Georgetown University

Center for Democracy and the Third Sector

In 2004, Georgetown University created the Center for Democracy and the Third Sector (CDTS). The purpose of the Center is to further research, teaching, and the spread of ideas about interactions between democracy and the third sector, or the parts of society that are not government or business.

“Through its programs, the Center aspires to merge robust theoretical perspectives with rigorous empirical methodologies, to combine domestic and international research and teaching agendas, and to bring together scholars and students from diverse national backgrounds and academic disciplines.”

The Center offers graduate and visiting staff fellowships, as well as a Ph.D. in Government and an M.A. in Democracy Studies. In 2005 CDATS conducted the Citizenship, Involvement, Democracy (CID) Survey, which was used to study American civic engagement.

For more information on CDATS, please click here.

M.A. Program in Democracy Studies

In the fall of 2006 Georgetown University’s Center for Democracy and the Third Sector, through the Department of Government, began its two-year M.A. Program in Democracy Studies. It is the first program in the country to offer a degree in democracy studies.

“Intended to meet the diverse needs of all those who seek a deeper understanding of democracy and processes of democratization, the program will be of special interest for those seeking to develop careers working on behalf of democratic change in a wide range of professional and academic settings, in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The aim of the program is to ensure that those entering careers related to democracy and democratization possess the conceptual and practical knowledge, and the analytic tools, to perform effectively, and to place the immediate demands of their positions in a broader perspective.”

The program combines theory and practice by focusing on four central themes: (1) history and theories of democracy, (2) governance and representation, (3) democratization in theory and practice, and (4) democracy and development. Along with coursework, M.A. candidates will also have to complete an internship as part of the 42-credit hour curriculum.

For more information on this program, please click here.

Courses offered at Georgetown University that will count toward a MA in Democracy Studies include: