Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science
Richardson, USA
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
USD 18,276 / per semester
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Scholarships
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Introduction
The Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science provides a rigorous, disciplinary program with strong multidisciplinary links. The program consists of innovative, state-of-the-science graduate education in political methodology and the fields of comparative politics and international relations; law and courts; and political institutions and American politics.
In the first two years of the program, students acquire research skills and tools, work on research projects, and acquaint themselves with professional norms in the discipline. Later, they have opportunities to develop their instructional and presentation skills and to conduct a research answering important questions in the field.
Mission Statement
The Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science provides a rigorous, disciplinary program with strong multidisciplinary links. The Program consists of innovative, state-of-the-science graduate education in political methodology and the fields of Comparative Politics and International Relations; Law and Courts; and Political Institutions and American Politics. In the first two years of the program, students acquire research skills and tools, work on research projects, and acquaint themselves with professional norms in the discipline. Later, they have opportunities to develop their instructional and presentation skills and to conduct a research answering an important question (or questions) in the field. Throughout, the emphasis is placed on preparing students for life after graduate school in academia, government, or industry.
Objectives
- Students will demonstrate the ability to apply political science and other social scientific theories to research questions.
- Students will develop the ability to apply advanced methodological training in understanding important political and social questions.
- Students will develop advanced skills in professional communication appropriate for presentation to professional audiences in academia, government, or industry.
Admissions
Curriculum
Degree Requirements
The Ph.D. in Political Science requires a minimum of 75 post-baccalaureate graduate semester credit hours. Full-time students can complete the degree in an average of 5 years. Students must receive a grade of B or better in all core courses and must maintain at least a 3.2-grade point average to graduate. If placed on probation, students will have one semester to bring their cumulative grade point average to a 3.0 or greater.
Semester Credit Hour Requirements
Students must complete the following:
- 18 semester credit hours of core courses
- Courses in Major Field: 12 semester credit hours
- Courses in Minor Field: 6 semester credit hours
- Core exam
- Field exam
- PSCI 8381 Research Seminar in Political Science (3 semester credit hours)
- Research Methods: 6 additional hours
- Electives: at least 12 semester credit hours
- Matriculation to the dissertation phase
- Successful completion of a dissertation
- Successful completion of 75 semester credit hours
The requirements are outlined in further detail below.
I. Core Courses (18 semester credit hours)
Core semester credit hours include three courses in Political Science methodology and theory and three proseminars in the program fields.
- PSCI 6350 Logic, Methodology, and Scope of Political Science
Methodology (6 semester credit hours)
One of the following sequences:
- EPPS 6313 Introduction to Quantitative Methods
- and EPPS 6316 Applied Regression
- or
- EPPS 7313 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
- and EPPS 7316 Regression and Multivariate Analysis
Three of the following four: (9 semester credit hours)
- PSCI 6321 Proseminar in Comparative Politics
- PSCI 6319 Proseminar in International Relations
- PSCI 6311 Proseminar in Law and Courts
- PSCI 6347 Proseminar in Political Institutions and American Politics
II. Major and Minor Field Courses (18 semester credit hours)
The field coursework consists of four courses (12 semester credit hours) taken in the student's chosen major field and two courses taken (6 semester credit hours) in the student's chosen minor field for a total of 18 semester credit hours of coursework. Students may select their majors and minors from the following fields: Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Institutions, and American Politics, or Law and Courts.
Comparative Politics
- PPPE 6319 Political Economy of MNCs
- PSCI 6305 Workshop in Constitutional Law Studies
- PSCI 6306 Human Rights and International Law
- PSCI 6335 Institutions and Development
- PSCI 6337 Comparative Institutions
- PSCI 6342 Comparative Courts and Law
- PSCI 6352 Empirical Democratic Theory
- PSCI 6361 Civil Conflict
- PSCI 6362 Political Development
- PSCI 6363 Conflict and Development
- PSCI 6365 U.S. and International Asylum and Refugee Law
- PSCI 6374 U.S. Global Security and Public Opinion
- PSCI 7313 Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency
- PSCI 7318 Conflict Management
- PSCI 7350 Institutions and Citizen Behavior
International Relations
- PPPE 6319 Political Economy of MNCs
- PSCI 6306 Human Rights and International Law
- PSCI 6309 International Political Economy
- PSCI 6316 International Organizations
- PSCI 6358 Refugee and Migration Policy
- PSCI 6361 Civil Conflict
- PSCI 6365 U.S. and International Asylum and Refugee Law
- PSCI 6374 U.S. Global Security and Public Opinion
- PSCI 7313 Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency
- PSCI 7318 Conflict Management
- PSCI 7330 International Conflict
- PSCI 7335 Theories of International Relations
Political Institutions and American Politics
- PSCI 6301 Constitutional Law
- PSCI 6323 Public Choice
- PSCI 6324 Local and State Government and Politics
- PSCI 6330 Campaigns and Elections
- PSCI 6331 Executives, Legislatures and Public Policy
- PSCI 6333 Political and Civic Organizations
- PSCI 6337 Comparative Institutions
- PSCI 6339 Election Law and Electoral Systems
- PSCI 6343 Law and the Policy Process
- PSCI 6352 Empirical Democratic Theory
- PSCI 7350 Institutions and Citizen Behavior
Law and Courts
- PSCI 6301 Constitutional Law
- PSCI 6305 Workshop in Constitutional Law Studies
- PSCI 6306 Human Rights and International Law
- PSCI 6339 Election Law and Electoral Systems
- PSCI 6342 Comparative Courts and Law
- PSCI 6343 Law and the Policy Process
- PSCI 6365 U.S. and International Asylum and Refugee Law
- PPPE 6366 Law and Development
With the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies or Program Head, other classes may be substituted for field courses.
