Students admitted into the Department’s PhD program can complete course and dissertation work in five years. Please examine the Graduate handbook for details on the specific structure of the PhD program. The basic requirements are:

1) Course and Credits - 135 total credits.

2) Satisfactory Progress - The Graduate Committee annually will review performance of prospective PhD students. The review will determine if the student will be permitted to continue work toward the doctorate. A cumulative average below 2.75 at any time is evidence of an incapacity for further graduate study.

3) Comprehensive Examination - Sometime during their third year of full-time study, students sit for comprehensive written and oral exams in a two general fields of political science and a designated focus field, which is the area the student intends to draw upon for the dissertation.

4) Dissertation Proposal and Admission to Candidacy - When the student has passed the comprehensive examinations, satisfied the methodology requirement, and prepared an acceptable dissertation proposal, the Political Science Department will recommend the student for admission into candidacy for the PhD to the University Dean for Graduate Studies and Research. Students must complete POL705 dissertation colloquium requirement.

5) Dissertation Defense - The University requires the PhD to be completed within nine years of admission to the program (four years from admission to candidacy). The dissertation must be defended to a committee of department faculty, which may include outside scholars.