phd political science requirements

Graduate Program

Phd requirements.

The Political Science department at UC Berkeley admits students only for the Ph.D. degree. The Ph.D. program has two major phases: coursework and examinations, and dissertation research and writing. The two phases typically take approximately five or six years (three years to candidacy and two or three for dissertation research and writing).

The coursework and examination phase requires 40 units (typically 10 classes) of graduate-level coursework and competence in three of nine  Subfields . Subfield competence is demonstrated through written exams offered each semester. The Field Exams are typically taken in the student's second and third years of the program. All students must pass one exam in a major subfield (Comparative, American, International Relations, or History of Political Theory). Competency in a second and third subfield may be demonstrated by taking a prescribed series of courses in that field with a combined GPA of 3.5.

The particular sequence of courses that a student takes in preparation for the comprehensive exams is not prescribed. Rather, the faculty assist students with selection of courses that best meet their intellectual and academic interests. There are no formal foreign language or statistics requirements although many students will find that their program of study and dissertation research will require the engagement of particular foreign language or methodology coursework.

When the coursework and examination requirements have been met, the student prepares a prospectus for dissertation research. The student convenes a committee known as the Qualifying Exam (QE) committee. The Qualifying Exam committee advises on the prospectus and examines the student on specific research plans. Berkeley is highly committed to interdisciplinary scholarly engagement and this is codified in the requirement that both the Qualifying Exam committee and the dissertation committee include a faculty member from another department at Berkeley. Engagement with members of the faculty from other departments should commence during the coursework stage so that the advisement and input of the "outside member" is represented in the prospectus.

When sufficient preparation for the proposed research has been demonstrated to the Qualifying Exam committee, the student is advanced to doctoral candidacy. It is expected (and for most funding packages, required) that students advance to doctoral candidacy by the end of their third year.

Doctoral candidacy initiates the second phase of the program during which the student normally devotes full attention to the research and writing of the dissertation. The student's dissertation committee is typically comprised of the members of the Qualifying Exam committee although there are sometimes changes in committee membership as the research evolves. The doctorate is awarded when the student submits a satisfactory dissertation to the dissertation committee. A reasonable estimate of the research and writing phase of the program is approximately two to three years although students whose dissertations require more extensive research may take longer to earn their degree.

• Second year
• Sixth year and beyond

The second year is used to further narrow down one's interests and to continue exploring ideas and potential advisors for a dissertation topic. Coursework continues as students prepare for the M.A./Second Year Paper and Field Exam.

Students who plan to continue in the Ph.D. program are expected to engage in advanced topical research leading to a research paper to be completed by the end of the second year, together with any additional coursework appropriate to their topical focus. Three faculty members (one of whom is selected by the student and serves as principal advisor for the paper) will review this paper. This paper, which continuing students will submit at the end of their second year, also serves as the M.A. project.

Completion of a yearlong graduate seminar (Research & Writing 290A and 290B) during the second year is strongly recommended.  Each student taking this course is advised by a faculty advisor external to the course (who will also serve as one reviewer of the second-year paper) as well as the two co-instructors of the seminar. The goal of the seminar is to assist students in preparing a high-quality research paper, which will serve as the M.A./Second-year paper as mentioned above.

All students are reviewed at the end of the second year of study on their continued overall academic performance. This overall evaluation will include GPA, successful completion of all required units, and successful completion of the M.A./Second-year paper. The Graduate Studies Committee will take these factors as well as the rigor of the academic program and the number of incompletes into consideration when determining whether to invite the student to continue in the PhD program.

Students in their second year also usually serve as a Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs), which are 20-hour per week positions

During the third year, most students continue to teach as GSIs and complete their coursework in addition to taking their Field Exam. Political Science graduate students must show competency in three Subfield specialties to be eligible to sit for the oral prospectus defense (known formally as the Qualifying Exam). Instead of sitting for three Field Exams, students have the option to "course out" of two field specialties by taking a prescribed set of three-four courses in the Subfield.

