efforts to influence political decisions by winning elections, campaigning and fund-raising. Masters in Public Administration professional degrees are sometimes offered by Departments of Political Science. Graduates of these professional Masters programs are well-suited to work in public and non-profit areas, dealing with the politics of management. Students wishing to enroll in these programs must have a Bachelors degree in a related field. Graduates of political science Masters programs are often employed outside academia in government agencies, businesses and research faculties.
As a terminal degree, the Doctor of Philosophy award usually requires four years of related undergraduate work to obtain a Bachelor's degree, followed by two to three years for a Masters degree, and then another two to four years for the Ph.D. study and research. In many universities, candidates are admitted directly into the Ph.D. professional program from their undergraduate studies and are awarded the the Masters degree along the path to the Ph.D. If students leave the program after obtaining the Masters degree, then it becomes a terminal degree. Ph.D. graduates often go on to teach at universities or colleges or to join a research institute.