Political Science, PhD

This is the first version of the 2025–26 General Catalog. Please check back regularly for changes. The final edition and the historical PDF will be published during the fall semester.

The doctoral program in political science is nationally recognized as a leader in the discipline, with outstanding research faculty in each of the major subfields and a reputation for outstanding graduate training.

Graduate study in political science emphasizes the Doctor of Philosophy program. The department usually offers the master's degree only as a preliminary step toward the PhD.

The program is designed to prepare students for research, teaching, and scholarly endeavors in academic settings and private or governmental institutions. It produces graduates who are deeply committed to the study of politics, familiar with fundamental knowledge about political processes, well trained in methods and techniques for careful investigation of basic and applied research questions, and determined to make contributions to the discipline of political science and society.

The department usually admits six to eight PhD students each year, so students work closely with faculty members, often collaborating on research and publication. Graduate students know one another and enjoy supportive, congenial working conditions.

Doctoral study usually lasts four to five years. The first-year curriculum for all students consists of core courses equally divided between substance and methodology. Emphasis is on basic research methods, including quantitative methods, that political scientists must understand thoroughly. Special attention is given to research design, collection of observations, and data analysis and interpretation.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

  • demonstrate in-depth knowledge of two major fields in the discipline and competency in one minor field (the minor field may be within the discipline, in an interdisciplinary subject, or in another related discipline);
  • demonstrate advanced research skills, including advanced statistical analysis and broad knowledge of a range of theoretical and methodological approaches relevant to their field of research;
  • demonstrate effective teaching skills following the pedagogical standards of the discipline;
  • be familiar with and follow disciplinary norms and standards, including understanding issues related to ethical practices in research; professional, public, and collegial engagement; and instruction; and
  • demonstrate a full understanding of the research enterprise, including an ability to engage others' work and an ability to make original and substantial contributions to the field.