best university to do phd in political science

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2024 Best Political Science & Government Doctor's Degree Schools

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 103 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for political science & government students pursuing a doctor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 654 doctor's degrees in political science & government to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

• Best Doctor’s Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great Political Science & Government School for Your Doctor's Degree

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To take this into account we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their doctor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their doctor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

• Major Focus - How much a school focuses on political science & government students vs. other majors.
• Major Demand - The number of political science & government students who choose to seek a doctor's degree at the school.
• Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
• Student Debt - How much debt political science & government students go into to obtain their doctor's degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized political science & government related body.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for political science & government students working on their doctor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Political Science & Government Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings , including this Best Political Science & Government Doctor's Degree Schools list to help you make the college decision.

Featured Political Science & Government Programs

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

BA in Political Science

Gain a solid understanding of American political history, the current political landscape, and the major political parties with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Political Science & Government in the United States

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for political science & government students seeking a a doctor's degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

15 Top Schools for a Doctorate in Political Science

Yale University is a great choice for individuals interested in a doctor's degree in political science & government. Yale is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New Haven. More information about a doctorate in political science & government from Yale University

Harvard University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in political science & government. Located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in political science & government from Harvard University

University of Chicago is a good option for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in political science & government. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. More information about a doctorate in political science & government from University of Chicago

Columbia University in the City of New York is a great option for individuals interested in a doctor's degree in political science & government. Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. More information about a doctorate in political science & government from Columbia University in the City of New York

Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. More information about a doctorate in political science & government from Stanford University

Located in the large city of Houston, Rice is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. More information about a doctorate in political science & government from Rice University

UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia. More information about a doctorate in political science & government from University of Pennsylvania

Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. More information about a doctorate in political science & government from Northwestern University

Located in the small city of Princeton, Princeton is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. More information about a doctorate in political science & government from Princeton University

Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham. More information about a doctorate in political science & government from Duke University

Brown is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Providence. More information about a doctorate in political science & government from Brown University

Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. More information about a doctorate in political science & government from Georgetown University

Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. More information about a doctorate in political science & government from Cornell University

Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in political science & government from Johns Hopkins University

WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Saint Louis. More information about a doctorate in political science & government from Washington University in St Louis

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Political Science & Government students that almost earned our Best Political Science & Government Doctor's Degree Schools award.

Political Science & Government by Region

View the Best Political Science & Government Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Other Rankings

Best associate degrees in political science & government, best master's degrees in political science & government, best value in political science & government, best for non-traditional students in political science & government, best online in political science & government, most popular online in political science & government, best bachelor's degrees in political science & government, best overall in political science & government, highest paid grads in political science & government, best for veterans in political science & government, most popular in political science & government, most focused in political science & government.

View All Rankings >

Rankings in Majors Related to Political Science

One of 13 majors within the Social Sciences area of study, Political Science & Government has other similar majors worth exploring.

Political Science Concentrations

Most popular related majors, notes and references.

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ( IPEDS ) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s ( College Scorecard ).
• Credit for the banner image above goes to UKWiki at English Wikipedia . More about our data sources and methodologies .

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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 .

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Ph.d. in political science.

We are ranked as a top-ten research department and our graduate program has an excellent job placement record. Over the past decade, the vast majority of our PhD graduates have gone on to attain tenure-track positions, and many other students have become leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. 

In addition to a demanding sequence of courses during the first two years, our graduates begin working with faculty from the very first day, to gain an appreciation of the challenges involved in producing innovative research.

This paves the way to their own intellectual development, the first major milestone of which is a solo-authored research paper to be presented to the department during their second year in the program. From that point on, until the completion of the dissertation in year five, the focus is primarily on independent and collaborative research.

Our graduate program is organized around subfields that address major theoretical questions about political life, encourage collaboration across intellectual boundaries, and place us at the frontiers of the discipline. As a graduate student here, you will become certified in two major fields and gain exposure to other fields through our graduate workshop series.

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PhD in Political Science

You are here: american university school of public affairs phd programs phd political science.

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.

(202) 885-6230

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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.

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Ph.D. in Political Science

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about OUR PROGRAM

Ranked #21 among all public political science programs in the country ( U.S. News & World Report ), the UCI graduate program in political science offers students six years of guaranteed funding .

UCI political science faculty publish regularly in top academic journals, and graduate students have ample opportunities to publish alongside them. Faculty and graduate students consistently present research at conferences, universities, and before governmental entities across the globe. Their expert advice is sought by journalists in the national media, lawyers, and policy makers. Members of the faculty have received national and international awards and testified before Congress to impact policy.

And if that wasn't enough, the UCI campus is located less than 10 miles from Newport Beach, is the #1 university doing the most for the American dream ( New York Times College Access Index ), the #1 best value university ( Forbes ), and the #9 ranked public university in the U.S. ( U.S. News & World Report ).

Learn more about political science at UCI...

university committed to economic diversity and upward mobility - New York Times College Access Index

best college in the nation - Money Magazine

public university in the U.S. - U.S. News & World Report

best public political science program in the U.S. - U.S. News & World Report

LOCATION Campus is located less than 10 miles from Newport Beach.    

FUNDING Admitted students receive 6 years of guaranteed funding.    

FIELDS Primary research fields exist in American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory.

DEGREE Ph.D.; a master's degree may be earned while in pursuit of the Ph.D.      

ENROLLMENT Full-time, on-campus with housing.        

CURRENT MASTERS Political science Ph.D. students can simultaneously pursue an M.A. in demographic and social analysis or an M.A. in mathematical behavioral sciences.

JOB PLACEMENTS

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  A top-ranked program with research strengths in American and comparative politics, international relations, and political theory.  

what makes us

  UCI political scientists explore changing notions of citizenship, strategies aimed at halting nuclear proliferation, impacts of redistricting and voter mobilization on elections and public policy, and contested notions of democracy.

Students select a primary field from among American politics, comparative politics, international relations, or political theory. They select a secondary field from these or from a more specialized area. Examples of secondary fields include critical theory; democracy studies; ethics; methodology and modeling; political economy; political psychology; public law; and race, ethnicity and politics, among others. Faculty actively mentor doctoral students and encourage them to become productive, publishing scholars before completing their graduate studies.

Students have an opportunity to earn a master's degree while in pursuit of their Ph.D., and are encouraged to enroll in interdisciplinary coursework.

Alumni have entered tenure-track positions at top research universities, highly competitive post-doctoral positions, and research-oriented jobs in both the public and private sectors.

So what are you waiting for?

APPLY TODAY

If full funding, opportunities to publish, and a proven track record of excellence in the field are what you're looking for in a graduate program, contact us today to learn more about UCI political science.  

UCI Department of Political Science

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Simone Chambers   [email protected]  949.824.3187

Graduate Program Director

Marek Kaminski   [email protected]  

Graduate Admissions Director

Robert Uriu   [email protected]  949.824.1868

Graduate Advisor

Jennifer Gerson   [email protected]  949.824.4074

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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.

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Political Science, PhD

The Graduate Program in Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania reflects the methodological diversity of the discipline. The department has significant strengths in each of the four major subfields in the discipline: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory.

Courses in each of the four substantive fields clarify important intellectual and conceptual issues and help students learn how to formulate an original research project. Courses in both quantitative and qualitative research methods provide students with cutting-edge tools they can use to conduct their research.

The Ph.D. program includes course work, a teaching requirement, a second-year paper, a preliminary examination, and the preparation and defense of a dissertation. Candidates completing the Ph.D. degree typically pursue careers in academia, government service, and the private sector.

For more information: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/polisci/content/graduate-program

View the University’s Academic Rules for PhD Programs .

Required Courses

A total of 15 course units are required for graduation.

Research Skills Requirement

• PSCI 6800 Advanced Statistical Analysis  or a comparable course with the approval of the graduate group chairperson

Two Exam Fields

• Students must select 2 exam fields from among the 4 major subfields of the discipline (American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory). They must take at least 3 classes in each of those fields prior to their qualifying exam.

Students may select the remaining 8 courses in consultation with their advisor and/or the graduate group chairperson.

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2024 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.

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2024 Best Colleges for Political Science in America

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1-25 of 1,339 results

Georgetown University

• Washington, DC ·
• · Rating 3.8 out of 5   1,278 reviews
• grade  A+ Overall Niche Grade
• Acceptance rate 12%
• Net price $35,566
• SAT range 1410-1560

#1 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

WASHINGTON, DC ,

1278 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says Amazing campus, beautiful area surrounding campus with lots of connections to history! GU boasts a strong reputation for academic rigor and excellence across various disciplines, including law,... .

Read 1278 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade : A+ ,

Acceptance Rate : 12% ,

Net Price : $35,566 ,

SAT Range : 1410-1560 ,

Harvard University

• Cambridge, MA ·
• · Rating 4.15 out of 5   850 reviews
• Acceptance rate 3%
• Net price $19,491
• SAT range 1490-1580

#2 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

CAMBRIDGE, MA ,

850 Niche users give it an average review of 4.1 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says Attending Harvard College was transformative. The housing system fostered a strong sense of community, facilitating academic support and social interaction. The rigorous academics, led by renowned... .

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Acceptance Rate : 3% ,

Net Price : $19,491 ,

SAT Range : 1490-1580 ,

Yale University

• New Haven, CT ·
• · Rating 4.02 out of 5   1,059 reviews
• Acceptance rate 5%
• Net price $18,647
• SAT range 1500-1580

#3 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

Blue checkmark.

NEW HAVEN, CT ,

1059 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says Yale is amazing overall! Campus is full of activities and there's always something to do. New Haven may not be the greatest city in America, but that just makes students be more active on campus and... .

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Acceptance Rate : 5% ,

Net Price : $18,647 ,

SAT Range : 1500-1580 ,

York College of Pennsylvania

• · Rating 3.55 out of 5   1,347

Juniata College

• HUNTINGDON, PA
• · Rating 3.57 out of 5   906

Emory University

• ATLANTA, GA
• · Rating 3.84 out of 5   1,621

University of California - Los Angeles

• Los Angeles, CA ·
• · Rating 3.98 out of 5   5,595 reviews
• Acceptance rate 9%
• Net price $16,999
• SAT range —

#4 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

LOS ANGELES, CA ,

5595 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says As with any college, the experience is what you make of it. UCLA just presents a lot of diversity in terms of the experiences that you can have. You can get your party fix in on Thursdays at frat... .

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Acceptance Rate : 9% ,

Net Price : $16,999 ,

Stanford University

• Stanford, CA ·
• · Rating 4.1 out of 5   1,284 reviews
• Acceptance rate 4%
• Net price $18,279

#5 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

STANFORD, CA ,

1284 Niche users give it an average review of 4.1 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says I honestly really like it here! It was my dream school and genuinely there are so many opportunities that you have access to. That said, its heat you make of it. No one will force you or push you to... .

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Acceptance Rate : 4% ,

Net Price : $18,279 ,

Princeton University

• Princeton, NJ ·
• · Rating 3.97 out of 5   471 reviews
• Acceptance rate 6%
• Net price $18,698

#6 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

PRINCETON, NJ ,

471 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says I am currently a first-year here at Princeton University and my experiences here have single-handedly changed my life. The school has offered me so much support in every facet of my life -- from... .

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Acceptance Rate : 6% ,

Net Price : $18,698 ,

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Columbia University

• New York, NY ·
• · Rating 3.82 out of 5   1,367 reviews
• Net price $22,058

#7 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

NEW YORK, NY ,

1367 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says As a biochemistry student at Columbia University, my experience was extraordinary. The Core Curriculum was a highlight, exposing me to literature, philosophy, art history, and music. This... Beyond academics, I loved engaging with the community through Peer Health Exchange (now S-HEAL), where I educated high school students on health and wellness. This experience enhanced my... Writing for The Spectator allowed me to make scientific concepts accessible, improving my ability to articulate ideas clearly. Additionally, Columbia’s vibrant arts scene, from Miller Theatre... Overall, Columbia offered a holistic education, blending rigorous science, arts, and community involvement, preparing me well for the future. .

Read 1367 reviews.

Net Price : $22,058 ,

Dartmouth College

• Hanover, NH ·
• · Rating 3.88 out of 5   748 reviews
• Net price $19,208

#8 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

HANOVER, NH ,

748 Niche users give it an average review of 3.9 stars.

Featured Review: Sophomore says My experience at Dartmouth has been great so far. The education is high quality and so are the professors. There are great opportunities for practical work and research. And the student body and... .

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Net Price : $19,208 ,

University of Pennsylvania

• Philadelphia, PA ·
• · Rating 3.9 out of 5   1,362 reviews
• Acceptance rate 7%
• Net price $26,123
• SAT range 1500-1570

#9 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

PHILADELPHIA, PA ,

1362 Niche users give it an average review of 3.9 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says It's important to acknowledge that college experiences vary greatly from person to person, and while some may face challenges or difficulties, others may find their time in college to be... .

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Acceptance Rate : 7% ,

Net Price : $26,123 ,

SAT Range : 1500-1570 ,

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

• Ann Arbor, MI ·
• · Rating 3.96 out of 5   4,728 reviews
• Acceptance rate 18%
• Net price $19,318
• SAT range 1350-1530

#10 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

ANN ARBOR, MI ,

4728 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Sophomore says Entering college, I was head-over-heels excited to attend my dream school: University of Michigan. What I did not realize were the many factors that came along with starting this new path of life --... .

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Acceptance Rate : 18% ,

Net Price : $19,318 ,

SAT Range : 1350-1530 ,

Rice University

• Houston, TX ·
• · Rating 4.09 out of 5   1,122 reviews
• Net price $19,902
• SAT range 1490-1570

#11 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

HOUSTON, TX ,

1122 Niche users give it an average review of 4.1 stars.

Featured Review: Graduate Student says Going to Rice University to attend the Shepherd School of Music at a graduate level is an experience separate from the rest of Rice. The Opera Department at Rice University has been one of the best... Pros: BEAUTIFUL theater that is incredible to sing in, program's very YAP reminiscent (in good and bad ways), world-class faculty, great networking opportunity, masterclasses/private audition... Cons: your soul/free-time belongs to the Opera Department; if a release conflicts with the opera schedule, tough luck; there have been many issues with casting opportunities/favoritism; if you're a... .

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Net Price : $19,902 ,

SAT Range : 1490-1570 ,

Brown University

• Providence, RI ·
• · Rating 3.84 out of 5   1,085 reviews
• Net price $26,723

#12 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

PROVIDENCE, RI ,

1085 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars.

Featured Review: Junior says My experience has been absolutely incredible. As everyone says, the open curriculum really makes a world of difference as it allows you to choose your own path and not be hampered by requirements... .

