PLS 510 Advanced Research I
This course is designed to introduce you to quantitative methods in political science research. To this end, a series of relevant concepts and issues to quantitative methods will be taught and discussed. The thematic emphasis will be on (but not limited to) probability, statistical inferences, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis. The goal of this course is to build a solid foundation in quantitative methods and techniques and to enable you to use the basic tools for your own research. You will be also asked to do a variety of exercises using a statistical package in order to enhance your ability to conduct your own analyses. Hands-on experiences as well as the principles of statistical reasoning will be emphasized.

PLS 511 Advanced Research II
This course provides the opportunity for you to learn the fundamentals of political science research, and as such, is a vital component of the MAPSIR program’s goal of your training to conduct significant original research in political science. This course will require a lot of reading, thinking, writing, and re-writing of your own ideas about how and why social scientists make choices while doing research: how and why they design their research projects the way they do, how they choose to conduct research, what kind of techniques they choose to use, what kind of evidence they accept and reject, and how they choose to present results of their research. It focuses on the elements of the choices made in the social science research process: research ideas, concepts, issues, and methods. It addresses philosophical questions concerning research design and methods, discusses political and ethical issues, applies practical matters of method and technique to a variety of topics. Thus, it aims to help you build the foundation in research skills that can be applied in an academic setting or a work environment. The outcome of this course is that you should understand the logic of inquiry, the scientific method as it relates to social science research, and should understand the process of research. At the end of the course you should be able to produce a literature review and basic research design to answer an original political science question.

PLS 540 Core Seminar in Comparative Politics
This course is meant to introduce graduate students to the field of Comparative Politics (CP), a diverse and core sub-field of Political Science. CP is both a methodological approach and a core set of concepts that are used together to create generalizable knowledge about politics in one or more countries. There are a number of ways that CP can be approached. It can use quantitative or qualitative data. It can focus on one country/region in comparative perspective, or tackle a large number of cases. It can center on rational choice, cultural, or structural explanations. It can look through the lenses of the state, institutions, society, or identity.

PLS 550 Core Seminar in International Relations
This course provides students with a firm foundation of IR and preparations for advanced studies in upper-level seminars. As a subfield, International Relations concerns itself with explaining the behavior of international actors, including states and international organizations. As the seminar covers a wide range of topics, the reading list will be extensive. Students must be prepared to contribute to in-class discussions. The course is structured in three parts: theoretical foundations of IR; a thematic survey of IR theories; and IR research methods. Students will be familiarized with key concepts and assumptions of IR and critically examine real-world policies using different perspectives and theories.

Elective graduate courses include:
Maximum Likelihood Models
Experimental Political Science
Just War Theory
Immigration Theory
Issues in the Philosophy of Science
Hannah Arendt on Power, Violence, and Revolution
Politics and Governance of the Russian Federation
Comparative Democratization
Text Analysis and Political Communication in the Information Age
Political Polarization in Democracies
State Capacity and State-building
Varieties of Federalism
Political Violence
The Politics of Immigration Control
Comparative Political Parties
Comparative Electoral System
The Politics of Arms in International Relations
International Security and Conflict
International Organization
Environmental Politics
Politics of International Finance
International Relations of Eurasia
Negotiation, Cooperation and Strategy

1. An undergraduate degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent)

• A minimum CGPA of 2.5 out of 4.0 (or equivalent).
• Final year students may submit the official transcript showing current courses during the application period for consideration.

2. High level of English proficiency.

1. Academic IELTS – overall 6.0 (writing 6.0, reading 5.5, listening 5.5, speaking 5.5) or the equivalent TOEFL (except Home edition) score as posted on the ETS website;
2. Applicants, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, may be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test report if:

• One of their earlier academic degrees was earned in a country where English is the language of official communication, academic instruction, and daily life;
• An undergraduate and/or graduate degree was earned in a program officially taught in English.

3. Strong reading, analytical, and mathematical skills as demonstrated by GRE test (optional).

• Although an official GRE score is not an essential requirement, an applicant can enhance their application with a competitive GRE score.

4. Statement of purpose

• High motivation and a strong interest in the program as outlined in a statement of purpose (only for the Master of Arts in Political Science and International Relations program and Master of Arts in Eurasian Studies program).

5. Letters of recommendation

• Two confidential letters of recommendation (only for the Master of Arts in Political Science and International Relations program). You can find the Instructions for submission of recommendation letters here.
• Three confidential letters of recommendation (only for the Master of Arts in Eurasian Studies program). You can find the Instructions for submission of recommendation letters here.

Applicants applying to the program are expected to have:

• An undergraduate degree (bachelor’s degree or equivalent). During the application period, final year students may submit the official current transcript for consideration.
• A minimum CGPA of 2.5 out of 4.0 (or equivalent).
• High level of English proficiency. The absolute minimum requirement for English language proficiency test reports for admission to the program is:
• 1. Academic IELTS – overall 6.0 (writing 6.0, reading 5.5, listening 5.5, speaking 5.5) or the equivalent TOEFL (except the home edition) score as posted on the ETS website;
• 2. Applicants, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, can be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test report if:
• – one of their earlier academic degrees was earned in a country with English as the language of official communication, academic instruction and daily life;
• – an undergraduate and/or graduate degree was earned in a program which was officially taught in English.
• Strong reading, analytical, and mathematical skills as demonstrated by the GRE test (optional). Although an official GRE score is not an essential requirement, an applicant can enhance her/his application with a competitive GRE score.
• High motivation and a strong interest in the program as outlined in a statement of purpose (only for the Master of Arts in Political Science and International Relations program and Master of Arts in Eurasian Studies program).

Online application deadlines for Masters programs:
For all types of grants:

• Citizens of Kazakhstan: available until January 23, 2025, 2:00 P.M. (Astana time).
• International applicants: available until March 3, 2025, 2:00 P.M. (Astana time).

For full tuition fee-paying category:

• Citizens of Kazakhstan: available until June 25, 2025, 2:00 P.M. (Astana time).
• International applicants from countries requiring a visa prior to arrival: available until March 27, 2025, 2:00 P.M. (Astana time).
• International applicants from countries eligible for visa issuance upon arrival: available until June 25, 2025, 2:00 P.M. (Astana time).

Deadline for submission of IELTS/TOEFL, GRE/GMAT certificates:
For all types of grants:

• Citizens of Kazakhstan: February 3, 2025
• International applicants: March 4, 2025

For full tuition fee-paying category:

• Citizens of Kazakhstan: July 4, 2025
• Applicants from countries requiring a visa prior to arrival: March 31, 2025
• Applicants from countries eligible for visa issuance upon arrival: June 26, 2025

The start of orientation week (for newly enrolled students): August 2025
First day of classes: August 2025

All submitted documents shall be in English or with notarized English translation:

Master's Degree Programs
The tuition fee for Master’s Degree Programs is $16,000 (8 176 000 KZT) per one academic year for both local and international students.

All fees apply for the 2024/2025 academic year.

To learn more about tuition fees please contact bursars_office@nu.edu.kz.
There are merit-based "Abay Kunanbayev" scholarships for top international applicants recommended for admission.
To learn more about financial aid and scholarship requirements, please visit nu.edu.kz