Political Science and International Relations

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Political Science and International Relations: Ph.D.

About this program

The Department of Political Science and International Relations offers a Ph.D. degree that consists of coursework during the first six semesters followed by dissertation research and writing. Students earn an M.A. as part of their Ph.D. studies. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) at the time of matriculation to be eligible to apply to the Ph.D. program. The department does not offer a terminal M.A. degree. The Ph.D. program is a 57-credit program.

Graduate study in the department is organized around four major subfields within the discipline of political science: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory. Ph.D. students are required to pick one of these subfields as their primary field and another subfield as their secondary field. In addition to the four major subfields, students can choose Methods as their secondary field.

For the current admissions cycle, we are giving strong priority to applicants in American Politics whose proposed research focuses on Political Behavior and Political Psychology. Please visit our program website for more information.