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Net Price : $26,723 ,

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University of Chicago

• Chicago, IL ·
• · Rating 3.81 out of 5   1,297 reviews
• Net price $36,991

#13 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

CHICAGO, IL ,

1297 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars.

Featured Review: Sophomore says Starting out at this university was not easy for me since I had to face many challenges on my own, away from family and friends I had back home. However, I had adjusted to the quarter system and... .

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Net Price : $36,991 ,

Vanderbilt University

• Nashville, TN ·
• · Rating 4.02 out of 5   1,351 reviews
• Net price $25,606

#14 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

NASHVILLE, TN ,

1351 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Graduate Student says My time at Vanderbilt University was truly enriching. The academic atmosphere fostered a culture of excellence and intellectual curiosity that I found invigorating. The professors were not only... What stood out to me was Vanderbilt's commitment to diversity and inclusion, creating a welcoming environment for students from all walks of life. However, one area that could be improved is the... .

Read 1351 reviews.

Net Price : $25,606 ,

Washington and Lee University

• Lexington, VA ·
• · Rating 4.01 out of 5   475 reviews
• Acceptance rate 17%
• Net price $24,733
• SAT range 1410-1530

#15 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

LEXINGTON, VA ,

475 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says I loved my time at W&L. That school helped me grow into the person I am today. The small classes allowed me to have one-on-one time with my professors, many of whom I still speak with to this day. My... .

Read 475 reviews.

Acceptance Rate : 17% ,

Net Price : $24,733 ,

SAT Range : 1410-1530 ,

University of Notre Dame

• Notre Dame, IN ·
• · Rating 3.97 out of 5   1,433 reviews
• Acceptance rate 13%
• Net price $28,474
• SAT range 1450-1550

#16 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

NOTRE DAME, IN ,

1433 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says Overall loved my time at Notre Dame. The quality of the academics and research opportunities is great. Socially there's also a lot of fun things to do on campus and around South Bend. Downsides for... .

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Acceptance Rate : 13% ,

Net Price : $28,474 ,

SAT Range : 1450-1550 ,

Pomona College

• Claremont, CA ·
• · Rating 4.23 out of 5   423 reviews
• Net price $19,962
• SAT range 1480-1560

#17 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

CLAREMONT, CA ,

423 Niche users give it an average review of 4.2 stars.

Featured Review: Junior says After three challenging, exciting, and transformational years at Pomona, I feel that I can confidently say that I wouldn't want to have studied anywhere else, and I'm already mourning that I'll have... .

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Net Price : $19,962 ,

SAT Range : 1480-1560 ,

Duke University

• Durham, NC ·
• · Rating 3.93 out of 5   1,209 reviews
• Net price $23,694

#18 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

DURHAM, NC ,

1209 Niche users give it an average review of 3.9 stars.

Featured Review: Junior says Duke is an amazing place to go to college! I have loved every minute here as CS major -- the classes are challenging, professors are engaging and available, the campus is beautiful, and the people... .

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Net Price : $23,694 ,

Florida State University

• Tallahassee, FL ·
• · Rating 3.88 out of 5   7,661 reviews
• Acceptance rate 25%
• Net price $14,003
• SAT range 1210-1370

#19 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

TALLAHASSEE, FL ,

7661 Niche users give it an average review of 3.9 stars.

Featured Review: Sophomore says My experience at Florida State university was definitely a 10 out of 10. The campus is beautiful, and a reasonable size so finding ones classes, and walking around is manageable. The school is also... .

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Acceptance Rate : 25% ,

Net Price : $14,003 ,

SAT Range : 1210-1370 ,

University of California - Berkeley

• Berkeley, CA ·
• · Rating 3.72 out of 5   4,497 reviews
• Acceptance rate 11%
• Net price $19,257

#20 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

BERKELEY, CA ,

4497 Niche users give it an average review of 3.7 stars.

Featured Review: Sophomore says UC Berkeley is a prestigious institution that has a lot to offer in academics and extracurriculars. To me, the people are what make the experience so great, and fortunately, with such a large class,... .

Read 4497 reviews.

Acceptance Rate : 11% ,

Net Price : $19,257 ,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• · Rating 4.17 out of 5   662 reviews
• Net price $20,232
• SAT range 1530-1580

#21 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

662 Niche users give it an average review of 4.2 stars.

Featured Review: Junior says This is a great university for expanding your horizons, especially if you are from a small area. The initial year gives a lot of freedom for exploring options for your major, and there are great... .

Read 662 reviews.

Net Price : $20,232 ,

SAT Range : 1530-1580 ,

University of Florida

• Gainesville, FL ·
• · Rating 3.92 out of 5   8,099 reviews
• Acceptance rate 23%
• Net price $11,740
• SAT range 1300-1490

#22 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

GAINESVILLE, FL ,

8099 Niche users give it an average review of 3.9 stars.

Featured Review: Junior says My experience with the University of Florida (UF) has been quite positive overall. UF is known for its strong academic programs and rigorous standards which is one of the main reasons I chose to... The campus is vibrant, offering over 1,000 student organizations, academic clubs, cultural organizations, sports, or the arts, there is something for everyone. UF benefits from a mix of urban and... .

Read 8099 reviews.

Acceptance Rate : 23% ,

Net Price : $11,740 ,

SAT Range : 1300-1490 ,

Northwestern University

• Evanston, IL ·
• · Rating 3.7 out of 5   1,494 reviews
• Net price $22,095

#23 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

EVANSTON, IL ,

1494 Niche users give it an average review of 3.7 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says There is a wealth of awesome student communities to join which really contributed to my experience. Classes are challenging but Northwestern offers many unique opportunities to explore different... .

Read 1494 reviews.

Net Price : $22,095 ,

Bowdoin College

• Brunswick, ME ·
• · Rating 4.11 out of 5   730 reviews
• Net price $22,776
• SAT range 1460-1560

#24 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

BRUNSWICK, ME ,

730 Niche users give it an average review of 4.1 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says Amazing food, great dorms, and professors that changed my whole perspective on life. I got very sick of the institutional bureaucracy but that might have been true at any college I went to. Other... .

Read 730 reviews.

Net Price : $22,776 ,

SAT Range : 1460-1560 ,

Claremont McKenna College

• · Rating 3.95 out of 5   432 reviews
• Acceptance rate 10%
• Net price $28,701
• SAT range 1440-1550

#25 Best Colleges for Political Science in America .

432 Niche users give it an average review of 3.9 stars.

Featured Review: Sophomore says Transferred in from a flagship state school and have no regrets. Found more welcoming communities, interesting professional/research opportunities, and more engaging classes. Facilities and the... .

Read 432 reviews.

Acceptance Rate : 10% ,

Net Price : $28,701 ,

SAT Range : 1440-1550 ,

Gonzaga University

• SPOKANE, WA
• · Rating 3.82 out of 5   1,351

Davidson College

• DAVIDSON, NC
• · Rating 3.99 out of 5   347

University of the Pacific

• STOCKTON, CA
• · Rating 3.67 out of 5   1,338

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Department of Political Science

The Political Science Ph.D.

The Vanderbilt Ph.D. program in political science ranks among the top programs of its kind, both overall and by subfield (American Politics, Comparative Politics, with International Relations on the rise).

Our faculty and students study many varied subjects using a diverse slate of methodologies. Vanderbilt’s political science department is known for its deep expertise in several areas of excellence that cross subfield boundaries, including bureaucracies, political violence and conflict, the politics of gender, democracy in middle-to-low-income countries, mass political behavior, survey methodology, and formal theory.

Our graduate program offers intensive training in three fields of political science: American Politics, Comparative Politics, and International Relations. We admit between eight and twelve doctoral students per year and prepare them for successful careers in academia, government, international organizations, or research-centered jobs.

While we admit a small percentage of applicants for our program, we aim to bring the most diverse, talented, and innovative students in the world to Nashville to study political science. As a student in our program, you are joining a supportive intellectual and social community.

Some of the key benefits of Vanderbilt’s political science Ph.D. program are:

• A top-ranked faculty with deep expertise in substantive political science and the methodologies needed to answer important questions about our political world
• Access to research-supporting resources like the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions , the Latin American Public Opinion Project Lab, the Research on Conflict and Collective Action Lab, and the Research on Individuals, Politics, and Society Lab
• A nearly 1:1 student: faculty ratio, allowing for close mentoring and support
• A rigorous program of coursework and research milestones that pair deep substantive knowledge with cutting-edge methodological and data science skills
• Membership in a community of smart, hardworking, and supportive doctoral candidates who prioritize collaboration and discovery
• Residence in Nashville, a fast-growing mid-size city with a high quality of life and wide array of entertainment and recreational offerings

Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Like Vanderbilt University, the Department of Political Science defines diversity broadly to include experiences, perspectives, backgrounds, and identities. We believe such diversity among our faculty and students enhances the intellectual experience and achievements of this academic community. As such, we are committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action, and we encourage individuals from diverse, under-represented, and traditionally excluded populations to apply to our program.

Our graduate program seeks to:

• Continually strengthen the climate for current students and faculty from traditionally excluded groups and foster a welcoming and vibrant community of scholars.
• Recruit more graduate students from underrepresented and traditionally excluded groups to the department and discipline.
• Give all students and faculty the tools to succeed and support one another in a diverse discipline.

Applying to the Program

The application deadline for the Ph.D. program is December 15 for the coming fall semester. We welcome applicants from all institutions, backgrounds, and experiences with a passion for research in political science. The application fee is $95.00.

When you apply, you are applying to the program as a whole and the faculty decides together who would be the best fit. Individual faculty members do not review and accept individual doctoral students they want to advise. There is no need to secure a faculty mentor ahead of your application .

Please direct all Ph.D. admission inquiries to Director of Graduate Studies, Sharece Thrower .

Qualifications

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in any major and show evidence of a passion for research in political science. The most successful applicants demonstrate mathematical or statistical proficiency and experience in original research. There is no minimum score for the GRE, TOEFL, or minimum required GPA. It is optional for applicants to submit their GRE scores. Strong letters of recommendation (generally from faculty members) are essential. Finally, but most importantly, we look for a fit between the student's intellectual interests and our faculty's scholarly expertise.

Information to Submit

The Graduate Studies Committee reviews all aspects of an applicant's file. We try to get a sense of an applicant’s many facets, skills, and experiences across the different materials:

• Statement of purpose (see details below)
• Official transcripts from each college or university attended
• 3-5 letters of recommendation speaking to academic abilities
• Writing sample of 15-25 pages (preferably a paper from a course that illustrates the candidate's ability to write and to conduct research)
• Unofficial or official GRE scores are optional
• Students from non-English-speaking countries should also submit a recent TOEFL score; students graduating with a degree from a four-year English-speaking institution are exempt from this requirement.

Statement of Purpose

Successful applicants should use the personal statement to clearly articulate their interest in pursuing a doctorate in political science and their research objectives. There are no required elements, but some questions that can help guide the statement include:

• What questions or puzzles in political science fascinate you?
• What approaches do you think will help you answer those puzzles?
• Why do you want to earn a Ph.D., and why in political science?
• How have your studies and experiences prepared you for a challenging Ph.D. program?
• Why do you think the Vanderbilt program and its faculty are the best place for you to study your questions of interest and develop needed skills?

Visiting Campus

We hold a recruitment visit in March for all applicants who receive offers of admission to the program. Visits consist of meals with current graduate students and faculty, group meetings to learn about program requirements and benefits, and one-on-one meetings with those faculty members and students you are most likely to work with.

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PhD Political Science

Program overview.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Science program serves students interested in academic positions as well as research and policy careers. The department and its  faculty  are committed to providing doctoral students with an excellent educational experience through coursework, comprehensive examinations, and the dissertation. 

The curriculum introduces students to all four fields and also develops their research skills through a series of methodology 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 PhD in Political Science covers four major fields in the discipline:

• American Government and Politics
• Comparative Politics
• International Relations
• Public Policy

All PhD students are fully funded for 5 years via a Tuition Assistantship which includes stipend, full tuition, and student health insurance. Answers to frequently asked questions can be found here from the department and here from the College of Social Sciences and Humanities.

For more information on curricular requirements for the PhD program see the  Course Catalog .

Type of Program

• PhD Program

Get more information about this graduate program.

More programs, bachelor of arts, political science, bachelor of science, political science, certificate in security and resilience studies, master of arts in political science, master of science in resilience studies.

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College of Arts and Science

Truman School of Government and Public Affairs

Phd in political science, program overview .

Our program is organized into the traditional major subfields of political science (including American politics, public policy/administration, international relations and comparative politics).  Beyond that, we focus on a number of research cores on the cutting edge of political science research including race and ethnic politics, voting behavior, political movements, civil wars, American political institutions, and conflict management.  We offer comprehensive methodological training in quantitative techniques, formal modeling and game theory, and qualitative techniques (such as interviews and archival research).  Students are trained in state-of-the-art methodologies such as experiments, spatial econometrics, and techniques to collect and analyze big data (including automated data collection and text analysis).   We are looking for promising students to help us answer important research questions with the most advanced techniques.  

At Mizzou, we provide opportunities for collaborative research projects with faculty members who are experts in their area.  Our vibrant program  features professors who publish their research in top academic journals and university presses, edit leading journals in the discipline, and teach classes on advanced techniques at international methods institutes.  The result is that our PhD students consistently publish in top academic journals while in graduate school.  Nationally, it is somewhat rare to see students graduate with multiple publications, both solo and co-authored with faculty members; at Mizzou, it is the norm.   

Coursework in our program consists of small seminars, allowing for intensive study of political science concepts and research, close interaction with faculty, and individual attention to student progress. Advised by graduate faculty, students at MU are encouraged to become active scholars capable of conducting independent analysis and research of political and social phenomena. 

Mizzou Political Science maintains a low graduate student to faculty ratio, a commitment to student success, and a high rate of retention and graduation. 

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The COVID pandemic has been extremely hard on students, especially for students from the developing world, rural backgrounds, or from groups that are underrepresented in academia.  The significant disruptions caused by lockdowns, health issues, and local ordinances mean that it may be difficult to prepare for the GRE exam, or even travel to the testing facility.  In the interests of fairness, we have removed this requirement for applicants for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle.  We hope that this small step makes it easier for a diverse group of students to reach their goals at Mizzou.  

We don’t have minimum scores for the GRE.  As for the GRE averages, the above figure shows admitted students from a previous application cycle (circled) across quantitative and verbal percentiles (50th, 75th and 95th percentiles).  As you can see, higher GRE scores improve your chances of being admitted.  At the same time, it is not a perfect relationship.  Unlike other top schools, we prefer to take a comprehensive or holistic approach to evaluating applicants.  

Keep in mind that we have waived the GRE requirement for applicants for Fall 2023, so it your choice as to whether to provide GRE scores or not. 