Students may sit for the Field Exam as early as the beginning of the second year, but if desired, students may sit for an exam in their second year or in the third year. Field Exams are offered at the beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters. All students are expected to have completed their Field Exam, to have “coursed out” of a two fields, and to have written and defended their dissertation prospectus (passed their Qualifying Exam) by the end of the third year. It is highly recommended (and essential to most funding packages) that students advance to Doctoral Candidacy by the end of the third year. The third year is also when students should begin to apply for extramural fellowships to support their dissertation research.

Ph.D. Admissions

Apply here . 

Preparing to Apply

Before starting the application process please read the information about the graduate program requirements  and read our  Frequently Asked Questions . You may also find the Guide to Getting Into Grad School helpful. 

The Political Science department recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision.

All questions regarding graduate admissions should be directed to politicalscience [at] stanford.edu (subject: Admissions%20Enquiry) ( politicalscience[at]stanford[dot]edu ) .

The principal goal of the Stanford Ph.D. program in political science is the training of scholars. Most students who receive doctorates in the program do research and teach at colleges or universities. We offer courses and research opportunities in a wide variety of fields in the discipline, including American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, and Political Methodology. The program is built around small seminars that analyze critically the literature of a field or focus on a research problem. These courses prepare students for the Ph.D. comprehensive exam requirement within a two-year period and for work on the doctoral dissertation.  

Admission to the graduate program in political science is highly selective. About twelve to fifteen students, chosen from a large pool of applicants, enter the program each year. The small size of our student body allows more individual work with members of the faculty than most graduate programs. It also makes possible financial assistance in one form or another to most students admitted to the Ph.D. program. 

Graduate Admissions FAQ

Please visit our list of  frequently asked questions.

You may also find the following links useful if you have general questions about student life and graduate study at Stanford University:  

Vice Provost of Graduate Education (VPGE)

• Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures Handbook (GAP)
• Graduate Life Office
• Stanford Bulletin
• Explore Courses

Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Join dozens of Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences students who gain valuable leadership skills in a multidisciplinary, multicultural community as Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS). KHS admits up to 100 select applicants each year from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a distinguished cohort, participate in up to three years of leadership programming, and receive full funding for up to three years of your PhD studies at Stanford. Candidates of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must apply to both a Stanford graduate program and to KHS. Stanford PhD students may also apply to KHS during their first year of PhD enrollment. If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is October 9, 2024. Learn more about KHS admission .

Graduate Program

Pushing the Scholarly Frontier

PhD in Political Science

Our doctoral students are advancing political science as a discipline. They explore the empirical phenomena that produce new scholarly insights—insights that improve the way governments and societies function. As a result, MIT Political Science graduates are sought after for top teaching and research positions in the U.S. and abroad. Read where program alumni are working around the world.

How the PhD program works

The MIT PhD in Political Science requires preparation in two of these major fields:

• American Politics
• Comparative Politics
• International Relations
• Models and Methods
• Political Economy
• Security Studies

We recommend that you take a broad array of courses across your two major fields. In some cases, a single course may overlap across the subject matter of both fields. You may not use more than one such course to "double count" for the course distribution requirement. Keep in mind that specific fields may have additional requirements.

You are free to take subjects in other departments across the Institute. Cross-registration arrangements also permit enrollment in subjects taught in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University and in some of Harvard's other graduate schools.

Requirements

1. number of subjects.

You will need two full academic years of work to prepare for the general examinations and to meet other pre-dissertation requirements. Typically, a minimum of eight graduate subjects are required for a PhD.

2. Scope and Methods

This required one-semester seminar for first-year students introduces principles of empirical and theoretical analysis in political science.

3. Statistics

You must successfully complete at least one class in statistics.

You must successfully complete at least one class in empirical research methods.

5. Philosophy

You must successfully complete at least one class in political philosophy.