III. Optional Concentration in Research Methods (12 semester credit hours)
In addition to major and minor field concentrations, students who have completed EPPS 7313 and EPPS 7316 can complete a concentration in research methods by taking four courses from the following list of research methods classes.
IV. Research Methods (6 hours)
Students must take two of the following classes:
- ECON 6306 Applied Econometrics
- ECON 6309 Econometrics I
- ECON 6316 Spatial Econometrics
- ECON 6320 Game Theory for the Social Sciences
- ECON 6380 Experimental Economics I
- ECON 7309 Econometrics II
- ECON 7315 Econometrics III
- ECON 7316 Game Theory
- EPPS 6324 Data Management for Social Science Research
- EPPS 6346 Qualitative Research Orientation
- EPPS 6352 Evaluation Research Methods in the Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
- EPPS 7304 Cost-Benefit Analysis
- EPPS 7318 Structural Equation and Multilevel (Hierarchical) Modeling
- EPPS 7344 Categorical and Limited Dependent Variables
- EPPS 7370 Time Series Analysis I
- EPPS 7371 Time Series Analysis II
- EPPS 7390 Bayesian Analysis for Social and Behavioral Sciences
- EPPS 7386 Survey Research
- GISC 5322 (GEOS 5322) GPS (Global Positioning System) Satellite Surveying Techniques
- GISC 5324 (GEOS 5324) 3D Data Capture and Ground Lidar
- GISC 6301 GIS Data Analysis Fundamentals
- GISC 6363 Internet Mapping and Information Processing
- GISC 6384 (GEOS 6384) Advanced Geographic Information Systems
- GISC 6385 (GEOS 6385) GIS Theories, Models and Issues
- GISC 6388 Advanced GIS Programming
- GISC 7310 Advanced GIS Data Analysis
- GISC 7360 GIS Pattern Analysis
- GISC 7361 Spatial Statistics
- GISC 7365 (GEOS 5326) Advanced Remote Sensing
- PPPE 6310 Research Design I
- PPPE 6342 Research Design II
- PPPE 6V91 Evaluation Research (Field Practice) (6 semester credit hours)1
- PSCI 6364 Public Opinion and Survey Research
- PSCI 6374 U.S. Global Security and Public Opinion
- PSCI 7372 Game Theory for Political Scientists
Other courses as approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Program Head.
V. Core and Field Exams
To advance to the dissertation stage of the program, students must pass both core and field exams. The core exam is taken at the first scheduled opportunity once students have completed the relevant core classes. The field exam consists of a field paper and an oral examination.
VI. Additional Coursework (12 semester credit hours minimum)
Students must take at least 12 semester credit hours of additional coursework.
VII. Research Seminar (3 semester credit hours)
After the core and field exams have been successfully completed, students are required to enroll in PSCI 8381 Research Seminar in Political Science or in an independent study with their likely chair to develop their dissertation prospectus. Full-time students should defend their dissertation prospectus prior to the start of their 4th year.
VIII. Electives and Dissertation Hours (variable semester credit hours)
In order to fulfil the 75 semester credit hour Ph.D. requirement, students should enrol in a combination of additional electives and dissertation hours (PSCI 8V99 Dissertation or Practicum). Students may not enrol in dissertation hours before they have successfully defended a dissertation proposal. No more than 6 semester credit hours of independent study (PSCI 7V83) may be taken, unless approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Program Head.
IX. Dissertation
There are two possible options for the dissertation format. One is the "book-length" format. Another option is the "three-paper" dissertation, which consists of three papers that may or may not be thematically related. The submission of an approved dissertation will complete the course of study for the Ph.D. degree in Political Science. The procedure for approval of the dissertation is outlined in the UT Dallas Graduate Catalog.
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the program seek positions such as professor, researcher, and manager in the government and private sectors.
Facilities
English Language Requirements
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