The Truman School strives to be a diverse and inclusive environment where students are encouraged to pursue their research interests in vibrant intellectual community.  As such, we take a holistic approach to  admissions .  This means that we look for students with unique backgrounds, exceptional academic performance, research interests that overlap those of our faculty, strong letters of recommendation, and experience conducting political science research.  Exceptional performance in one area could certainly compensate for less experience in another. 

More specifically, the best personal statements are those that a) describe your post-PhD employment goals, b) lay out your skills and tools—such as experience with data analysis, statistical software, language skills, and conducting independent research—that will help you succeed in graduate school, and c) show why Mizzou’s graduate program appeals to you—this includes noting how your research interests overlap with those of our faculty. 

No, there is no need to secure a professor’s approval before noting in the personal statement that you would like to work with them.  If you would like to chat with a particular professor, contact the Director of Graduate Studies, Laron Williams, and he would be happy to establish the connection and get the conversation going. 

While having an MA helps demonstrate that you are familiar with the intellectual demands of graduate school, it is not a requirement for admission.  In fact, the majority of our PhD students choose to begin the program immediately after graduating from their undergraduate institution.  In short, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds: applying straight from undergrad, after pursuing an MA, and mid-career applicants. 

All Ph.D. students have graduate assistantships and receive a tuition waiver and a health insurance subsidy.  Remaining expenses include course fees which—depending on the number of credit hours—typically do not exceed $1,000 a semester.  

Our graduate student stipends are highly competitive (over $18,000) and quite generous when one factors in the low cost-of-living of Columbia ( example ).  Historically, our students have won multiple university fellowships that provide additional funding (often $11,000-16,000). 

The Truman School is also unique in guaranteeing funding for the five years it takes students to complete their PhD requirements, rather than make acquiring funding a competition between students.  We have found that our approach reduces student anxiety about their economic situation.  When students don’t compete with each other for their funding, they are free to build lasting friendships and connections.      

Graduate assistants typically work 20 hours a week as either a teaching assistant or a research assistant.  Graduate students in RA positions are paired with faculty members with similar research interests, so promising research assistantships often evolve into full-fledged co-authored projects.  Teaching assistant duties vary according to the class, sometimes involving mostly grading while other times involving leading discussion sections. We also have opportunities for students interested in applied policy research to work as an RA with the  Institute of Public Policy .   

Students are allocated to either TA or RA positions based on a mixture of departmental need and the strengths and preferences of students.  

Most of our PhD alumni work in academia as professors, so a critical part of the graduate training at Mizzou revolves around teaching.  The ideal sequence is for students to serve as teaching assistants in substantive courses for a few semesters and then become lab instructors.  As a lab instructor, TAs build teaching experience by providing one-on-one and small group instruction to a lab.  We also encourage students to pursue guest lecturing opportunities so that they can strengthen their teaching skills.  Moreover, our students have taken advantage of the additional training offered by the  Teaching for Learning Center  and the  Minor in College Teaching . 

Advanced graduate students are allowed to take the reins and teach their own independent courses.  The goal is for our graduates to have a diverse teaching portfolio of classes so that they can hit the ground running in their first post-graduation academic job.    

Yes!  The professors in the Truman School believe that a critical part of training graduate students is collaborating with them on  research projects .  So much of the research process can only be learned by getting your hands dirty, brainstorming with coauthors, and writing on interests that you share with faculty.  Graduate education is certainly less rewarding if you don’t have these experiences.  

These collaborative opportunities arise organically, and often come out of a research assistantship position or as the result of a research paper for a graduate course.  The result is that the vast majority of students go on the academic job market with multiple publications—often with faculty and other graduate students as coauthors—which places them in a stronger competitive position than their peers.  Nationally, it is somewhat rare for graduate students to have multiple publications; at Mizzou, it’s the norm. 

We expect our students to produce high-quality, innovative political science research, so we provide the funds that help them along the way.  We group these funds into three categories: 

• All students receive  funding  to attend and present at academic conferences.  Academic conferences are a great way to network with others who share your passions, stay current on cutting-edge research, and receive feedback on your own research projects.  We encourage students to begin attending smaller or regional conferences early on so that they are comfortable with presenting research at national conferences later on in the program.  
• For some students, their research and teaching interests require additional training.  This could include immersive language training in other countries or classes on advanced methodological topics.  For example, in the past few years, we have funded students to receive additional training on Political Psychology, qualitative methods, and a variety of quantitative methods at American and international summer schools.  
• During the research process, students often discover that their project requires data that has never been collected before.  Whether the data comes from fieldwork in other countries, through experiments, or surveys, we are happy to provide small grants to get the ball rolling. 

Students choose to spend their summers in a variety of ways, whether it is taking a course or two, doing fieldwork or original data collection, gaining language training in an immersive environment, or attending summer schools in methodologies.  These decisions are made by the student in consultation with their advisor and committee. 

Departmental assistantships are based on 10-month appointments (you can spread payments over 12 months), but there are limited opportunities for 1- to 2-month summer research assistantships.  Any student with a departmental assistantship receives a tuition waiver for summer classes. 

Full-time PhD students take three classes a week and each class meets for 2.5 hours once a week.  We make sure that these graduate courses don’t conflict with the undergraduate courses related to your teaching assistantship.  

Students select a primary and a secondary field out of American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations and Public Policy/Public Administration.  Students must take four classes from their primary field, three from their secondary field, and four methods classes.  Besides that, we encourage students to take classes outside of their two fields and outside of the Truman School.  For more information on these courses—as well as available syllabi— click here . 

Here is a rough outline of the 2.5 years of coursework. 

Fall  Methods Core I, Primary Core, Secondary Core 

Spring  Methods Core II, Substantive (Primary), Substantive (Secondary) 

Fall  Methods, Substantive (Primary), Elective from outside TSGPA 

Spring  Methods, Substantive (Primary), Substantive (Secondary) 

Fall  Methods, Core, Substantive (Primary) 

Spring  Comprehensive Examinations and Dissertation Proposal Defense 

Fall  Dissertation Research 

Spring  Dissertation Research 

Fall   Dissertation Research and Job Market 

Core Courses:  each field has a broad seminar that introduces the fundamental topics and big questions in that field: Public Policy, Introduction to International Relations, and Introduction to Comparative Politics.  American Politics offers two core courses: American Political Behavior and American Political Institutions. 

Methods Courses:  each PhD student must take at least 13 hours of advanced methods courses.  The two core courses include Introductory Statistics for Political Science (and its 1-hour lab) in the Fall of Year 1, and Linear Models in Politics in the Spring of Year 2.  After that, students can take two other 3-hour courses on topics including Maximum Likelihood Estimation, Time Series Analysis, Formal Models, and Qualitative Research Methods.  Students are also encouraged to pursue methods training from other departments at Mizzou and at summer methods schools. 

Substantive Courses:  each field offers at least one substantive course per semester on an important topic in that field.  Click on this  link  to see the substantive courses we’ve offered in the last few years.   

Elective:  students are free to take classes outside of the Truman School at Mizzou.  Oftentimes students will want to gain expertise or learn some methodological skill that is found outside of political science.  In the past, students have taken courses in Black Studies, Statistics, Economics, Philosophy, Communications, and Sociology, to name a few. 

Comprehensive Examinations:  in the Spring of Year 3, students take comprehensive examinations in both their primary and secondary fields.  The examinations take place over two days (one for each field) and assess whether students understand the foundational research on big questions in their field.  After passing comprehensive examinations, students start writing their dissertation proposal. 

The Graduate Association of Political Scientists ( GAPS ) is the student organization for graduate students involved in political science degree programs.  It hosts monthly meetings with informational sessions, seminars on health and wellness, professional development activities, and social activities. 

GAPS also runs the Truman School’s mentoring program, which connects all first-year students with an advanced student in the program with similar research interests.  The mentors provide advice and guidance about how to navigate the PhD program.  We have found that this eases the transition to full-time graduate student and improves student retention. 

Since we recruit students from diverse backgrounds, there is considerable variance in students’ previous academic experiences.  To help the transition from undergraduate education (or full-time employment) to a PhD program, we provide a comprehensive professional development program.  The goal is to train students on all the tools and skills they’ll need to make the most out of the PhD program.  The professional development program is made up of three main components: 

• Boot camp :  This 3-hour graduate class (POLS 9010: Research Design and Analysis) is offered immediately prior to the start of the fall semester and is required for all first-year PhD students.  The primary objective of the course is to make sure that all students have the necessary skills to succeed in the first year of the program, regardless of their prior training or academic experiences.  The class provides a strong foundation in mathematics, statistics and probability theory so that students have the knowledge required for the methods sequence.  Other topics covered include professionalization, writing for a political science audience, the typesetting program LaTeX, and an introduction to Stata.  
• Methods workshops : 3-4 times a semester the Truman School offers a 2- or 3-hour methods workshop for graduate students.  The workshops focus on a topic that is not covered in our graduate methods sequence, but is useful for students wanting to produce high-quality research.  While these classes are typically taught by Mizzou faculty, we are happy to give advanced graduate students the opportunity to teach their peers in their area of expertise.  Over the last four years there have been almost 30 different workshops, ranging from Race and Ethnicity to Python, to Text Analysis and Network Analysis. 
• Mini-conferences : Presenting at academic conferences is a critical part of success in graduate school.  Of course, some people might be stressed at the thought of finishing their paper, producing their presentation, and presenting it in front of strangers.  We get it, as we were students at one point too.  To help our students become more comfortable with academic conferences, we host a number of mini-conferences through the year.  These mini-conferences typically take place about a month before a major political science conference and they give students the opportunity to practice presenting and receive feedback before they attend the conference.  We have found that presenting the project in a low-stress environment not only improves the overall research quality, but also puts students in the best chance to succeed. 

Degree Options 

Doctoral students identify a primary and a secondary field among four areas of study offered in the Political Science: 

• American Politics 
• Comparative Politics 
• International Relations 
• Public Policy and Administration 

The PhD program of study consists of 45 hours of graduate course work, including: 

• 12 hours in a primary field of study 
• 9 hours in a secondary field of study 
• 13 hours in methodology 

Up to 24 hours of courses from a student's master's program may be counted toward the doctoral degree, at the discretion of the student's doctoral committee. The doctoral degree requires a minimum of 72 hours of course credit including reading and research hours. 

Students typically take comprehensive exams in the spring of the third year. After passing the comprehensive examination, students work on independent research and a dissertation under the advisement of a doctoral committee.   

PhD Placement 

Our assistance to students doesn’t end when the student gets their PhD.  Each student pursuing a job on the academic job market goes through the placement program, where we review job market materials, discuss strategy, and offer interview prep.  We also offer seminars on how to succeed in non-academic careers, and have placed recent graduates in all levels of government, think tanks, and the private sector. 

The Truman School is extremely proud of its recent placement efforts (see below). In addition to placing students in tenure-track professor positions in research-dominated universities, we have an excellent track record in students gaining employment at small state universities and liberal arts colleges.  Professors in the latter type of universities can engage in their teaching passions while still having the opportunity to conduct research. 

Tenure-track Assistant Professor Placement Institutions: 

• Knox College
• Anderson University
• University of Louisiana-Lafayette
• Luther College
• Mount St. Mary's University
• Texas Tech University
• University of Macau
• University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley
• Lincoln University
• Baylor University
• State University of New York—Geneseo 
• University of South Carolina 
• Arkansas State University 
• University of Stavanger (Norway) 
• Georgia Southern University 
• University of Reading (UK) 
• University of South Carolina—Aiken 
• University of York (UK) 

Post-Doctoral Fellowships Placement Institutions: 

• Stanford University
• University of Kentucky
• Dartmouth College
• Korea University
• University of Georgia
• Ohio State University
• University of Gothenburg 
• Arizona State University 
• University of Copenhagen 
• Columbia University
• Vanderbilt University

Political Science, PhD

Zanvyl krieger school of arts and sciences.

The Johns Hopkins University Department of Political Science is known for its strength in theory and in innovative and trans-disciplinary approaches to uncovering new knowledge, and the program of doctoral study draws on these strengths to provide rigorous training. Our program is designed for highly qualified, intellectually curious, and creative graduate students who can benefit by learning from and contributing to this community of scholars.

Doctoral students develop in-depth knowledge of a major field and a minor field (or two major fields), chosen from American politics, comparative politics, international relations, law and politics, and political theory. In addition, doctoral students may complete a certificate in comparative racial politics.

Students have opportunities to work closely with faculty and to pursue independent research, and faculty and doctoral students benefit from strong connections with colleagues in other social science and humanities disciplines and opportunities to collaborate with them.

The preparation of the next generation of scholars in the field of political science is a key part of the Johns Hopkins political science department faculty's commitment to research and advancing the understanding of politics. The doctoral program reflects the distinctive strengths of the department's cross-cutting intellectual orientations (encompassing the themes of power and inequality, identities and allegiances, agency and structure, and borders and flows), realized in faculty and PhD student research and teaching.

The department and Krieger School of Arts and Sciences provide opportunities for developing teaching and other career-related skills.

Financial Support

The department ordinarily provides financial aid to all students admitted to the graduate program unless they hold fellowships from sources outside the university. Departmental fellowships cover full tuition and an annual stipend. Assuming satisfactory progress toward the PhD, students can normally expect to receive funding for five years. All students receiving financial aid are expected to serve as teaching assistants for one semester of each academic year beginning their second year at the university.

Admission Requirements

The Department of Political Science admits approximately 16 new graduate students each year, selected from approximately 200 applications. Our entering class is typically around 10 students. 

The deadline for application for admission to graduate study and the award of financial assistance is December 15 (most years). Decisions are made exclusively in late February or early March and announced by March 15.

A bachelor's degree (or equivalent) and results of the Graduate Record Examination are required for application. Students whose native language is not English must take the TOEFL examinations or provide other evidence of fluency in English (such as a degree from an institution in which the language of instruction is English.) A broad background in the liberal arts and sciences is preferred. 

More information on applying can be found at  http://grad.jhu.edu/apply/application-process/ .

All applications should be submitted online.

Program Requirements  

The requirements for the PhD in political science are divided between those that must be satisfied by all candidates for that degree and those particular to the student's major and minor fields.

Department-wide Requirements

All candidates for the PhD must satisfy the following requirements:

Course Requirements

• To fulfill the requirements for the PhD in Political Science students must complete 12 courses at the 600-level with a grade of B or better.
• Of these 12 courses, eight must be graduate-level (600-level) courses taken in the Political Science Department.
• No more than two of these eight courses (600-level) may be Independent Studies.
• If a graduate student is interested in taking an undergraduate-level course, the student must make arrangements to take a graduate-level Independent Study with the professor teaching that course. (NB: As noted above, a student may take no more than two Independent Studies for credit toward fulfilling the requirements of the PhD).
• A graduate student may take no more than one graduate-level course at another division of Johns Hopkins University (i.e. SAIS, Public Health, etc.) for credit toward fulfilling the requirements of the PhD in Political Science.
• Students may make a formal request to the DGS to have up to two graduate-level courses taken at another institution count for credit toward fulfilling the requirements of the PhD in Political Science at JHU.