6. Foreign language or advanced statistics

You must demonstrate reading proficiency in one language other than English by successfully completing two semesters of intermediate-level coursework or an exam in that language, or you must demonstrate your knowledge of advanced statistics by successfully completing three semesters of coursework in advanced statistics. International students whose native language is not English are not subject to the language requirement.

7. Field research

We encourage you to conduct field research and to develop close working ties with faculty members engaged in major research activities.

8. Second Year Paper/workshop

You must complete an article-length research paper and related workshop in the spring semester of the second year. The second-year paper often develops into a dissertation project.

9. Two examinations

In each of your two elected fields, you must take a general written and oral examination. To prepare for these examinations, you should take at least three courses in each of the two fields, including the field seminar.

10. Doctoral thesis

As a rule, the doctoral thesis requires at least one year of original research and data collection. Writing the dissertation usually takes a substantially longer time. The thesis process includes a first and second colloquium and an oral defense. Be sure to consult the MIT Specifications for Thesis Preparation as well as the MIT Political Science Thesis Guidelines . Consult the MIT academic calendar to learn the due date for final submission of your defended, signed thesis.

Questions? Consult the MIT Political Science Departmental Handbook or a member of the staff in the MIT Political Science Graduate Office .

PhD in Political Science

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PhD Political Science (On-Campus)

Dive deeply into US and global politics. Learn empirical methods that allow you to produce meaningful research with profound impact. Prepare yourself for university-level teaching.

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At the Heart of Policy and Politics

The PhD in Political Science at the School of Public Affairs draws from the breadth and depth of intellectual resources within the Department of Government and across American University, providing our students with rigorous substantive and methodological training. Students work closely with prominent scholars who have made major contributions to academic research and national and global policy via cutting-edge research and professional activities.

Our students organize their programs around a choice of three fields of study. For their primary and secondary fields, students specialize in American politics, comparative politics, or political methodology. Students may also take courses in other departments and schools within the university and even at other Washington, DC-area universities.

Learn and Make Professional Connections

In addition to their coursework, doctoral students are introduced into the discipline and make professional connections through a variety of research workshops in the Department of Government and the School of Public Affairs. They also benefit from exposure to activities, conferences, and research opportunities offered by the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies , the Women & Politics Institute , the Center for Data Science , and the Center for Environmental Policy , all of which are directed by Department of Government faculty.

Publish and Present

We encourage graduate students to present research papers at major academic conferences, co-author papers with faculty members, publish in top journals, and seek prestigious awards to fund their research. All students receive a yearly stipend to attend research conferences.

Become an Expert

Our students wield multiple skills at graduation. They have already produced original research and taught classes, and are prepared for careers in academia and beyond.

The PhD degree in Political Science requires 36 credit hours of approved graduate work. Most students complete 12 credits in their primary field of study, 12 credits in research design and methodology, 6 credits in their secondary field of study, and 6 credits of electives, which they choose in consultation with their advisor.

As work on the dissertation project progresses, students register for dissertation credit to maintain active status. They take  Doctoral Continuing Enrollment (GOVT-898)  during the third year of study and  Doctoral Dissertation (GOVT-899)  after their dissertation proposal is approved.

A minimum grade point average of 3.20 in all coursework is required to remain in good standing and to earn the degree. Full-time status is considered to be nine credit hours per semester. Students are expected to complete the degree in four to five years.

Students advance to PhD candidacy by successfully completing all required courses, passing a qualifier paper and two written comprehensive exams (one in each of their fields of study), and defending their dissertation proposal. To earn the degree, students must complete the dissertation and pass a final oral defense of the dissertation.

More information about course requirements can be found here .

For more information, please contact the SPA Graduate Admissions Office at 202-885-6230 or  [email protected] .

Applicants are considered and students admitted for the fall semester only. Please refer to the  application deadlines  page for the deadline to apply. 

While previous academic or professional work in politics or political science is not required, applicants need to demonstrate a serious commitment to a career in this field. The personal statement on reasons for pursuing graduate study in the program is essential, along with the other required application materials .

