The Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science is grounded in the core fields of the discipline—American government and politics, comparative politics, international relations, and public policy. Students identify a primary and secondary field as areas of emphasis. The curriculum introduces students to the core fields and also seeks to develop their research skills through a series of methods courses. Students may develop a traditional, academic focus in one of the fields, or they may combine it with public policy to highlight a policy orientation. The program focuses on preparing students to be academic scholars and teachers as well as practitioners in research and public service. The PhD degree includes completion of required courses, passing a written and oral comprehensive examination, and the successful defense of the dissertation before a faculty committee.
Credit Requirements and Advanced Standing
Students entering with a bachelor’s degree must complete 56 semester hours. Students currently in the MA or MPA program and accepted into the PhD program before completing the MA or MPA must complete 56 semester hours as well as all curriculum requirements of the PhD program.
Students entering with a master’s degree may receive advanced standing for relevant prior coursework but must complete a minimum of 40 semester hours. Students entering with a Northeastern MA in political science or international affairs must complete a minimum of 24 semester hours while also satisfying all PhD course requirements. Master's-level coursework that results in advanced standing is evaluated by the graduate program director to determine its applicability to the PhD curriculum.
Doctoral Degree Candidacy
Doctoral degree candidacy is attained after successfully completing all coursework, the comprehensive examination, and the dissertation proposal defense.
Academic Standing/Progress
All doctoral students must maintain an overall cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.500 while making progress toward the degree requirements. Students who fall below any applicable standard for two consecutive semesters are subject to dismissal from the graduate program. Additionally, receipt of financial support administered by the department, college, or university is contingent on satisfactory academic progress toward the degree and specific guidelines as published in the terms of award. Students who have ungraded courses or courses graded as incomplete risk no longer being eligible for financial aid awards.
Language Proficiency
Students who conduct research in a language other than English must demonstrate proficiency as necessary for completion of the dissertation. Language courses do not count as electives.
Complete all courses and requirements listed below unless otherwise indicated.
Milestones
Annual review
Comprehensive examination
Dissertation committee
Dissertation proposal
Dissertation proposal oral defense
Language (as determined by committee)
PhD candidacy
Dissertation defense
Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Seminars | ||
| Complete 12 semester hours from the following (complete both field seminars in the two areas in which you wish to take the comprehensive exams): | 12 | |
| Seminar in Public Policy | ||
| Seminar in American Government and Politics | ||
| Seminar in Comparative Politics | ||
| Seminar in International Relations | ||
| Inquiry and Design | ||
| INSH 6300 | Research Methods in the Social Sciences | 4 |
| Quantitative Techniques | ||
| INSH 6500 | Statistical Analysis | 4 |
| INSH 7400 | Quantitative Analysis | 4 |
| Advanced methods courses from other disciplines may be chosen in consultation with your faculty advisor. | ||
Electives
Courses from other disciplines may be chosen in consultation with your faculty advisor.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete 32 semester hours in the following: | 32 | |
POLS 7200 to POLS 7990 | ||
Dissertation
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Exam Preparation | ||
| Exam Preparation—Doctoral (Only required for PhD students who have completed coursework but have yet to complete the comprehensive exam. Required for students who must maintain full-time status while completing thesis or comprehensive exam.) | ||
| Research | ||
| Research (To be completed during the proposal/prospectus phase prior to reaching candidacy.) | ||
| Dissertation | ||
| Dissertation Term 1 | ||
| Dissertation Term 2 | ||
| Dissertation Continuation | ||
| Following completion of POLS 9990 and POLS 9991, registration in the following class is required in each semester (including the summer if the dissertation is submitted in the summer) until the dissertation is completed: | ||
| Dissertation Continuation | ||
Program Credit/GPA Requirements
56 total semester hours required
Minimum 3.500 GPA required
Complete all courses and requirements listed below.
Milestones
Annual review
Comprehensive examination
Dissertation committee
Dissertation proposal
Dissertation proposal oral defense
Language (as determined by committee)
PhD candidacy
Dissertation defense
Core Requirements
Consult the graduate program director regarding which major-required courses apply to your individual plan of study.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Seminar | ||
| Complete 12 semester hours from the following: 1 | 12 | |
| Seminar in Public Policy | ||
| Seminar in American Government and Politics | ||
| Seminar in Comparative Politics | ||
| Seminar in International Relations | ||
| Inquiry and Design | ||
| INSH 6300 | Research Methods in the Social Sciences | 4 |
| Quantitative Techniques | ||
| INSH 6500 | Statistical Analysis | 4 |
| or INSH 7400 | Quantitative Analysis | |
| INSH 7500 | Advanced Quantitative Analysis | 4 |
| Advanced methods courses from other disciplines may be chosen in consultation with your faculty adviser. | ||
Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete 0-16 semester hours in the following. Courses from other disciplines may be chosen in consultation with your faculty adviser. | 0-16 | |
POLS 7200 to POLS 7990 | ||
Dissertation
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Exam Preparation | ||
| POLS 8960 | Exam Preparation—Doctoral (Only required for PhD students who have completed coursework but have yet to complete the comprehensive exam.) | 0 |
| Research | ||
| POLS 9986 | Research (To be completed during the proposal/prospectus phase prior to reaching candidacy.) | 0 |
| Dissertation | ||
| Dissertation Term 1 | ||
| Dissertation Term 2 | ||
| Dissertation Continuation | ||
| Following completion of POLS 9990 and POLS 9991, registration in the following class is required in each semester (including the summer if the dissertation is submitted in summer) until the dissertation is completed: | ||
| Dissertation Continuation | ||
Program Credit/GPA Requirements
24-40 total semester hours required
Minimum 3.500 GPA required
1 You must complete both field seminars in the two areas you wish to take the comprehensive exams in.