Foreign Language Requirement

All students must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language. This requirement can be fulfilled as follows:

• Demonstrate fluency in a foreign language (granted automatically for students whose first language is not English).
• Complete four semesters of college-level foreign language instruction.
• Pass a translation exam.
• Earn a degree from a University where instruction is not in English.
• With a degree from an institution in which the language of instruction is a language other than English.
• Place into a third-year foreign language course through online placement tests (see GRLL website).

Comprehensive Examination Requirement

Students are required, at a minimum, to take comprehensive exams in one major field and one minor field. Students may also elect to take two major exams or a major exam and two minor exams (one of which may be outside the Department of Political Science).

Faculty members in the field write and evaluate the exams and determine the format. Major field comprehensive exams take place over two days (8 hours per day); minor field exams take place over one day. The fields within the department are: American Politics, Law and Politics, Political Theory, Comparative Politics and International Relations.

Students choosing a second minor outside the Political Science Department must devise a coherent program of study in that discipline, in consultation with their Political Science faculty advisor and with faculty from the other department. Students choosing an external minor must complete a minimum of three courses at the 600 level in the external minor's discipline, earning a grade of B or better. They must also pass a comprehensive examination prepared and evaluated in consultation with faculty of the Department of Political Science by the instructors in those courses.

Dissertation

The dissertation is the capstone of doctoral education, and it must be a substantial work of independent scholarship that contributes to knowledge in the student's field of study. Students must identify a tenure-track or tenured member of the Political Science faculty who is willing to supervise the preparation of their dissertation. A dissertation prospectus must be submitted to two professors (one of whom must be the dissertation advisor) and that prospectus must be accepted by them both.

Students must pass a final examination that takes the form of a defense of the doctoral dissertation that is conducted under the rules of the Graduate Board of Johns Hopkins University.

Note: Exceptions may be made to some of these requirements but only with the approval of the graduate student's advisor and the Political Science Department's Director of Graduate Studies.

Field-specific Requirements

Field-specific basic expectations, procedures, and requirements are stated below. These are implemented, interpreted, and adjusted in the light of the intellectual orientations and objectives of individual students. It is important that students work closely with their advisors and with the faculty in their major and minor fields in constructing and pursuing their programs of study.

American Politics

Students majoring and minoring in American Politics will work with at least two faculty members to develop a plan of study that includes recommended course work and other preparation needed to pass a comprehensive exam. Students completing a major are expected to demonstrate a breadth of knowledge sufficient for framing a dissertation in the relevant disciplinary literature and teaching undergraduate courses in the field; students who pursue a minor may focus more narrowly on an area of study in which they demonstrate fluency. These may include, but are not limited to, the following areas of faculty interest:

• American Political Institutions (Congress, Courts, and the Executive)
• Urban Politics
• American Political Development
• Race and Politics
• Political Behavior and Public Opinion
• Public Policy
• American Political Thought
• Political Parties and Elections

In addition, students majoring in the field are strongly encouraged to take AS.190.602 Introduction to Quantitative Political Science as part of their course of study.

Comparative Politics

All students majoring and minoring in this Comparative Politics will become conversant with major substantive and methodological debates in the field, and be able to comment on the key theoretical literature in several of those debates. They will normally also develop knowledge of at least one world region. Students majoring or minoring in Comparative Politics are required to take AS.190.625 Theories of Comparative Politics and at least one seminar in quantitative or qualitative methods. Students are expected to master the material covered in these courses, as well as others with more specialized topics.

Students will take a comprehensive exam that will test their ability to engage with several areas of theoretical debate in Comparative Politics, and their ability to use comparative examples to support their arguments. Students may focus on (but are not limited to):

• Civil Society
• Institutional Theories
• Transnational Relations, Social Movements, and Contentious Politics
• Political Parties, Interest Groups, Representation, and Political Behavior
• Comparative Political Economy
• Comparative Racial Politics, Nationalism, and Migration and Citizenship
• The Political Economy of Development
• Economic and Political Transitions
• Ideas and Politics

Within the spirit of this division of the overall field, students may propose alternative delineations of thematic subfields.

Students working in specific thematic and substantive subfields within Comparative Politics will be required to demonstrate competence in methodologies and bodies of theory judged by the faculty to be necessary for quality research and teaching in those subfields.

Requirements for the Major Exam

Student taking the major exam are expected to compile a reading list that includes at least six fields, including a general "Theories of Comparative Politics" field. The reading list must be approved by the student's advisor at least six weeks before the exam. We strongly advise students to submit their reading lists to all of the CP faculty for feedback at least a few months before the exam. A minimum of three CP faculty members will read each major exam.

Requirements for the Minor Exam

Students taking the minor exam should seek two readers among the CP faculty for their exams. Students are expected to compile a reading lists that includes at least four fields, including a general “Theories of Comparative Politics” field. The reading list must be approved by the two readers at least six weeks before the exam. We strongly advise students to submit their reading lists to all of the CP faculty for feedback at least a few months before the exam.

International Relations

All students majoring or minoring in International Relations will be required to be conversant with the major theoretical, substantive, and methodological themes and debates of the field. It is strongly recommended that students take AS.190.676 Field Survey of International Relations and a methods course. 

Students majoring in International Relations will take an examination covering two subfields. The first subfield must be International Politics. The other subfield is to be determined in consultation with faculty teaching International Relations. Choices include but are not restricted to:

• International Law and Diplomacy
• International Relations Theory
• International Security Studies
• Science, Technology, and Art and International Relations

Global Political Economy

Students minoring in International Relations will take a comprehensive examination in International Politics.

Political Theory

Students majoring in Political Theory will take a comprehensive examination covering the following two subfields:

• Contemporary Political Theory
• History of Political Thought

Each student preparing for a major comprehensive exam will propose six or seven thinkers in the history of thought, six or seven recent or contemporary thinkers, and three or four issue areas. Examination questions are composed in light of the theorists and issues articulated in the exam prospectus.

The minor comprehensive exam in political theory asks the student to select half the number of thinkers required for the major exam and three issue areas.

Preparation for these examinations will be arranged in consultation with relevant faculty.

Students majoring in political theory will also take at least one minor field from American Politics, Law and Politics, Comparative Politics, or International Relations.

Law and Politics

Law and politics focuses on American constitutional thought, judicial politics, law and society, and philosophy of law. Students learn not only about the history and context of American constitutional developments, but also about the operation of the judicial branch of government in the past and the present. Studying how courts and judges do their work, students also consider how that work has changed over time. Students explore how legislation as well as court decisions reflect and influence a society’s policies, politics, and moral commitments. In addition, they examine how social movements, interest groups, and professional networks help to shape law’s content and implementation.

Students may major or minor in law and politics. In either case, students work closely with at least two members of the faculty to develop a plan of study regarding coursework and additional reading to prepare them for comprehensive exams. Majors are expected to demonstrate a breadth of knowledge in the field sufficient for framing a dissertation and for teaching undergraduate courses; minors may focus more narrowly on a particular area of study.

Progress Toward the PhD

The time necessary to obtain a PhD in the department varies according to the preparation individual students bring to the program, the scope and complexity of their dissertation topics, and other factors. Students are required to make satisfactory progress, meaning that they must work toward fulfilling the requirements in a timely manner. Students are encouraged to satisfy the department's foreign language requirement by the time of their first comprehensive exam. Most students take their comprehensive examinations in the third year in the program. Students who have completed all requirements except the dissertation must work to complete their dissertations as quickly as is reasonable given the unique circumstances of their course of study, and they must periodically demonstrate progress on the dissertation.

The Master of Arts degree is offered only to students who have been admitted into the PhD program. For the M.A., the student must complete at least seven one-semester courses at the 600-level with a grade of B or better, and demonstrate an effective reading knowledge of one approved foreign language.

FAQ for Prospective Ph.D. Students

What is your department's philosophy, what graduate degrees does the department of political science offer, how long is your program, what are the requirements for the ph.d. degree, how is your placement record, where can i get more information on life at stanford, housing, financial aid or being an international student, can i complete the program via distance learning, online or on a part time basis.

• Can you tell me more about the JD/PhD program? How do I apply for it? How long does it take? How much does it cost? 

Can you provide any advice on applying for graduate school, how to prepare myself for graduate school or how to prepare and strengthen my application?

Financial support, what is the annual cost of attending your program, what type of financial support do you offer, do you offer support for the summer months, is there support available for field work, how do i apply to the knight-hennessy scholars program, what are your research areas.

• How can I find out if any of your faculty members does research in my area of interest?

Preparing for Admission

Am i required to secure an advisor before applying to your graduate program.

• Is Political Science a required major to apply to your graduate programs?
• Is a master's degree required for admissions?

Are applicants expected to have taken advanced coursework in mathematics and statistics?

If admitted, can i obtain credit for previous work.

• Can you provide some guidelines for preparation? How are applications evaluated? 

What are the admissions committee's expectations of prospective students?

Do you have a minimum gre score or gpa requirement, if admitted, may i defer my offer until a later year, application procedures, how do i apply, what is the application deadline, are applications reviewed and admissions decisions made on a rolling basis, how can i check the status of my application can you tell me if you received my application/transcripts/test scores/letters of recommendation, when will admission decisions be announced, when will the application for the 2024-25 academic year be available, can i apply for winter, spring, or summer quarter admission, what are the application requirements, do i need to submit a separate application for departmental fellowships or assistantships, what is a statement of purpose, can i submit a cv as part of my application, can i apply for an application fee waiver, can i update my application materials (cv, writing sample, statement of purpose or unofficial transcripts) after i submit my application.

• Does the 20-35 page writing sample page limit include the bibliography?

I am having technical problems with my online application. What do I do?

Gre and toefl, are gre scores required for the political science phd program, do i have to submit gre scores if i already have a master's degree, i sent my official gre or toefl scores but it still says they haven’t been received on my application status page. should i resend them.

• Will my application be reviewed if my official GRE/TOEFL scores arrive after the deadline?
• I asked ETS to send my GRE scores in a previous year. Do I need to resubmit my GRE scores?

My GRE/TOEFL scores are not recent. Will you accept them?

Can i list multiple sets of gre/toefl scores on my application , letters of recommendation, some of my letters of recommendation might arrive after the deadline. is this okay.

• One of my letter writers is having technical issues submitting their letters of recommendation. Who should they contact?

Will you accept letters of recommendation mailed from Interfolio or my university's career center or letter service? Can my letter writers submit letters via email, mail, or fax?

I'd like to make changes to my letters of recommendation writers after i submitted my application or sent the letter of recommendation request. how can i do that, may i submit more than three letters of recommendation, and will they all be included in the review process, can you provide guidance on who i should ask for a letter of recommendation, do my recommenders need to wait for me to submit my application in order to submit their letters, do i need to wait for my recommenders to submit their letters in order to submit my application, transcripts.

• Do I need to send official transcripts at the time of application? 

Does Stanford want an updated transcript with my fall quarter/semester grades?

Do i need to list schools i attended for less than one year or on a part-time basis, i just started a graduate program and will not have any grades at the time i apply to stanford. do i need to upload a transcript, my transcripts are not in english. will you accept them, my school’s grading system does not use a 4-point scale. how do i enter my grade point average in the online application, international students, are there any special application requirements for international applicants, does my foreign degree qualify me for graduate study at stanford.

• Do I need to submit TOEFL scores?
• Am I exempt from submitting TOEFL scores?

Can I request a TOEFL waiver? 

My toefl scores are not recent. will you accept them , may i submit ielts scores instead of toefl scores, my school's grading system does not use a 1-4 scale. how do i enter my grade point average in the online application, as an international student, am i eligible for funding, i went to school outside of the united states. do i have to use certifile/chesicc/the collegenet document service to submit my official transcripts, can i contact the admissions committee to inquire about my preparation in advance of my application, should i contact stanford faculty to discuss my interest in the program, will i have a chance to talk to someone before i decide to accept an offer of admission, master's degree for doctoral students, can i get a master’s degree from the department of political science.

The Department of Political Science does not embrace any particular philosophy or approach to the study of political science. We offer courses and research opportunities in a wide variety of fields in the discipline (see  Research Areas  below). Our principal goal is the training of scholars. 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.

Our graduate 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.

We offer a PhD in Political Science. The Department does not offer a master’s degree for external applicants. Only students currently enrolled in a PhD or professional school program at Stanford University may apply for a Master of Arts (MA) in Political Science.

The Ph.D. program is designed to be completed in five years of full-time study. Actual time depends on students' progress, research and travel requirements, and fields of study. The minimum residence requirement for the Ph.D. degree is 135 units of completed coursework, which takes approximately four years.  The fifth year is typically spent writing the dissertation.

Requirements vary depending on which fields a student elects to study. The minimum residence requirement for the Ph.D. degree is 135 units of completed coursework, which takes approximately four years.  The fifth year is typically spent writing the dissertation. All students must complete five units of graduate instruction in Political Theory unless previously taken as an undergraduate, and take a two-quarter sequence in quantitative methods. A language might also be required if the student and advisor think it appropriate for dissertation research. Beginning in their second year, students serve as teaching assistants in undergraduate courses for a minimum of three quarters, but most will serve as many as five quarters.

Students are required to satisfy the Ph.D. comprehensive examination requirements in one field as well as take coursework and fulfill any additional requirements in a second and third field and write at least one research paper. Upon completion of these three requirements, the student is eligible to be recommended for Ph.D. candidacy. It is expected that students will attain candidacy by the end of the second year. In their third year, students are asked to submit a formal dissertation proposal for approval. Doctoral candidates form a Dissertation Reading Committee in the fourth year and take the University Oral Examination after they have made substantial progress on their dissertations. Students must finish all requirements and file a thesis to receive their Ph.D. degree.

See the  requirements page  for more details.

Most students who receive doctorates in the program do research and teach at colleges or universities. In recent years, they have obtained positions in political science departments at such institutions as the University of California at Berkeley, UCLA, Harvard, NYU, M.I.T., Princeton, Yale, Southern California, Virginia, and Wellesley. Others have positions in research organizations like RAND, and still others have positions in university administration and government. Click to see the  list of recent placements .

Visit the  Graduate Student Gateway .

No. The Ph.D. program requires students to be present on campus and in-person for each quarter enrolled. The Ph.D. program is a full-time program and may not be completed on a part time basis. 

Can you tell me more about the JD/PhD program? How do I apply for it? How long does it take? How much does it cost?

Information on the JD/PhD program is available  here . 