We accept PhD applicants for full-time study only. Students must be funded either by the School of Public Affairs or by an external sponsoring organization (self-funding is not permitted for newly admitted doctoral students).

For more information, please contact the SPA Graduate Admissions Office at 202-885-6230 or [email protected] .

The PhD in Political Science is a 36-credit-hour program. To estimate the cost of tuition, please see the  current cost per credit hour  for graduate students.

Unless applicants expect to be funded through a reliable external source, they must request consideration for funding on their application. Upon acceptance into the program, students selected for AU funding are granted a fellowship with full funding for four years of study, contingent on maintaining satisfactory progress each year. Some limited funding is available on a competitive basis for a fifth year of study.

As a requirement for the fellowship, students work 20 hours a week with a faculty member. If possible, our graduate office will assign students to faculty members with expertise in their areas of research interest. 

Students must advance to candidacy by the end of their third year of study to continue receiving funding.

• Government Department
• Curriculum & Requirements
• Program Handbook

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The Department of Government at Harvard is a world leader in the study of political science, and the department’s faculty covers a wide range of fields and methodologies. The department’s breadth and depth allows you to pursue groundbreaking research on a variety of topics. The doctoral program’s diversity and flexibility enables scholars from all backgrounds and interests to thrive.

In the Department of Government, you will study and do research with the faculty of the department and leading scholars in other Harvard departments and schools, including Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School. You have access to unparalleled resources, ranging from the largest university library in the world to the Harvard research computing cluster to a wide array of centers and institutes associated with the department.

Graduates of the department write dissertations on topics ranging from ancient political theory to the politics of cybersecurity. They go on to jobs at leading academic institutions, companies, government agencies, and nonprofits.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of Government and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies . 

Areas of Study

American Government | Comparative Politics | International Relations | Political Thought and Its History | Quantitative Methods/Formal Theory

Admissions Requirements

Please review the admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of Government .

Writing Sample

A writing sample is required as part of the application and should be a recent scholarly or critical paper, 15 to 25 pages in length.

For the coordinated JD/PhD  in law and political science, applicants must apply separately to each program and indicate in the application to the PhD program that a concurrent application has been submitted to the Harvard Law School.

Personal Statement

Standardized tests.

GRE General: Required Writing Sample: Required (15-25 pages) iBT TOEFL preferred minimum score: 105 IELTS preferred minimum score: 7.5

Theses & Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Government

See list of Government faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

Graduate Programs

Political science.

Our faculty and students profit from the many outstanding institutes, centers and programs at Brown that relate to the study of politics.

The Department of Political Science covers the four main subfields in the discipline:

• American politics focuses on the behavior of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government; state and local politics; the influence of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties on decision-making; and issues of race and gender.
• Comparative politics focuses on the comparative study of the behavior of governments and political institutions, non-governmental actors across the world, and on the relationships between political and economic factors in different cultures and societies.
• International politics considers how political decisions are made in a world without a central authority above the nation-state. Recent emphases include a significant role for international law, norms, and organizations.
• Political theory seeks to analyze both historically and philosophically the origins and underpinnings of political values.

Additional Resources

Our faculty and students profit from the many outstanding institutes, centers, and programs at Brown that relate to the study of politics. These include the  Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions , the  Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs , the  Master of Public Affairs program , the  Urban Studies Program , the  Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia , the  Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies , the  Center for Philosophy, Politics and Economics , the  Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America ,  Middle East Studies ,  Development Studies , the  Population Studies and Training Center , and  Africana Studies .

Application Information

In addition to the GRE and writing sample, applicants are required to submit a personal statement, three letters of recommendation, transcript(s), and, if applicable, proof of language proficiency. For further application information, please also see the  Political Science admission guidance  and the  Graduate School's admission guidance .

Application Requirements

Gre subject:.

Not required

GRE General:

Official transcripts:, letters of recommendations:.

Required (3)

Writing Sample:

Personal statement:, dates/deadlines, application deadline, completion requirements.

