MA/MS Program Handbook :
Introduction

The Handbook
The Community
The University 
Graduate Housing
Library Facilities
Graduate Education at ISU

The Handbook
This handbook is intended to facilitate your progress toward an MS or MA degree in Political Science. It will answer many of the most-asked questions about the University, the community and the Department, outline University and Departmental requirements and procedures, and offer some suggestions for job searches or further graduate education. 

Much of the information in here is drawn from the Indiana State University Graduate Catalog. If you do not have a copy of the Catalog you should obtain one from the School of Graduate Studies. It contains official curriculum information and requirements in place at the time you entered the University. It is a good idea to hang on to the Catalog that contains those requirements.  

You should also familiarize yourself with the ISU Political Science Department's homepage on the Internet.
The URL is: http://www.indstate.edu/polisci
It contains updated information about the department, its programs, class schedules, etc. as well as various resources to assist you in research projects, planning for further graduate education, or finding a job.

The Community
Terre Haute is located in west-central Indiana on the banks of the Wabash River. It is a city of more than 60,000 (population of 150,000 for the larger metropolitan area), lying 70 miles west of Indianapolis, 180 miles south of Chicago and 175 miles east of St. Louis. Thus, good transportation facilities provide access to the cultural and recreational activities of several metropolitan areas.  

Terre Haute is a city with a diverse industrial and commercial base with two higher educational institutions other than Indiana State. It serves as a shopping center for a population of about one and a half million. There are several shopping centers a short drive from campus, the main ones being:

There is bus service to these centers and to much of the city. A bus stop for all city buses is located just off campus at Wabash and 5th Street.
For information on buses, call 235-0109.

Cultural and Recreation Activities:

Community Theater, 1431 South 25th Street
(232-7172)
Sheldon Swope Art Museum, 25 South 7th Street
(238-1676)

Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra
(234-6060)
 

Movie Theaters:  

Indiana Theater, 25 South 7th Street
(232-8076)  

Honey Creek Cinema 8, Honey Creek Mall
(232- 3254)  

Meadows Theater, The Meadows
(232-5536)  

Towne South Cinema, Towne South Plaza
(232-7445)  

Plaza Theater, Plaza North Shopping Center

(466-4528)
  

Libraries:
Vigo County Public Library

7th and Poplar Streets
(232-1113)
 

Outdoor Recreation:
Collett Park, 7th and Maple.
Deming Park, Fruitridge Ave. and Ohio Street.

Fairbanks Park, South 1st and Farrington Street.

For the history buff, there is the Fowler Park Pioneer village in Fowler Park; south off U.S. 41. For information, call 462-3391.
 
The University
ndiana State Normal College was founded in 1865. In 1965 it became a university in recognition of its new mission as a general multipurpose institution of higher learning.  

Indiana State University now has a faculty of approximately 550 men and women pursuing teaching and scholarly research. the University has seven major academic units: the College of Arts and Sciences; the School of Business; the School of Education; the School of Health and Human Performance; the School of Nursing; the School of Technology; and the School of Graduate Studies. The University offers programs in a wide variety of discipline to over 10,500 undergraduate students and 1,500 graduate students. 

The main campus is located in the heart of Terre Haute on a 91-acre, park-like site. The University Stadium and golf course lie two miles to the East and the family/graduate housing apartment complex lies to the south.  

The University offers many cultural, recreational and social programs to students and the community. There are musical productions, theatrical performances, athletic events, and lectures.  

Graduate Housing 

University Apartments
Many graduate students at Indiana State University occupy apartments in the University's apartment complex. In fact, almost half the apartments are occupied by either graduate student families or single graduate students.  

Applications are made through the Residential Life Office and require a deposit. Once a contract is offered, the first month's rent is also due. Current rates for various sizes and types of apartments can be found on the ISU Internet webpage at:
http://www.indstate.edu/reslife/univ_apartments.htm
The rent includes all utilities and local telephone service. Television cable service is available through the local cable company. Many single graduate students share an apartment.