Please review the information on the ‘ Guide on Getting Into Grad School .’ We are not able to speculate on an applicant's chances of admission, or review application materials prior to application, or provide guidance on individual applications beyond what is provided on the Political Science department website and the Guide to Getting Into Grad School.

The costs of pursuing graduate study at Stanford depend on various factors, including student's housing preferences and family circumstances, among other factors. Information about financing graduate study and typical expenses for graduate students can be found through  Graduate Admissions.  Information about our financial support, which usually covers tuition and living expenses, follows below.

The Department intends that all graduate students (both domestic and international) should have adequate support to enable them to complete their studies while enrolled full-time.  The standard financial package offered to admitted students covers the full cost of tuition and an additional amount for living expenses . The latter amount comes in the form of a stipend during the first year and a combination of teaching and research assistantships during years 2-5.  The Department also provides students with annual funds for professional development and health insurance fees. The Department provides five years of support for Ph.D. students who are making sufficient progress towards degree.   Current information regarding tuition, fees, and living expenses .

Funded PhD students in good standing are eligible to receive 12 months of funding each year, for as long as five years.

In addition to providing the standard package described above, the Department will provide each student $1,500 in discretionary funds every year in year 1-5.  Most students use this money to fund professional development expenses, including language study, faculty guided research and field work. In addition, funded PhD students in good standing are eligible to receive 12 months of funding each year for as long as five years, which provides students with the possibility of conducting field work during the summer. It is also possible to use pre-doc fellowship funds to support field work during the later years of the program. There are also numerous opportunities to supplement the funding by the department with grants and stipends from university research centers, such as the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies , the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences (IRiSS), and the Stanford King Center on Global Development . 

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 11, 2023. Learn more about KHS admission .

The department offers teaching and research opportunities in  five major research areas : American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Methodology, and Political Theory. In addition, there are ample opportunities for graduate study in related departments at the university.

How can I find out if your faculty does research in my area of interest?

You can access more specific information about particular faculty members by going to the  faculty page.

No. It is not necessary or possible to secure an advisor before admission to the program. Offers of admission are made to the program, not to work with particular advisors. Applicants are encouraged to read the  Admissions FAQ  and contact politicalscience [at] stanford.edu (subject: Admissions%20Enquiries) (politicalscience[at]stanford[dot]edu) with any general admissions questions before contacting faculty.

Is Political Science a required major to apply to your graduate program?

No, the department does not require that prospective students be political science majors. On the other hand, the department does expect that prospective students have had sufficient exposure to the field for them to develop a clear statement of purpose for attending our graduate program. In addition, as part of the application materials, applicants are required to submit a written sample that will certainly justify students having previously studied political science.

Is a master’s degree required for admission?

No, a master’s degree is not required for admission, although roughly one-third of our applicants have completed a graduate degree prior to application to the PhD program.

No, students are not required to have taken advanced courses in quantitative methods as a prerequisite for admission. In fact, the department offers a four quarter sequence in quantitative methods that introduces first and second year students to methodological tools that they can later use in their chosen fields of study. This sequence does not assume that students have had prior exposure to statistics or advanced mathematics. In addition to the sequence, the department offers a math refresher course for three weeks prior to the start of classes in the fall for all students. Note, however, that there are certain areas of study (such as American politics and political behavior) that will require more training in quantitative methods beyond the first-year sequence. Opportunities to pursue advanced work in quantitative methods exist both within and outside the department (e.g., taking courses in the economics and statistics departments).

The Department rarely accepts the transfer of previous graduate work toward fulfilling pre-candidacy course requirements. However, students with previous graduate work may be able to count some of their previous course credits toward the university residency requirement, thus reducing the time required for the Ph.D. degree. The university may allow a maximum of 45 units for work done elsewhere in another graduate program. Transfer credit is subject to the approval of the Office of the University Registrar, and there is no guarantee that transfer credit will be awarded. Students cannot apply for transfer credit until they have completed at least one quarter of study at Stanford. 

Can you provide some guidelines for preparation? How are applications evaluated? 

Admission to our program is highly competitive. The selection of PhD students admitted to the Department of Political Science is based on an individualized, holistic review of each application, including (but not limited to) the applicant’s academic record, the letters of recommendation, the scores on the General GRE (Graduate Record Examination), the statement of purpose, and the writing sample. About 12-15 students, chosen from a large pool of applicants, enter the program every year. These students are chosen on the basis of a strong academic background as evidenced by previous study, test results, writing sample, and letters of recommendation. Although we have no official score requirement, admitted students typically have GRE scores of 166+ verbal, 163+ quantitative, and a score of 5.5 in the analytical section.  Admitted students typically have a GPA of at least 3.8 in their previous studies. Please be assured that the department reviews each application very carefully and makes decisions on an individual basis.

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.

Regrettably, we are not able to speculate on an applicant's chances of admission, or review application materials prior to application, or provide guidance on individual applications beyond what is provided on this website. 

Admission committees follow guidelines established by the university and the department to ensure a fair review of application materials and the selection of a high quality pool of incoming students. An  overview of graduate admission  and study at Stanford is available.

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.  

No, all applications will be considered. However, admission to our program is highly competitive. Admitted students typically have very high GRE scores (approximately 166+ verbal, 163+ quantitative, and a score of 5.5 in the Analytical section).  Admitted students typically have a GPA of at least 3.8 in their previous studies.

One year deferrals are granted only for serious and unforeseen circumstances that occur after the time of application. The one exception to that policy is that one year deferrals are allowed for students who will spend the next academic year at Stanford Law School as part of the Stanford joint JD/PhD program. Deferral requests to allow students to attend another university for a different degree program (such as a JD) are highly unlikely to be granted. Deferrals for longer than one academic year are not possible. Students should only apply during this admissions cycle if they intend to be at Stanford for the next academic year.

You must apply online via the  Graduate Admissions  web site. Note that online applications require the use of a credit card.

The deadline to apply for admission for the 2024-25 academic year is 11:59pm (Pacific time) on December 5, 2023. Regrettably, we are unable to accept  late applications.

No. We begin reviewing all applications after the application deadline and make all admissions decisions by the end of February. There is no advantage to applying early.

To check your application status, click the Visit Your Status Page button here . Due to the number of applications that we receive we cannot confirm receipt of any application documents or tell you if your application is complete. 

Letters of recommendation: Your Status Page will update automatically when letters of recommendation are received. Contact your recommendation writers (not the department) if you are missing letters of recommendation. Additional information about letters of recommendation is below in the Letter of Recommendation section of the FAQ's. 

Transcripts:  Official transcripts are not required at the time of application. If you are offered admission to Stanford and accept the offer, you will be required to submit official transcripts that show your degree conferral. Please do not send official transcripts with your application.  

All applications, even those marked as "awaiting materials," will be considered by the committee.  

Offers of admission will be made in late February. Admitted applicants will be invited to attend our Ph.D. Admit Visit to be held in early April.

September 15, 2023

No, students may only enter the program during the fall quarter.

A complete application consists of the following documentation:

• Stanford online application including  statement of purpose
• At least three  letters of recommendation
• Unofficial transcripts from each institution you attended for at least one year (Official transcripts are not required at the time of application. If you are offered admission to Stanford and accept the offer, you will be required to submit official transcripts that show your degree conferral.) 
• General  GRE and TOEFL scores  reported directly to Stanford (code 4704) - Learn more about these  test requirements .  GRE scores are required for the Fall 2023 admissions cycle.  We will accept results from the ETS home tests.
• Writing Sample : a recent scholarly or critical paper (20-35 pages, double-spaced). Applicants may submit two or three shorter samples if they do not have a long one. Writing samples must be written in English. 
• Application fee of $125. Information on Graduate Fee Waivers is available  here . 

Please refer to the  Office of Graduate Admissions Frequently Asked Questions  for additional information on the application process and requirements.

In general, no. In most cases, you will be considered for any available departmental funding awards when you apply for graduate study, and a separate application is not necessary. Note that in order to be considered for Knight-Hennessy Scholars , you must submit a separate application.

The Statement of Purpose should describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the proposed program at Stanford, your preparation for this field of study, research interests, future career plans, and other aspects of your background and interests which may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study. The Statement of Purpose should not exceed two single spaced pages (this is approximately 1,000 words). Additional information on crafting your statement of purpose is available here . 

Yes, submitting a CV is required. Applications may upload a CV under "Experience" in the application. 

Fee waivers are available for some applicants. Please visit Graduate Admissions for information on applying for an  Application Fee Waiver . Please do not contact the Department to request a fee waiver as unfortunately, we are unable to grant them. 

Be sure to submit your fee waiver request at least 10 business days (two weeks) before the application deadline to ensure a timely decision.

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 11, 2023. Learn more about KHS admission .

Applying to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars is not required in order to be admitted to the Political Science PhD program or to receive a funding package from the department. 

You may update your application on your status page after submitting your application as follows:

• Recommenders, Test Scores and Contact Information (email, phone, address) may be updated anytime before or after the application deadline. However, after December 15 there is no guarantee the Admissions Committee will see the updates as they will have already begun reviewing applications.
• Statement of Purpose
• Writing Sample
• Unofficial transcripts
• The application system will allow you to update items in Additional Information anytime before or after the deadline.  However, after December 15 there is no guarantee the Admissions Committee will review the updates as they will have already begun reviewing applications. In addition, the Committee will still see the original versions of your documents if you submit new versions under Additional Information. 

Does the 20-35 page writing sample page limit include the table of contents, bibliography, and appendices?

No. The table of contents, bibliography, and appendices are not included in the 20-35 page writing sample.

Submit a request to Graduate Admissions (application login required).

Yes, GRE scores are required for all applicants. We are not able to grant waivers or make exceptions to the GRE requirement. We will accept test results from Educational Testing Service (ETS) home tests. If you are unable to take the GRE either at a testing center or via the at-home testing service by the application deadline, unfortunately you will need to wait until the next application cycle to apply. 

No other exams (including the LSAT or GMAT) are accepted in lieu of the GRE. 

Yes, all applicants must submit GRE scores, even if they have completed an advanced degree.

If you instructed ETS to send your test scores Stanford more than two weeks ago and your GRE or TOEFL scores are still shown as "Awaiting" on your Status Page, please  submit a help request  to Graduate Admissions. 

Important: it may take up to two weeks from the date you you asked ETS to send the scores for test scores to be "Received" on your Status Page.  Please do not request that ETS send scores again or contact Graduate Admissions to ask why your scores are listed as "Awaiting" if it has been less than two weeks since you submitted your application to Stanford. For example, if you sent your scores on December 1st, you can expect your test scores to appear as "Received" on your status page by December 15th.

If we haven't received official scores by the time the admissions committee begins review, we will consider your application with unofficial scores. This will not harm your chances of admission. We will, however, need to receive official scores from ETS before making an offer of admission.

Will my application be reviewed if my official GRE/TOEFL scores arrive after the deadline?

Yes. Any scores you self-report on the application are considered unofficial but sufficient for the initial review process. If we haven't received official scores for all sections by the time the admissions committee begins review, we will consider your application with the unofficial scores submitted in your online application. We will need to receive official scores for all sections of the GRE from ETS before making an official offer of admission. 

However, your unofficial GRE/TOEFL scores for all sections of the tests must be included in your application by the application deadline. This means that you must have taken the GRE/TOEFL prior to the application deadline. If you are unable to submit unofficial test scores for all sections of the test by the application deadline, we recommend that you wait to apply until the next application cycle.   

I asked ETS to send my GRE scores in a previous year. Do I need to resubmit my GRE scores?

If you had ETS send scores to Stanford prior to June 1, 2022 you will need to resubmit them.  

We follow ETS policies on score validity (five years for GRE scores, two years for TOEFL scores). Refer to Test Scores for the earliest test date Stanford considers to be valid for the current application cycle.

Yes. List all GRE tests you took within the past five years that you wish to be considered by the admission committee. Do not enter “superscores” (a single entry that includes your highest section scores from multiple test dates). The application system will automatically display to the admission committee the highest score you earned in each section as well as all reported scores.

Please ask your letter writers to upload their letters no later than December 15th. If you do not have three letters of recommendation by then, your file will still be passed to the faculty committee for consideration.  While recommenders may upload outstanding letters after December 15th, there's no guarantee they will be read as the committee will have already begun its work.  

One of my letter writers is having technical issues submitting their letters of recommendation. Who should they contact?

They should use the link in the recommendation request email they received when you registered them as a recommendation writer to request technical support.  Please do not instruct letter writers to contact the department for help with technical issues. Additional information for recommendation writers is available  here .  

Letters of recommendation can technically be submitted via interfolio; however, recommenders are required to respond to specific evaluation questions that are only available when letters are submitted directly using the online application system. Please ask your recommenders to submit their letters directly using the online application system. Please remember that letters written specifically for your Stanford graduate program tend to be stronger than letters written for general use purposes. 

You may manage your recommenders on the same Recommendations page where you registered them. This includes sending reminder emails and changing recommenders. You continue to have access to this page after you submit your application.

To change one of your recommenders: on the Recommendations page of the application, click on the recommender’s name you wish to replace, then click Exclude at the bottom of the resulting popup window. You then will see the option to add a new recommender. The recommender you exclude will not receive an email notification.  

The department expects to see three letters of recommendation per application. Applicants may enter up to four recommenders and all letters of recommendation submitted by the December 15th deadline will be considered in the review process. However, there is no automatic advantage or disadvantage to submitting more than three letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation will be evaluated solely on what they say about an applicant’s academic potential for graduate work, not on how many are submitted. 

Letters of recommendation should come from academic or professional references who know you well and are qualified to evaluate your potential for graduate study. It is strongly recommended that at least one of these letters be from a university professor familiar with your academic work. Please see here for additional information.  

No. Your recommenders may submit their letters before or after you submit your application.

Do I need to submit official transcripts at the time of application?  

No. Official transcripts are not required at the time of application. You must list and provide your unofficial transcript for every post-secondary institution where you were enrolled — or are currently enrolled — in an undergraduate or graduate degree program.

If you are offered admission to Stanford and accept the offer, you will be required to submit official transcripts that show your degree conferral.

No, this is not necessary. Applicants may upload updated transcripts via their Status Page until the application deadline. 

If you were enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at that school, then yes. If you are offered admission to Stanford and accept the offer, you will not be required to submit official transcripts for schools you attended for less than one academic year or on a part-time basis.

In lieu of a transcript, please upload a document that includes the courses that are in progress.  

Yes, as long as you must submit original language records with official English translations. We accept translations issued by the institution or a professional translating service. Translations must be literal and complete versions of the original records.  

You are asked to enter both GPA and GPA scale for each institution you list on the application. Enter your GPA as it appears on your transcript. Do not convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale if it's reported on a different scale.

Information for international applicants  is available from Graduate Admissions.