The Ph.D. requires passing thirteen graduate-level courses with a minimum grade of B or better, though A grades are expected, including methods, field proseminars, course(s) in political theory, and Prospectus Writing. Students must also pass a written and oral preliminary examination in their primary field; a written and oral presentation of a dissertation proposal; and a written and oral presentation of a dissertation. A minimum of two semesters as a teaching assistant is also required.

Alumni Careers

Contact and Location

Department of political science, mailing address.

• Program Faculty
• Program Handbook
• Graduate School Handbook

Ph.D. Program

**This program is not accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year. Please reach out to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at [email protected] with any questions.**

Candidates for a doctorate in Political Science will be expected to produce and defend an original significant contribution to knowledge in the discipline of Political Science, demonstrate mastery of subject material, participate in professional academic community activities and be able to teach the discipline at the undergraduate level.

To take a look at our program profile, visit our page here .

Degree requirements include (a) course work, (b) a primary (second year) paper, (c) the qualifying examination, (d) the Ph.D prospectus and (e) the Ph.D. dissertation.   All requirements for the doctorate should be completed within seven years (exceptions require a petition to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences). The sections that follow clarify what is involved in each of these requirements and provide a schedule for the completion of these requirements.

Please be aware that you must be registered as a student during any semester in which you complete any degree requirements. You must also be registered as a student during the semester prior to the one in which you defend your dissertation.

Learning Outcomes

• Produce and defend an original and significant contribution to knowledge in the discipline of Political Science
• Demonstrate mastery of subject material by developing a minimum level of competence in five of the six fields of Political Science (American Politics, Public Policy, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, and Methodology) and a high level of competence in two of these fields
• Participate in professional academic community activities, such as attending local seminar series, presenting papers at conferences, and submitting papers to academic journals
• Be able to teach the discipline at the undergraduate level

Course Requirements

Students are required to complete sixteen graduate-level courses. Students entering the Program from Boston University’s BA/MA Program or other BU MA programs will be able to transfer some of their 500-level, 700-level or 800-level courses. These students should schedule a meeting with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) to resolve this question upon arriving at Boston University.  Students from other universities that hold an M.A. may be exempt from specific requirements of the BU Ph.D. program (at the discretion of the DGS), but still need to take sixteen classes in total. Coursework completed outside of Boston University cannot apply to the 64 credits required for graduation.

• NOTE: In general, we do not recommend trying to waive required courses. Even if you have taken a similar course in a different graduate program, there is a benefit to getting to know the intellectual approach of our faculty, which will help prepare you for comprehensive exams—and, in the case of methods courses, get additional practice with an important technique. However, if you have taken a prior graduate course in another program that you feel is substantially similar to one of the required courses, you may petition the DGS for a waiver. Please provide a copy of the syllabus to the DGS, who will consult with relevant faculty members to assess whether the course will satisfy this requirement. Please note that even in the case that a required course is waived, the credits earned in that class will not count toward the 64 required for the degree.

Selection of these courses must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Political Science. Courses may be drawn from the offerings of this and related departments subject to the following requirements:

• A total of 64 units of credit must be completed to advance to candidacy.
• At least 56 units of credit (14 4-unit courses) must be fulfilled by graduate-level courses (500-,600-,700-, or 800-level) taken for a letter grade.
• 8 units of credit may be fulfilled by other courses (e.g. Research Workshop, Directed study, Professional Development, and Dissertation Workshop).
• Four core seminars must be completed in Year 1: PO 711 (American Politics), PO 771 (International Relations), PO 751 (Comparative Politics), and PO 791 (Political Theory).
• The Research Workshop must be taken in Years 2 and 3.  Students are strongly encouraged to continue taking this course in subsequent years so long as they are in the program and living in the Boston area.
• PO 841: Quantitative Research Methods
• PO 842: Qualitative Approaches to the Study of Political Science
• PO 843: Techniques in Political Analysis: Maximum Likelihood Estimation
• PO 844: Methods for Causal Inference
• The Professional Development course (currently offered every other year), must be completed–preferably in Year 2 or 3.  Students may choose to audit subsequent iterations of this course, as desired.
• Students are encouraged to take courses offered in related disciplines such as economics, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and history. Such course selections vary according to the student’s overall program and must be planned in consultation with the student’s advisor and the DGS.
• All requirements, except those imposed by GRS, may be waived by permission of the DGS.

