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Mar 21, 2025
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2009-2010 Graduate Studies Bulletin (Archived Copy) [Archived Catalog]
Political Science, Ph.D.
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The doctoral degree program with a major in political science is specifically designed to prepare students for academic and top-level public service careers. Students acquire a general knowledge of the discipline of political science, its history, its subject matter, its relationship to other disciplines and professions, and the aspirations and obligations of political scientists.
Admission is based on an evaluation of the applicant’s potential for successful graduate work. It is expected that applicants to the political science doctoral program will demonstrate a strong potential for advanced scholarly study. Admission will be based on a holistic evaluation of the candidate’s complete academic background, including grades, test scores, past research accomplishments, and the evaluations contained in letters of reference. The admission decision depends in part on the qualifications of the total pool of applicants. There are no formal minimums since strength in one area may offset relative weakness in another area. However, the admissions committee uses the following indicators as rough benchmarks of the probability of success in our graduate program: scores of at least 600 verbal, 600 quantitative, and 4.5 analytical on the three sections of the GRE, an undergraduate GPA of 3.50 or above, and a TOEFL score of 620 (if applicable) or a comparable score on the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam. The admission deadlines for political science and international studies are January 15 for fall admission with departmental financial support and June 1 for fall admission.
Degree Requirements |
Distribution of Fields
Students will choose a first field and a second field from the following list:
American Politics
Comparative Politics
International Relations
Political Theory
Public Administration and Public Policy
Public Law
Research Methodology Distribution of Hours
First Field: 15 credit hours (including Gateway Proseminar)
Second Field: 9 credit hours (including Gateway Proseminar)
Core Courses: 21 credit hours
Electives: 6 credit hours
Dissertation: 12 hours
Total: 63 credit hours One political theory seminar chosen from the following:
Field Requirements
Students are required to take the “Gateway Proseminar” in each of their fields, with the exception of the research methodology and political theory fields. The majority of courses taken to satisfy a field requirement must be taken within the political science department. Students choosing either research methodology or political theory as a second field cannot count required courses (e.g., POLI 502 Methods of Political Analysis) toward their fulfillment of field requirements. Electives
Elective courses must pertain to the student’s substantive area of research interest or strengthen necessary research skills. Research Skills Requirement
Any special skills needed by the student to conduct dissertation research (e.g., a foreign language, additional econometric skills, etc.) must be acquired before taking comprehensive exams. Examinations
Qualifying: A qualifying examination must be taken for formal admission to candidacy in the Ph.D. program in political science.
Comprehensive: Students will be required to take written examinations in both their first field and second field. Following completion of their written exams, students must take an oral exam.
Dissertation and Defense: The final phase of the doctoral program is the development, writing, and public defense of a dissertation, which is expected to represent a substantial contribution to the study of political science. |
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