Stanford’s assessment of a post-secondary degree is based on the characteristics of a national educational system, the type of institution you attended, and the level of studies you completed. Refer to the Eligibility page to view the minimum level of study you should have achieved from a recognized academic institution to enroll in graduate study at Stanford. Contact  Stanford’s Office of Graduate Admissions  (not the Department of Political Science) with any further questions.

Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT) to be eligible for admission, unless you are exempt or successfully apply for a waiver (see below). 

Applicants must score at least 100 on the Internet-based TOEFL in order to be eligible for admission, though admitted applicants typically score at least 115. 

We accept the TOEFL iBT Home Edition and TOEFL iBT Paper Edition if you are unable to take the traditional TOEFL iBT test in a test center. If you take the Home Edition or Paper Edition, you may be required to complete additional English placement testing prior to enrollment.

Am I exempt from submitting TOEFL scores? 

You are automatically exempt from submitting a TOEFL score if you meet one the following criteria:

     A. You (will) have a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a regionally- accredited college or university in the United States (territories and possessions excluded).

     B. You (will) have an equivalent degree from an English-language university in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

If you are offered admission, the official transcript must be received showing conferral of the degree from the qualifying institution or TOEFL exam scores will be required to enroll. 

You may request a TOEFL waiver in the online application if you (will) have a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a recognized institution in a country other than Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom in which English was the language of instruction.

• You will be asked to provide the URL for the page on your institution's official website stating the language of instruction.
• If your institution offers instruction in languages other than English, you must upload an official statement from your institution certifying that your program was taught exclusively in English.

Your waiver request will be routed to Graduate Admissions after you submit your application. Allow up to 15 business days after submitting your application for a response. This will not delay the receipt of your application by your graduate program.

Please note that the department of Political Science does not evaluate TOEFL waiver requests. Direct all questions to Stanford's Office of Graduate Admissions. 

For the current application cycle, TOEFL scores from tests taken on or after September 1, 2021 are valid.  

No. We do not accept TOEFL Essentials scores or any other English proficiency test (e.g., IELTS, PTE) or coursework in lieu of the TOEFL. 

Yes, both international and domestic students receive the same funding package from the department. See  here for further information .

No, the use of these services is encouraged but not required. See here for more information on submitting transcripts.

No, the admissions committee is not available for consultation. We are not able to speculate on an applicant's chances of admission, or review application materials prior to application, or provide guidance on individual applications beyond what is provided on this website. 

Applicants may try to contact faculty before applying to discuss their interest in the PhD program, though it is not required nor expected. It is not necessary or possible to secure an advisor before admission to the program. Applicants are admitted to the program, not to work with particular faculty. Applicants are encouraged to read the  Admissions FAQ  and contact  politicalscience [at] stanford.edu (politicalscience[at]stanford[dot]edu)  with any admissions questions prior to contacting faculty.

Yes. The department invites admitted students to campus for a visit in April. This event is an excellent opportunity to talk to faculty and students about specific concerns or questions a prospective student may have.

The Department does not offer a master’s degree for external applicants. Applicants interested in a master’s degree should look into the  Ford Dorsey Masters in International Policy . Current doctoral students from within the Stanford Political Science department or in another Stanford University department may apply for a Master of Arts in Political Science during the course of their Ph.D. program. Master's candidates must take 45 units of course work, and 25 of those units must be in graduate seminars. There is no examination or thesis requirement.

PPOL PhD Dissertations and Job Placements

In this section.

• Economics Track
• Judgment and Decision Making Track
• Politics and Institutions Track
• Science, Technology and Policy Studies Track
• Current Students
• Doctoral Student Handbook
• Dissertations & Job Placements
• PhD Student Life
• Faculty & Research

Learn about the dissertations of our PhD in Public Policy graduates and their job placements directly following graduation.

2021-present

Jiahua liu (economics track).

Dissertation Title: Essays on International Trade and Firm Growth in Developing Countries Advisor: Gordon Hanson Job Placement: Economist, Cornerstone Research

kristen McCormack (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays in Environmental Economics Advisor: David Cutler Job Placement: Economist, U.S. Treasury

dayea oh (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on Applied Microeconomics Advisor: Will Dobbie Job Placement: Assistant Professor, School of Public Policy, Pepperdine University

lauren russell (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on the U.S. Criminal Legal System and Black-White Inequality Advisor: David Deming Job Placement: Economist, Labor Markets Section, Federal Reserve Board

Samuel stemper (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Economics of Education Advisor:  Christopher Avery Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Auckland

Amy wickett (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on Diversity Advisor:  Desmond Ang Job Placement: to be confirmed

Shweta Bhogale

Dissertation Title: Essays on Agriculture and Rural Development in Developing Countries Advisor:  Rema Hanna Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, King Climate Action Initiative, J-PAL

Kevin Carney

Dissertation Title: Essays in Development and Behavioral Economics Advisor:  Gautam Rao Job Placement:

• Post-Doctoral Fellow (one year), Department of Economics, University of Chicago
• Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Michigan

Dissertation Title: Two Essays on Legal Entanglements and One Essay on Worker Voice Advisor: Will Dobbie Job Placement: Research Director, People Lab, University of California, Berkeley

Stuart Iler

Dissertation Title: Essays on Shock Propagation in Economic Production Networks: Applications to U.S. Oil Price Episodes and Green Jobs Advisor: Joseph Aldy Job Placement: Consultant, Resources for the Future

frina Lin (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on Health Care and Inequality Advisor: Marcella Alsan Job Placement: to be confirmed

Grace McCormack

Dissertation Title: Three Essays in Applied Microeconomics Advisor: David Cutler Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Researcher, University of Southern California

José Morales-Arilla

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Political Economy of Development Advisor:  Edward Glaeser Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University

Felix Owusu (Economics track)

Dissertation Title: Policy and Inequality in the Criminal Legal System Advisor: David Deming Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley

James Reisinger

Dissertation Title: Social Spillovers in Beliefs, Preferences, and Well-being Advisor:  Michela Carlana Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Furman Center, New York University

Elizabeth Spink (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on Water Utility Quality and Access Advisor: Rema Hanna Job Placement: Economist, Environmental Protection Agency

Yazan Al-Karablieh

Dissertation Title: Essays on Corporate Taxation Advisor:  Stefanie Stantcheva Job Placement: Economist, Economist Program, International Monetary Fund

Sebastián Bustos

Dissertation Title: Essays in International Economics, Development, and Globalization Advisor: Ricardo Hausmann Job Placement: Senior Fellow, Growth Lab , Center for International Development , Harvard Kennedy School

Holly Dykstra

Dissertation Title: Essays in Behavioral Economics Advisor:  Brigitte C. Madrian Job Placement: Junior Professor, Department of Economics, University of Konstanz

Marie-Pascale Grimon

Dissertation Title: Essays in Labor Economics and Child Welfare Advisor:  Amanda Pallais Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Swedish Institute for Social Research, Stockholm University

Blake Heller

Dissertation Title: Essays on Late Investment in Human Capital Advisor: Joshua Goodman Job Placement:

• Assistant Professor, Hobby School of Public Affairs, University of Houston
• Post-Doctoral Fellow 2021-2022, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University

Shefali Khanna

Dissertation Title: Essays in Energy and Development Economics Advisor: Rema Hanna Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Economics and Public Policy Department, Imperial College London

Kunal Mangal

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Economics of Public Sector Recruitment in India Advisor: Asim Khwaja Job Placement: Visiting Fellow, Azim Premji University

Niharika Singh

Dissertation Title: Essays in Development Economics Advisor:  Asim Khwaja Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Notre Dame

Daniel Stuart

Dissertation Title: Essays in Energy and Environmental Economics Advisor: Joseph Aldy Job Placement: Associate, Analysis Group

Andrew Bacher-HicKs

Dissertation Title:  Essays on the Economics of Education Advisor: Christopher Avery Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Education Policy, Boston University

Megan Bailey

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Climate Policy and Innovation Advisor: Joseph Aldy Job Placement: Assistant Professor, University of Calgary

Patrick Behrer

Dissertation Title:  Three Essays in Environmental and Development Economics Advisor: Rema Hanna Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University

Elijah de la Campa

Dissertation Title:  Three Essays on the Provision of Local Public Goods Advisor:  Jeffrey Liebman Job Placement: Senior Research Associate in Economics and Urban Analytics, Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative

Charlie Dorison

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Emotion and Decision Making Advisor: Jennifer Lerner Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Dispute Resolution Research Center, Management and Operations Department, Northwestern University

Madeleine Gelblum

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Labor and Personnel Economics Advisor: David Deming Job Placement: Labor Market Analyst, Facebook

Guthrie Gray-Lobe

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Development Economics Advisor: Michael Kremer Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Harvard University

Asad Liaqat

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Development Economics and Political Economy Advisor: Asim Khwaja Job Placement: Research Scientist, Novi Economics team, Facebook

Heidi Liu 

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Behavioral Economics, Gender and Employment Advisor: Iris Bohnet Job Placement: Sharswood Fellow, University of Pennsylvania School of Law

Sharan Mamidipudi

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Development Economics and Political Economy Advisor: Gautam Rao Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland

Aroop Mukharji

Dissertation Title:  Sea Change: McKinley, Roosevelt, and the Expansion of U.S. Foreign Policy 1897-1909 Advisor:  Fredrik Logevall  Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University

Christine Mulhern

Dissertation Title:  Personalized Information and College Choices: The Role of School Counselors, Technology, and Siblings Advisor: Christopher Avery Job Placement: Associate Policy Research, RAND

Dissertation Title: Essays in Energy and Development Economics Advisor: Rohini Pande Job Placement: Applied Scientist, Uber

Rebecca Sachs

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Health Care Markets and the Safety Net Advisor: David Cutler Job Placement: Analyst, Health Studies Unit, Congressional Budget Office

Chris Umphres

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Judgement and Decision Making Advisor: Jennifer Lerner Job Placement: United States Air Force

Bradley DeWees

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Judgment and Decision Making Advisors:  Jennifer Lerner , Julia Minson Job Placement: Assistant Director of Operations, United States Air Force

Abraham Holland

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Development Economics Advisors: Edward Glaeser ,  Rohini Pande Job Placement: Research Staff Member, Institute for Defense Analyses

Ariella Kahn-Lang

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Labor Market Inequality Advisors:  Christopher Avery ,  Lawrence Katz Job Placement: Researcher, Human Services, Mathematica

Jennifer Kao

Dissertation Title:  Essays in the Economics of Health and Innovation Advisors:  Pierre Azoulay ,  Amitabh Chandra ,  David Cutler Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Strategy Unit, UCLA Anderson School of Management

Stephanie Majerowicz

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Education and Development Economics Advisors:  Asim Khwaja ,  Michael Kremer Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Government, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia (Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, briq Institute on Behavior & Inequality)

Emily Mower

Dissertation Title:  Algorithms and Applied Econometrics in the Digital Economy Advisors: Kris Johnson Ferreira ,  Joshua Goodman , Shane Greenstein Job Placement: Senior Data Scientist, edX

Gabriel Tourek

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Development and Public Economics Advisors:  Nathaniel Hendren ,  Asim Khwaja Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Associate, Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)

Daniel Velez-Lopez

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Environmental Economics Advisor:  Joseph Aldy Job Placement: Lead Analyst, Venture Fellowship Program, National Grid Partners

Rohit Chandra

Dissertation Title:  Adaptive State Capitalism in the Indian Coal Industry Advisor: José A. Gómez-Ibáñez

Juan Pablo Chauvin

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Urban Economics and Development Advisor:  Edward Glaeser Job Placement: Research Economist, Inter-American Development Bank

Cuicui Chen

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Environmental Economics and Industrial Organization Advisors: Joseph Aldy , Ariél Pakes Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, State University of New York at Albany

Stephen Coussens

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Health and Behavioral Economics Advisors:  David Cutler , Brigitte Madrian Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University

Raissa Fabregas

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Development Economics and Education Advisors: Michael Kremer , Rohini Pande Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin

Todd Gerarden

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Environmental Economics and Industrial Organization Advisors: Ariél Pakes ,  Robert Stavins Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University

Sarika Gupta

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Development Economics and Governance Advisor:  Rohini Pande Job Placement: Young Professionals Program, The World Bank

Alicia Harley

Dissertation Title:  Why Does Technology Fail to Benefit the Poorest Farmers? A Sociotechnical Approach to the Study of Innovation and Poverty Advisor: William Clark Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Sustainability Science Program, Harvard Kennedy School

Janhavi Nilekani

Dissertation Title:  Essays at the Intersection of Environmental and Development Economics Advisors: Rema Hanna ,  Rohini Pande Job Placement: Founder, Aastar

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Structural Transformation and Trade Advisors:  Melissa Dell ,  Martin Rotemberg Job Placement: Harvard Graduate Students Union, United Auto Workers

Martin Abel

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Labor Markets in Developing Countries Advisors: Rema Hanna , Lawrence Katz Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Middlebury College

Jonathan Baker

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Water Conservation and Water Quality Programs Advisor: Robert Stavins Job Placement: Economist, Analysis Group

Tomoko Harigaya

Dissertation Title:  Delivering Financial Services to the Poor: Constraints on Access, Take-up, and Usage Advisor:  Rohini Pande Job Placement: Research Associate, Precision Agriculture for Development

Laura Quinby

Dissertation Title:  Compensation and Employment Policies in the U.S. Public Sector Advisor:  Lawrence Katz Job Placement: Research Economist, Center for Retirement Research, Boston College

Dissertation Title:  State Strategies Under Global Rules: Chinese Industrial Policy in the WTO Era Advisor: Peter A. Hall Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Oregon

Samura Atallah

Dissertation Title:  Studies in Labor Economics, Organizational Economics, and Development Advisor: Ellen J. Langer Job Placement: Associate, McKinsey & Company

Tara Grillos

Dissertation Title:  Participation, Power, and Preferences in International Development Advisor:  William Clark Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Purdue University

Nils Hägerdal

Dissertation Title:  Ethnic Cleansing as Military Strategy: Lessons From Lebanon, 1975-1990 Advisor: Robert H. Bates Job Placement: Junior Research Fellow, Brandeis University

Elizabeth Linos

Dissertation Title:  Three Essays on Human Capital in the Public Sector Advisor:  Jeffrey Liebman Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Optimizing Social Policy for Different Populations: Education, Targeting, and Impact Evaluation Advisor:  Lant Pritchett Job Placement: Founder and CEO, StellarEmploy

Yusuf Neggers

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Economic Development and Political Economy Advisor:  Rohini Pande Job Placement: Watson Post-Doctoral Fellow, Brown University

Oyebola Okunogbe

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Political Economy and Development Advisor:  Asim Khwaja Job Placement: Economist, Development Research Group, The World Bank