Grades & Incompletes

In order to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, students must maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher and complete course work on time. Incomplete grades (“I” grades) may become permanent unless course work is completed within twelve months. On graduate transcripts, grades lower than B- are interpreted as failures. Students receiving more than eight credit hours of failing grades will be liable for termination by GRS.

Ph.D. Qualifying Examinations

In order to advance to candidacy (for the Ph.D.), a student must write a second year paper and take two timed exams. These are the three elements of the Qualifying Examination. Requirements for a terminal M.A. (without advancing to candidacy) may be met by either the two written exams or the master’s thesis.

As one element of the Qualifying Examination, students must submit the Second Year Paper, an independent research paper of high quality. Typically, this will involve a substantial revision, expansion, and polishing of a graduate seminar paper. A student who does not pass the Second Year Paper is required to submit a revision that incorporates feedback from the evaluating committee.

The other two elements of the Qualifying Examination consist of timed examinations taken in Year 3 of the Ph.D. program. Exams are scheduled once a year in September and will be offered at other times only in the case of a failed exam. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the graduate program coordinator and the examining faculty that they are planning on taking the exams at least one month in advance. Students should have contacted the examining faculty members well before this point to discuss how to prepare for the exams. Students may not take the timed examinations if they have any incompletes.

Timed examinations are given in two fields of the student’s choosing: American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and methodology. Committees of three drawn from the Graduate Faculty of Political Science (GFPS) will be established by the DGS in each of the five fields. Each committee should include whoever teaches the core course in that field on a regular basis or has taught it recently.

Committees are charged with (a) constructing a single reading list for each exam, (b) revising that list periodically, (c) writing a single exam for each exam period, and (d) grading that set of exams, along with whatever second year papers fall into their field. Reading lists include material presented in core 700- and 800- level courses, though they need not be limited to that material. An online database including the current reading list along with old exams will be kept on Blackboard, by approval of the committee.

The standard time-limit for the exam will be 8 hours, i.e., 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. This time limit will be strictly enforced. If students do not hand in their exam at 5:00 it will be counted as a failed exam and they will need to re-take it.

Committees will determine whether the student (a) fails each exam (including the Second Year Paper), (b) passes at an M.A. level (setting in motion an exit from the program with a terminal masters), or (c) passes at a Ph.D. level (allowing for advancement to candidacy). Along with notification of the decision, the committee will give written feedback to the student pertaining to their performance on the exams and the Second Year Paper. Students who fail one or more elements of the qualifying examination are permitted to take that element(s) a second time, but not a third.

Prospectus Defense

Students are encouraged to defend their prospectus in Spring of Year 3. Work on the proposal can begin at any time. However, it cannot be submitted to GRS until all requirements for the Ph.D. — other than the dissertation itself — have been met.

Once a student has decided on a probable dissertation topic, they must assemble a committee of three faculty members (the first, second, and third readers) for the prospectus defense. The first reader must be a regular faculty member of the GFPS except under unusual circumstances (which must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies). It is the student’s responsibility to approach relevant faculty about the possibility that they might serve in one of these capacities. The student should write the first draft of the dissertation proposal in close consultation with the faculty member who agrees to serve as the first reader.

Students should check with the Director of Graduate Studies regarding the length and format of the prospectus. The main source of guidance in the completion of the proposal will come from the student’s advisor(s) who set the standards on content.

