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Home > Graduate Studies : PhD Requirements

PhD Requirements

All of the students who make normal progress complete political science and outside course work for the PhD in three years. A student concentrates in two subfields.

• One seminar in scope and methods
• A year-long seminar on political science as a profession, with teaching and research segments
• The core seminar in at least two of the four fields
• A set of at least three to four seminars in the main field of concentration
• A set of at least two to three advanced seminars in a second field
• In addition, each students completes one substantial research paper

Foreign Language

Each student must also satisfy a foreign language/research methodology requirement before taking preliminary examinations. It is expected that students will complete their preliminary written and oral exams by the spring of the third year, but in any case no later than the fall of the fourth year. Students entering with a Masters degree in political science can usually expect to transfer some course work, and thus shorten their course of study.

Interdisciplinary Programs and Minors

Feminist and Critical Sexuality Studies:

Political Psychology: The department offers a minor in Political Psychology. The graduate minor has a structured curriculum and provides a foundation in basic areas of Political Psychology. In addition the program offers training in theory and methods. The faculty for the program are drawn from ten departments within the Graduate School and Law School. The center for this program currently edits the Journal of Political Psychology.

Contact Info

Graduate Studies Assistant
Jessie Eastman
1408 SocSci
612-624-1187
eastm004@umn.edu

Director of Graduate Studies

Dara Strolovitch
1408 SocSci
612-624-1028
dzs@umn.edu