Trisha Shrum

Dissertation Title:  Behavioral and Experimental Insights on Consumer Decisions and the Environment Advisors: Joseph Aldy ,  David Laibson Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Earth Lab, University of Colorado

Samuel Stolper

Dissertation Title:  Oil and Water: Essays on the Economics of Natural Resource Usage Advisors:  Joseph Aldy , Robert Stavins Job Placement:

• Fall 2016 > Post-Doctoral Fellow, Energy Initiative, Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Fall 2017 > Assistant Professor, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan 

Maria Cecilia Acevedo

Dissertation Title:  Essays in the Political Economy of Conflict and Development Advisors: Rohini Pande , James Robinson Job Placement: Consultant, Poverty Global Practice Division, The World Bank

Natalie Bau

Dissertation Title:  Essays at the Intersection of Development and Education Advisors:  Asim Khwaja ,  Nathan Nunn Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Toronto

Syon Bhanot

Dissertation Title:  Field Experiments in Behavioral and Public Economics Advisors:  Brigitte Madrian ,  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Swarthmore College

Gabriel Chan

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Energy Technology Innovation Policy Advisors:  William Clark ,  Laura Díaz Anadón Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Science, Technology and Policy, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota

Sarah Cohodes

Dissertation Title:  Essays on the Economics of Education Advisor:  Christopher Avery Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Education Policy and Social Analysis, Teachers College, Columbia University

A. Nilesh Fernando

Dissertation Title:  Land, Labor and Technology: Essays in Development Economics Advisors:  Lawrence Katz ,  Asim Khwaja Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Notre Dame (Post-Doc at Harvard University)

Daniel Honig

Dissertation Title:  Navigating by Judgment: Organizational Structure, Autonomy, and Country Context in Delivering Foreign Aid Advisor:  Peter A. Hall Job Placement: Assistant Professor, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University

Mahnaz Islam

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Development Economics Advisors: Rema Hanna , Rohini Pande Job Placement: Economist, Amazon

joo Julia A. lee

Dissertation Title: Essays in Organizational Behavior Advisor:  Francesca Gino Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Institutional Corruption Program, Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard University

Andry Liscovich

Dissertation Title: Essays in Experimental and Labor Economics Advisor:  Nicholas A. Christakis Job Placement: Director of Technology, RA Capital Management

Richard Sweeney

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Industry Response to Energy and Environmental Policy Advisors: Ariél Pakes ,  Robert Stavins Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Boston College

Elizabeth Walker

Dissertation Title:  Essays at the Intersection of Environment and Development Economics Advisor:  Rema Hanna Job Placement: Consultant, Energy, Environment, and Network Industries Practice, NERA Economic Consulting

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Transmission and Diffusion of Productive Knowledge in International Economics Advisor:  Elhanan Helpman Job Placement: Senior Associate Economist, Inter-American Development Bank

Ariel Dora Stern

Dissertation Title: Essays in the Economics of Health Care and the Regulation of Medical Technology Advisor:  Amitabh Chandra Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Technology and Operations Management Unit, Harvard Business School

Alexandra van Geen

Dissertation Title: Essays in Experimental Economics and the Improvement of Judgment and Decision Making Advisor: Iris Bohnet Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Finance, Erasmus School of Economics

Clara Monika Zverina

Dissertation Title: Essays in Public and Labor Economics Advisor: Jeffrey Liebman Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow in Disability Research, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Will Dobbie

Dissertation Title: Essays in Labor Economics Advisor: Roland G. Fryer, Jr. Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, Department of Economics, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University

Jeffrey Friedman

Dissertation Title: Cumulative Dynamics and Strategic Assessment: U.S. Military Decision Making in Iraq, Vietnam, and the American Indian Wars Advisor: Stephen Walt Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow in International Security and U.S. Foreign Policy, John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding, Dartmouth College

Marie E. Newhouse

Dissertation Title: Kant's Typo, and the Limits of Law Advisor: Arthur Applbaum Job Placement: Residential Lab Fellow, Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard Law School

Olga Rostapshova

Dissertation Title: Pushing a Troika of Development: Promoting Investment, Curbing Corruption, and Enhancing Public Good Provision Advisor: Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Specialist, Social Impact, Social Science Genetics Association Consortium, National Bureau of  Economic Research (NBER) and Senior Evaluations

Laurence Tai

Dissertation Title: Hierarchical Game-Theoretic Models of Transparency in the Administrative State Advisor: Daniel Carpenter   Job Placement: Residential Lab Fellow, Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard Law School

Christopher Carrigan

Dissertation Title: Structured to Fail? Explaining Regulatory Performance Under Completing Mandates Advisor:  Daniel Carpenter Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, George Washington University

Souman Hong

Dissertation Title: Online Institutions, Markets, and Democracy Advisor: Matthew Baum Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Yonsei University

Avinash Kishore

Dissertation Title: Essays on Economics of Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollution in India Advisor: Dale Jorgenson Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), New Delhi, India

Robyn Meeks

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Economics of Household Water Access in Developing Countries Advisor: Rohini Pande Job Placement: Assistant Professor in Environmental Economics, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan 

Karl Neumar

Dissertation Title: Essays on Optimal Management of Portfolios Advisor:  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement:, Founding Partner, HNC Advisors

Philip Osafo-Kwaako

Dissertation Title: Essays in Economic History and Development Advisor: James Robinson Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Institute for Quantitative Social Sciences at Harvard

Matthew Ransom

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Economics of Climate Change Advisor:  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Senior Analyst, Health and Environment Division, Abt Associates

Christopher Robert

Dissertation Title: Wealth, Welfare, and Well-being: Essays in Indebtedness and Normative Analysis Advisor:  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: President and CEO, Dobility; Adjunct Lecturer, Harvard Kennedy School

William Skimmyhorn

Dissertation Title: Essays in Behavioral Household Finance Advisor:  Brigitte Madrian Job Placement: Assistant Professor, United States Military Academy (West Point)

Maoliang Ye

Dissertation Title: Gradualism in Coordination and Trust Building Advisors: Raj Chetty ,  Brigitte Madrian Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Remin University of China

Tristan Zajonc

Dissertation Title: Essays on Causal Inference for Public Policy Advisor: Guido Imbens Job Placement: Visiting Fellow, Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard; Co-founder and CEO, Sense, Inc.

Ina Ganguli

Dissertation Title: Labor Markets in Transition: Science and Migration After the Collapse of the Soviet Union Advisor: Richard B. Freeman Job Placement:

• 2011–2012 > Post-Doctoral Fellow, Harvard Business School, Harvard Medical School
• 2012 > Assistant Professor, Stockholm School of Economics

John Horton

Dissertation Title: Online Labor Markets Advisor:  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Economist, Odesk

Victoria Levin

Dissertation Title: Choices and Consequences: Decisions on Health, Wealth, and Employment Advisor:  Brigitte Madrian Job Placement: Economist, The World Bank

Suerie Moon

Dissertation Title: Embedding Neoliberalism: Global Health and the Evolution of the Global Intellectual Property Regime (1995-2009) Advisor: John Ruggie Job Placement: Non-academic offers—undecided

Gary Reinbold

Dissertation Title: Essays on Child Mortality and Growth Faltering in Bangladesh and Kenya Advisor: Mary Jo Bane Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Public Administration, University of Illinois Springfield

Abigail Fisher Williamson

Dissertation Title: Beyond the Passage of Time: Local Government Response in New Immigrant Destinations Advisor: Robert D. Putnam Job Placement: Preceptor, Harvard College Writing Program

Andrés Zahler

Dissertation Title: Essays on Export Dynamics Advisor: Ricardo Hausmann Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Public Policy Institute, Diego Portales University

Mohamad Al-Ississ

Dissertation Title: The Role of Beliefs in Financial Markets: Three Essays on Violence, Trust and Religion Advisor: Iris Bohnet Job Placement: Assistant Professor, University of Cairo, Joint appointment with Business School and School of Global Affairs

Sharon Barnhardt

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Impact of Residential Location on Networks, Attitudes and Cooperation: Experimental Evidence from India Advisor:  Rohini Pande Job Placement: Institute for Financial Management and Research, Chennai, India

David Deming

Dissertation Title: Long-Term Impacts of Educational Interventions Advisor: Lawrence Katz Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Heinz School of Public Health, Carnegie Mellon University

Brooke Kelsey Jack

Dissertation Title: Essays on Developing Country Markets in Environment and Health Advisor: Christopher Avery Job Placement:

• 2010–2011 > Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• 2011 > Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Tufts University

David J. Lynch

Dissertation Title: Does Analogical Reasoning Affect Political Attitudes? Evidence from Survey Experiments Advisor: Gary King Job Placement: Consultant, RWS Advisory

Santitarn Sathirathai

Dissertation Title: Loyal Friends and Fickle Lenders: The Behavior of Financial Institutions During Financial Crises Advisor: Asim Khwaja Job Placement: Credit Suisse, Singapore

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Economics of Education Advisor:  Lawrence Katz Job Placement: Institute of Education Sciences, (National Center for Education Evaluation), U.S. Department of Education

Hunt Allcott

Dissertation Title: Consumer Behavior and Firm Strategy in Energy Markets Advisor: Robert Stavins Job Placement:

• 2009–2011 > Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• 2011 > Assistant Professor of Economics, New York University

Jeffrey Bielicki

Dissertation Title: Integrated Systems Analysis and Technological Findings for Carbon Capture and Storage Deployment Advisor: John Holdren Job Placement: Weinberg Fellow, Research Scientist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Jonathan Borck

Dissertation Title: Beyond Compliance: Three Essays on Voluntary Corporate Environmentalism Advisor:  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Economist, Analysis Group, Boston

Warigia Bowman

Dissertation Title: Digital Development: Technology, Governance, and the Quest for Modernity in East Africa Advisor: Sheila Jasanoff Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Public Policy Leadership, University of Mississippi

Jennifer Bulkeley

Dissertation Title: Perspectives on Power: Chinese Strategies to Measure and Manage China’s Rise Advisor: Ashton Carter Job Placement: Special Assistant for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, Office of the Secretary of Defense

Oeindrila Dube

Dissertation Title: Essays in the Political Economy of Conflict and Development Advisor:  Sendhil Mullainathan Job Placement: 2009–2010 > Post-Doctoral Fellow, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Center for Global Development, New York University

Allan Friedman

Dissertation Title: Privacy, Security, and the Dynamics of Networked Information Sharing Advisor: David Lazer Job Placement:

• 2009–2010 > Post-Doctoral Fellowship, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Center for Research on Computation and Society, Harvard University
• 2010 > Brookings Institution

Felipe Kast

Dissertation Title: Essays on Poverty Dynamics and Social Policy Advisor: Alberto Abadie Job Placement: Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Dissertation Title: Green Chemistry: A Study of Innovation for Sustainable Development Advisor: William Clark Job Placement: Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering, Yale University

Holly Ho Ming

Dissertation Title: Growing Up in the Urban Shadow: Realities and Dreams of Migrant Workers’ Children in Beijing and Shanghai Advisor: Anthony Saich Job Placement: Breakthrough, Ltd, Hong Kong, Youth Foundation, Beijing and Shanghai

Tatsuya Nishida

Dissertation Title: Incomplete Alliances: A Comparative Analysis of the Hub-and Spoke System in the Asia-Pacific Advisor: Stephen Walt Job Placement: Post-Doc at a Japanese university

Jason Richwine

Dissertation Title: IQ and Immigration Policy Advisor: George Borjas Job Placement: Research Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

Juan Saavedra

Dissertation Title: The Role of Resources and Incentives in Education Production Advisor:  Lawrence Katz Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Public Policy, School of Government, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia

Judith Scott-Clayton

Dissertation Title: Understanding America's Unfinished Transformation: Three Essays on the Economics of Higher Education Advisor: Christopher Jencks Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Economics and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University

Sandra Sequeira

Dissertation Title: On the Waterfront: An Empirical Study of Corruption in Ports Advisor:  Sendhil Mullainathan Job Placement:

• 2009 > Post-Doctoral Fellow, New York Law School
• 2010 > Lecturer in Development Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science

Yuhki Tajima

Dissertation Title: Order and Violence in Authoritarian Breakdowns: How Institutions Explain Communal Violence in Indonesia Advisor: Robert H. Bates Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of California, Riverside

Ngoc Anh Tran

Dissertation Title: Corruption, Ranking and Competition Advisor:  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Public Policy, University of Indiana

Dissertation Title: Three Essays in Environmental Economics Advisor: Robert Stavins Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Economics, Mount Holyoke College

Fotini Christia

Dissertation Title: The Closest of Enemies: Alliance Formation in the Afghan and Bosnian Civil Wars Advisor: Robert H. Bates   Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Kessely Corea Hong

Dissertation Title: Group Differences in Preferences, Beliefs, and Perceptions? Advisor: Iris Bohnet On family leave

Sebastian S. James

Dissertation Title: Essays on Tax Policy and Tax Compliance Advisor: Caroline M. Hoxby Job Placement: Senior Economist on Tax Policy, The World Bank

Bailey W. Klinger

Dissertation Title: Discovering New Export Activities in Developing Countries: Uncertainty, Linkages, and the Product Space Advisor: Ricardo Hausmann Job Placement: Director, Center for International Development (CID) Research Lab, Harvard Kennedy School

Carolyn M. Kousky

Dissertation Title: Responding to Risk: Information and Decision Making in the Floodplains of St. Louis County, Missouri Advisor:  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Fellow, Resources for the Future

Elta C. Smith

Dissertation Title: Governing Rice: The Politics of Experimentation in Global Agriculture Advisor: Sheila Jasanoff Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Environment and Political Economy, University of California, Berkeley

Nicole A. Szlezak

Dissertation Title: Global Health in the Making: China, HIV/AIDS and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Advisor:  Sheila Jasanoff Job Placement: Consultant, McKinsey & Company

Adam T. Thomas

Dissertation Title: Forgotten Fathers: A Collection of Essays on Low-Skilled Men and Marriage Advisor: William Julius Wilson Job Placement: Research Director, Economic Studies, Brookings Institution

Dissertation Title: Nonparametric Methods for Inference After Variable Selection, Comparisons of Survival Distributions, and Random Effects Meta-Analysis, and Reporting of Subgroup Analyses (Department of Biostatistics) Advisor: Stephen Lagakos Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Urban Planning, University of California, Los Angeles

Blair s. Williams

Dissertation Title: Essays in Legislative Behavior Advisor: David King Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences, United States Military Academy (West Point)

Naomi Calvo

Dissertation Title: How Parents Choose Schools: A Mixed-Methods Study of Public School Choice in Seattle Advisor: Christopher Jencks Job Placement: Principal Associate, Education Resource Strategies

Dissertation Title: Essays on Environmental Tax Policy Analysis: Dynamic Computable General Equilibrium Approaches Applied to China Advisor: Dale Jorgenson Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University