When the proposal is completed, the student should circulate copies to readers, and — working through the Graduate Program Coordinator — schedule a defense of the proposal. The defense committee, a minimum of three members, must include the faculty members who have been designated as first, second, and third readers. At least one committee member must be a tenured or tenure-track professor in the Graduate Faculty of Political Science and must ultimately serve as first, second, or third reader of the dissertation. (Other graduate students and faculty may attend, but not participate in, these defenses.)

The outcome of the defense, including any recommendations for change, will be forwarded to the Graduate Program Coordinator to be placed in the student’s file, and the appropriate Prospectus Approval form will be forwarded to the Graduate School for review.

In the event that a proposal is not approved at the defense, candidates are given the opportunity to schedule a second defense. Failure to receive approval for the dissertation proposal at the second defense, however, will lead to recommendation to the Graduate School for termination from the program.

The Dissertation Defense

A completed dissertation must be submitted for defense no more than five years after the completion of the Qualifying Examinations. Students are responsible for keeping faculty members informed of their progress in completing the dissertation and should contact the Graduate Program Coordinator for information about graduation deadlines, the scheduling of the defense, the submission of the dissertation abstract, and the format of the dissertation. Please consult the Graduate School guidelines .

The defense committee is composed of four or more faculty members – typically the three readers who approved the prospectus plus one additional reader. Students are encouraged to select a fourth reader as early as possible in the dissertation-writing process; ideally, this person will also participate in the prospectus defense. At least half of the dissertation committee must be members of the Graduate Faculty of Political Science; this includes the first reader, except under unusual circumstances (which must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies).

In some cases, a student – with the first reader’s approval – may request that a faculty member from another university serve on the dissertation defense committee. If this is the case, the student should notify the Graduate Program Coordinator in advance and submit a copy of the individual’s curriculum vitae. Following departmental approval, the outside reader must also be approved by the Graduate School for Arts and Sciences. The department cannot be expected to cover the travel expenses of outside readers, but it is usually possible for them to participate remotely.

Prior to scheduling a defense of the dissertation, the student must submit an abstract describing the dissertation’s thesis, methods, and main findings. Since abstracts will be the principal means through which other scholars first make contact with the dissertation, it is important that the abstract provide as much concrete information as possible about the dissertation and present it in a fashion that is understandable to readers who may not be familiar with the approach or the focus of the dissertation. Abstracts must be approved by the first reader of the dissertation, the Director of Graduate Studies, the Department Chair, and the Dean of the Graduate School.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, using information provided by the candidate, will send an announcement of defense to each member of the committee, and will provide the chair of the committee with the necessary forms on which to report the results of the defense. After the defense, the chair will return the forms, with the necessary signatures, to the Political Science administrative offices. At this time, the necessary signatures will also be entered onto the signature page of the dissertation itself.

Timetable for Completing Ph.D. Requirements

The maximum time limit set by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is 7 years; extensions require a petition. Boston University fully funds students for 5 years. A typical breakdown of a student’s work schedule is as follows:

• Year 1: Complete 8 required courses
• Year 2: Complete 6 required courses + Research Workshop and/or Professional Development Course + Teaching Fellowship + Second Year Paper
• Year 3: Take 1 course, Complete the Comprehensive Exams + Research Workshop and/or Professional Development Course + Teaching Fellowship + Dissertation Prospectus
• Years 4 and 5: Complete and defend dissertation

The above schedule can be used as a rule-of-thumb to measure one’s progress. Students who find themselves more than six months “off schedule” should discuss their status with the Director of Graduate Studies.

Leaves of Absence

Students must register for each (Fall/Spring) semester until all degree requirements are completed. However, upon a written petition, and for appropriate cause, a student will be permitted a leave of absence for up to two semesters. Leaves of absence beyond two semesters are granted only in exceptional cases and require the approval of GRS (see the Graduate School Bulletin for details). Time spent on leave is counted as part of the time allowed for the completion of degree requirements.  Given these time constraints, students should work closely with their dissertation readers to devise an efficient schedule for research, writing and revision. A leave cannot be approved for the semester before the student defends their dissertation.