Dec 05, 2024  
2022-2023 Graduate Catalog 
    
2022-2023 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Political Science and International Relations (PhD)


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Please see the Program Policy Document  for more information.

Requirements for the PhD Degree


Methods Sequence


All students must complete ten credits of methods training.

Skills Requirement


All students must complete a skills requirement, either:

  • a competency in a foreign language (0 credits); or
  • a 3-credit methods course from outside the department or participation in a research methods workshop (with approval from the DGS); or
  • one of the following (3 credits):

Primary Field Requirement


Fifteen credits. All students must select a primary field from the four subfields offered (International Relations, American Politics, Comparative Politics, Political Theory). Students must complete the proseminar for their primary track in addition to four elective courses from the track electives.

International Relations Field


Students completing International Relations as their primary field must take the proseminar and four additional International Relations courses.

American Politics Field


Students completing American Politics as their primary field must take the proseminar and four additional American Politics courses.

Comparative Politics Field


Political Theory Field


Students completing Political Theory as their primary field must take the proseminar and four additional Political Theory courses. NOTE: Students cannot count POSC 812 - Proseminar in Political Theory  for both their first field and their skills requirements.

Secondary Field Requirement


Students are required to take one proseminar and two electives in a secondary field (IR, American, Comparative or Political Theory). Alternatively, they may construct a secondary field in consultation with a selected faculty supervisor and upon approval by the Director of Graduate Studies (the total number of credits for the secondary field must be 9). NOTE: Students cannot count POSC 812  for both their second field and their skills requirements.

CRISP


Students are required to sign up for 1-credit of POSC 850  in the spring of their first year, 1 credit of POSC 850  in the spring of their second year, and 3 credits of POSC 850  in the spring of their third year.

Electives


Students must take the following for a total of 6-9 credits:

  • 3 elective courses if their skills requirement was fulfilled with competency in a foreign language; or
  • 2 elective courses if their skills requirement was fulfilled with a 3-credit course. 

Additional Research/ Candidacy


Credits Vary

Additional Requirements for the degree


Students pursuing their PhD. are also expected to complete the following: Long Paper Defense (fourth semester), third-year field exams (sixth semester), dissertation proposal defense (sixth or seventh semester).  (0 credits).

Credits to Total a Minimum of 57


Last Revised for 2021-2022 Academic Year


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