The apartment complex is located five blocks south of the main campus. The complex includes laundry facilities, a day care center, and both indoor and outdoor recreational facilities. Graduate students are eligible for a very flexible, commuter-style board plan if they wish to eat in the University dining facilities.

Residence Halls
raduate students are also welcome in any of the ten residence halls which provide a variety of life style options -- single sex halls, coed halls, and quiet floors. While most residence halls close during vacation breaks (e.g., Christmas), Jones Hall, providing coed accommodations, remains open continuously through the academic year with an extra fee charged for break periods. Students living in other residence halls who wish to remain on campus during vacation breaks must relocate to Jones Hall during the break.

The Residence Hall package includes a declining balance meal program (i.e., you place an amount of money in an account from which deductions are made when you purchase individual meals) which provides food service in the residential dining units as well as the University Commons (Located in the Student Union and includes a restaurant as well as various fast food outlets).

Residence Hall applications are available through the Residential Life Office. There is an application fee due with each application. Flexible payment plans are available. Various room and meal packages are available.
For information go to:
http://www.indstate.edu/reslife/images/residencehalls.htm

For additional information, write or call:
Residential Life
Indiana State University Terre Haute, IN 47809

Toll-free (888) 824-3920

Phone (812) 237-3993

Fax (812) 237-8525

Library Facilities
ndiana State University Libraries consists of the Cunningham Memorial Library (the Main Library) and the Career Center Library. In addition, the Women's Resource Center collections are also accessible via LUIS III, one of the library's main online systems. The ISU Library subscribes to 5,000 periodicals and houses over two million items. Several thousand documents are received annually as part of the U.S. Government Depository system.

The CD-ROM Network, available in the Main Library, provides access to journal article citations, full text, statistical, and other databases. Subject areas include business, psychology, sports, literature, medicine, and technology.

The Library collections and others are accessible through the library's online computer system, LUIS III. LUIS III offers users a choice of + databases which may be searched for different types of information. These include: the library catalogs of Indiana State University, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, Vincennes University, and the University of Southern Indiana; WILI, a commercially-produced journal article citation database; and others. LUIS III also provides access to SULAN, the State Universities Automated Network. SULAN allows users to access the online catalogs of Indiana University, Purdue University, Ball State University, the University of Notre Dame and several other institutions in Indiana. LUIS III terminals are located in the Library and is also accessible through modem-equipped computers on or off campus.
 
Internet access is available through the Library's connection to the World Wide Web. This offers access to global information sources, including libraries.  

Both LUIS III and the CD Network may be accessed outside the Library (from sites both on and off campus). To do so, the user must have access to one of the University's Local Area Network, called LANs. (For LAN information, see "Computer Facilities" section below)  

Services likely to be of particular interest to graduate students include extended loan periods for many library materials, overnight circulation of bound periodicals, interlibrary loan, and a limited number of graduate study carrels. For students new to the campus or engaging in specific research assignments, individualized instructional sessions may be scheduled through the Office of Library Instruction and Orientation. An information rack can be found on the first floor of the Library near the main LUIS III cluster. A variety of information about Library services is available there, including A Guide to Indiana State University Libraries.
See also the Library's webpage at: http://lib.indstate.edu/

Graduate Education at ISU
The first graduate program was introduced in 1927 to prepare students for educational administration. Master of Arts and Master of Science programs came later. Specialized professional degrees followed. These included Master of Business Administration, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Music, Master of Public Administration and Master of Education.

After 1965 Doctoral programs were introduced in Education, Life Sciences, Geography and Psychology.

Graduate programs leading toward advanced degrees in the liberal arts, preprofessional, professional and vocational technical studies are designed to encourage a lifetime commitment to learning and to maximize opportunities for success in postgraduate life. Advanced study experience offers students the greatest opportunity to focus upon their specialized interests as they obtain more individualized instruction and greater emphasis on research. Through graduate education, Indiana State University seeks to prepare students so they may make contributions to society and find personal satisfaction.

Graduate education falls under the direction of the School of Graduate Studies. Its primary responsibilities are the maintenance and enhancement of the quality of graduate programs and the facilitation of research and creative activity.
Visit the school of Graduate Studies at: http://www.indstate.edu/sogs/

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