Graduate Programs

Explore our Graduate Programs

Within the field of political science, theory and practice are closely interlinked. Our graduate program is designed to ensure students not only master the necessary theoretical and methodological approaches but deepen their understanding of the practice of policy design, implementation, and assessment. We prepare students for teaching, research, and government or other public service jobs while empowering them to understand and participate in public affairs.

PhD candidate presentation

Doctorate Degree

The political science doctoral program typically requires two years of full-time study. Our students commonly participate in joint faculty-student research and interdepartmental research projects on a wide range of topics.


Two students talking in the EMU

Politics, Culture, and Identity Specialization

Explore the crossroads of politics, culture and identity through an interdisciplinary study of politics using the methods of cultural studies. Offered in collaboration with the Department of English, the Politics, Culture and Identity specialization is ideal for students who are interested in work that locates cultural production within its political contexts.

Specializations


student in classroom smiling

Graduate Courses

PhD students within the Department of Political Science pursue their studies through advanced courses and seminars across the major fields of focus of political science, including comparative politics, formal theory and methodology, international relations, public policy, political theory, and US politics. Many faculty and graduate students work at the intersections of these fields, as well as other disciplines like anthropology, economics, ethnic studies, history, law, philosophy, or sociology.

Courses


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Funding your Graduate Studies

The Department of Political Science offers multiple forms of funding for PhD students, including several scholarships as well as graduate employee appointments.

Funding and Research Support


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Prepare for the Professional World

Our doctoral program serves as a springboard for a successful career in research or leadership within a wide variety of industries. Recent PhD graduates have taken tenure-track positions at major universities such as Northern Arizona University, the University of Alaska, and Whittier College.

Career and Professional Development


Our Graduate Students

In the Department of Political Science, you’ll work within a highly collaborative community of passionate and intellectually curious students while engaging in rigorous discourse and research.

Resources for the Graduate Community


Events

Psychology Department Colloquium: "Neuroscience and Psychology in Context"
Sep29
Psychology Department Colloquium: "Neuroscience and Psychology in Context" Sep 29 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Phantom Tollbooth Auditions
Sep30
Phantom Tollbooth Auditions Sep 30 Miller Theatre Complex
Linguistics Fall Colloquium
Oct3
Linguistics Fall Colloquium Oct 3 Straub Hall
Pre-Medicine Group Advising
Oct3
Pre-Medicine Group Advising Oct 3 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Poetry Reading by Matthew Dickman 
Oct4
Poetry Reading by Matthew Dickman  Oct 4 Knight Library
Pre-Medicine Group Advising
Oct5
Pre-Medicine Group Advising Oct 5 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Department of History Welcome Back Barbecue
Oct5
Department of History Welcome Back Barbecue Oct 5 McKenzie Hall
Fall 2023 Knight Campus Entrepreneurship Speaker Series with Jorge Cham
Oct9
Fall 2023 Knight Campus Entrepreneurship Speaker Series with Jorge Cham Oct 9 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Linguistics Fall Colloquium
Oct10
Linguistics Fall Colloquium Oct 10 Straub Hall
Race, Disinvestment, and the Making of the North Philadelphia “Badlands"
Oct10
Race, Disinvestment, and the Making of the North Philadelphia “Badlands" Oct 10