Andrew Feldman

Dissertation Title: What Works in Work-First Welfare? Advisor: Jeffrey Liebman Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School

Fiona Greig

Dissertation Title: Barriers to Advancement: Perspectives from Behavioral Economics, Negotiation and Gender Analysis Advisor: Iris Bohnet Job Placement: Consultant, McKinsey & Company

Dissertation Title: Essays on Education Production in China and the U.S. Advisor: Anthony Saich Job Placement: Policy Specialist, Human Development Report Office, UN Development Programme

Beau Kilmer

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Consequences of Drug Use and Drug Testing Advisor: Mark Moore Job Placement: Associate Policy Researcher, RAND

Indhira Santos

Dissertation Title: Essays on Natural Disasters and Household Income Advisor:  Jeffrey Liebman Job Placement: Research Fellow, Bruegel

Dissertation Title: Essays on Environmental, Energy, and Natural Resource Economics Advisor: William Hogan Job Placement: Assistant Professor in Energy Economics and Policy, Department of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering, Penn State University

Pelin Berkmen

Dissertation Title: Essays on Monetary Policy and Debt Accumulation Advisor: Andrés Velasco Job Placement: Research Economist, International Monetary Fund

Eduardo Cavallo

Dissertation Title: Living as a Debtor in a World of Sudden Stops: The Roles of Exposure to Trade and Commitment Advisor: Jeffrey Frankel Job Placement: Research Economist, Inter-American Development Bank

Dissertation Title: Household Behavior and Energy Demand: Evidence from Peru Advisor: Mark Rosenzweig Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, The Earth Institute, Columbia University

Dissertation Title: The Economic Interdependence of China and the World Advisor: Robert Lawrence Job Placement: Private Sector Consultant

Jenny Schuetz

Dissertation Title: Land, Money and Politics: Essays on Government Intervention in Housing Markets Advisor:  José A. Gómez-Ibáñez Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, New York University

Jong-Sung You

Dissertation Title: A Comparative Study of Income Inequality, Corruption, and Social Trust Advisor: Robert D. Putnam Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, University of California, San Diego

Chad b. steinberg

Dissertation Title: Does the Neighborhood Matter? Three Essays in International Economics Advisor: Dani Rodrik Job Placement: Economist, International Monetary Fund

Khuong Minh Vu

Dissertation Title: ICT and Global Economic Growth: Contribution, Impact, and Policy Implications Advisor: Dale Jorgenson Job Placement: Visiting Professor, Sawyer School of Management, Suffolk University

Steven c. Anderson

Dissertation Title: Analyzing Strategic Interaction in Multi-Settlement Electricity Markets: A Closed-Loop Supply Function Equilibrium Model Advisor: William Hogan Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Harvard Electricity Policy Group

Dissertation Title: Essays in Environmental Economics and Policy Advisor: Robert Stavins Job Placement: Visiting Professor, University of Texas at Dallas

Andrew k. Leigh

Dissertation Title: Essays in Poverty and Inequality Advisor: Christopher Jencks Job Placement: Fellow, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University

Gavin Samms

Dissertation Title: Essay in Education Policy Advisor:  Christopher Jencks Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Sheryl Winston Smith

Dissertation Title: Innovation and Globalization in Four High-Technology Industries in the United States: One Size Does Not Fit All Advisor: Lewis Branscomb Job Placement: Research Associate in Economics and Management, Gustavus Adolphus College

Lori d. Snyder

Dissertation Title: Essays on Facility-Level Response to Environmental Regulations Advisor:  Robert Stavins Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Environmental Economics and Policy, Nicholas School of Environmental and Earth Sciences, Duke University

Carolyn Gideon

Dissertation Title: Sustainable Competition or Inevitable Monopoly? The Potential for Competition in Network Communications Industries Advisor:  Lewis Branscomb Job Placement: Assistant Professor of International Communications and Communications Technology, Tufts University

Gabriel Kaplan

Dissertation Title: Between Politics and Markets: The Institutional Allocation of Resources in Higher Education Advisor: Joseph Kalt Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver

Tuan Minh Le

Dissertation Title: Analysis of Tax and Trade Incentives for Foreign Direct Investment: The Case of Vietnam Advisor: Dwight H. Perkins Job Placement: Public Finance Economist, The World Bank

Pierre LeBlanc

Dissertation Title: Essays on Tax-Deferred Saving in Canada Advisor: David Wise Job Placement: Economist, Department of Finance, Government of Canada

Dorina Bekoe

Dissertation Title: After the Peace Agreement: Lessons for Implementation from Mozambique, Angola, and Liberia Advisor: Robert H. Bates Job Placement: Associate, International Peace Academy

Sheila Cavanagh

Dissertation Title: Essays in Environmental Economics and Policy Advisor: Robert Stavins Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Economics, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University

Ajay Chaudry

Dissertation Title: Child Care Arrangements Among Low-Income Families: A Qualitative Approach Advisor: Mary Jo Bane Job Placement: Faculty Member, The New School

Dissertation Title: Money and Mission: How Non-Profit Organizations Finance Their Charitable Activities Advisor: Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Public Finance Associate, UBS Paine Webber 

R. Karl Rethemeyer

Dissertation Title: Centralization or Democratization: Assessing the Internet's Impact on Policy Networks Advisor: Jane Fountain Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Public Affairs and Policy, Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Policy, State University of New York at Albany

Lisa Sanbonmatsu

Dissertation Title: Child Neglect in a Changing Economic and Social Policy Context Advisor:  Mary Jo Bane Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, National Bureau of Economic Research

Andres Vinelli

Dissertation Title: The Management and Performance of Microfinance Organizations Advisor: Mark Moore Job Placement: Special Assistant to the Chairman, National Association of Securities Dealers

Alix Peterson Zwane

Dissertation Title: Essays in Environment and Development Advisor:  Robert Stavins Job Placement: Cooperative Extension Specialist, Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics, University of California, Berkeley

Dissertation Title: Integrating Information and Decision Making in a Multi-Level World: Cross-scale Environmental Science and Management Advisor: William Clark Job Placement: Research Associate, Sustainability Systems Project, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

RicHARD Doblin

Dissertation Title: Regulation of the Medical Use of Psychedelics and Marijuana Advisor: F.M. Scherer Job Placement: President, Multi-Disciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies

Judith Kelley

Dissertation Title: Norms and Membership Conditionality: The Role of European Institutions in Ethnic Politics in Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia and Romania Advisor: Lisa Martin Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Duke University

Anthony Patt

Dissertation Title: Strategy and Psychology in Environmental Assessment Advisor: William Clark Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Center for Energy and Environmental Studies, Boston University

Sasha Pivovarsky

Dissertation Title: Essays on Institutions and Finance Advisor: Benjamin Sachs Job Placement: Economist, International Monetary Fund

David Skilling

Dissertation Title: Policy Coordination, Political Structure, and Public Debt: The Political Economy of Public Debt Accumulation in OECD Countries Since 1960 Advisor:  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Economist, New Zealand Treasury

Marcus Stanley

Dissertation Title: Essays in Program Evaluation Advisor: Claudia Goldin Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Economics, Case Western Reserve University

Robert Taliercio

Dissertation Title: Administrative Reform as Credible Commitment: The Design, Sustainability, and Performance of Semi-Autonomous Revenue Authorities in Latin America Advisor: Merilee Grindle Job Placement: Fellow, Young Professionals Program, The World Bank

Todd Olmstead

Dissertation Title: The Effects of Freeway Management Systems and Motorist Assistance Patrols on the Frequency of Reported Motor Vehicle Crashes Advisor:  José A. Gómez-Ibáñez Job Placement: Consultant, McKinsey & Company

Gustavo Merino-Juarez

Dissertation Title: Federalism and the Policy Process: Using Basic Education as a Test-Case of Decentralization in Mexico Advisor: John Donahue Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Economics, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México

Carlos Rufin

Dissertation Title: The Political Economy of Institutional Change in the Electricity Supply Industry Advisor: William Hogan Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Business Strategy, Babson College

Howard Shatz

Dissertation Title: The Location of U.S. Multinational Affiliates Advisor:  Benjamin Sachs Job Placement: Research Fellow, Public Policy Institute of California

David Snelbecker

Dissertation Title: Pension Reform in Economies with Large Informal Sectors: The Case of the Ukraine Advisor: William Hogan Job Placement: Manager, The Services Group

David Autor

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Changing Labor Market: Computerization, Inequality, and the Development of the Contingent Work Force Advisor: Lawrence Katz Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Alison Earle

Dissertation Title: Keeping the Job You Find: Understanding Job Turnover Among Welfare Recipients Who Obtain Work Advisor: David Ellwood Job Placement: Research Scientist, Department of Health and Social Behavior, Harvard School of Public Health

Karen Eggleston

Dissertation Title: Incentives in Health Care Payment Systems Advisor: Joseph P. Newhouse Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Economics, Tufts University

Karen Fisher-Vanden

Dissertation Title: Structural Change and Technological Diffusion in Transition Economies: Implications for Energy Use and Carbon Emissions in China Advisor: Dale Jorgenson Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies Program, Dartmouth College

WooChan Kim

Dissertation Title: Essays in International Capital Markets Advisor: Wei Job Placement: Deputy Director, Ministry of Finance and Economy, Republic of Korea

Chang-Yang Lee

Dissertation Title: A Theory of the Determinants of R&D: Consumer Characteristics and Technological Competence Advisor: F.M. Scherer Job Placement: Director, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, Republic of Korea

Steven Todd Schatzki

Dissertation Title: A Theoretical and Empirical Examination of Land Use Change Under Uncertainty Advisor: Robert Stavins Job Placement: Senior Analyst, National Economic Research Associates

Stuart Orin Shapiro

Dissertation Title: Speed Bumps and Road Blocks: Procedural Controls and Regulatory Change Advisor: Cary Coglianese Job Placement: Policy Analyst, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, U.S. Office of Management and Budget

Tay Keong Tan

Dissertation Title: Silence, Sacrifice, and Shoofly Pies: An Inquiry into the Social Capital and Organizational Structures of the Amish Community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Advisor:  Katherine S. Newman Job Placement: Assistant Professor, National University of Singapore

Kathryn p. Boudett

Dissertation Title: In Search of a Second Chance: The Consequences of GED Certification, Education and Training for Young Women Without Traditional High School Diplomas Advisor: Thomas Kane Job Placement: Research Fellow, Harvard Project on Schooling and Children

Bryan c. Hassel

Dissertation Title: Designed to Fail? Charter School Programs and the Politics of Structural Choice Advisor: Paul E. Peterson Job Placement: Consultant, Private Company

Christopher e. Herbert

Dissertation Title: Limited Choices: The Effect of Residential Segregation on Homeownership Among Blacks Advisor: Kain Job Placement: Senior Analyst, Abt Associates

Jason c. Snipes

Dissertation Title: Skill Mismatch, Turnover, and the Development of Young Workers’ Careers Advisor: Ronald Ferguson Job Placement: Research Associate, Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation

John d. Chapman

Dissertation Title: Biased Enrollment and Risk Adjustment for Health Plans Advisor: Joseph P. Newhouse Job Placement: Vice President, Health Care Information Systems

Ingrid gould Ellen

Dissertation Title: Sharing America's Neighborhoods: The Changing Prospects for Stable, Racial Integration Advisor:  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University

Tae Yun Kim

Dissertation Title: An Analysis of Defense Procurement Policy in Korea: Selection, Cost Accounting, and Profit Policies Advisor:  F.M. Scherer Job Placement: Government Official, Republic of Korea

Dara e. Menashi

Dissertation Title: Making Public/Private Collaboration Productive: Lessons for Creating Social Capital Advisor:  Ronald Ferguson Job Placement: Consultant, Private Company

Richard g. Newell, Jr.

Dissertation Title: Environmental Policy and Technological Change: The Effect of Economic Incentives and Direct Regulation on Energy-Saving Innovation Advisor:  Robert Stavins Job Placement: Fellow, Resources for the Future

Vicki Norberg-Bohm

Dissertation Title: Technological Change for Sustainable Development: Lessons from the Mexican Electric Power Sector Advisor: William Clark Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Environmental Policy and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Michael a. Santoro

Dissertation Title: Trade Investment and Human Rights: A Moral Framework for Foreign Relations with China Advisor: Frederick Schauer Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Management, Rutgers University

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100 Best Political Science Research Topics

June 3, 2024

Political science is an incredibly broad and variated discipline, containing numerous subfields that attract immense amounts of research. Researchers in the field can utilize diverse empirical or theoretical methodologies, sometimes in combination. There are specialized fields based on geographic areas, time periods, political forms and institutions, and bodies of thought. Researchers might aim to impact policy, inspire advocacy, or produce knowledge about the nature of political ideas, systems, and processes. There are even sub-disciplines that focus separately on either relations or comparisons between nation-states (international relations and comparative politics, respectively). Given this expansiveness, it can be challenging to quickly pick out compelling political science research topics.

This article provides a broad sample of political science topics. Most of the topics are already the subject of intensive research, which is ultimately something to look for when identifying a topic. Understanding the themes and subfields that already structure study in the field can ultimately help toward locating a unique research interest. From there, it’s a matter of refining interests into specific topics and, eventually, questions that drive research.

Picking Political Science Research Topics

Finding political science topics usually involves doing two things, sometimes simultaneously. The first requires understanding what prominent topics already exist in the field(s). After all, this discipline has been around for many decades, with incredible amounts of published research each year. It’s best to not try to wholly reinvent the wheel in this case, or risk selecting a topic for which there is no available research. The second entails reflecting on what feels important to research. A topic could be significant because it is remarkably timely or because there is some pragmatic outcome in mind. The researcher might even have a personal connection with the topic on top of these other kinds of factors. Pursuing research that feels important is an evergreen recommendation – otherwise, research can be produced without any clear purpose or benefit in mind.

So, when picking political science research topics, consider these processes and resources:

1) Start with what interests you. Take inventory of your personal and intellectual experiences and how they might intersect with what you know about political research. How would you map your experiences geographically or historically? What themes in the political sphere grab your attention? In what ways have you and others around you interacted with formal politics? Understanding what you are motivated to learn about makes the process of selecting among political science topics more organic.

Picking Political Science Research Topics (Cont.)

2) Consider what feels urgent. Political science has a good deal of overlap with the discipline of history. But perhaps even more than historians, political scientists are committed to understanding and improving politics in the present. A great deal of tremendous scholarship is sparked from this presentist impulse. What news items are persistently interesting or seem to revolve around intractably complex problems? A topic connected to widely recognized issues in the present will almost immediately justify the resulting research.

3) Survey field categories and literature. Usually, topics that are timely will already be drawing attention from other researchers. It’s also possible to spark curiosity through understanding how others have framed topics and questions. However, the most important reason for this step is to ensure that a research topic will have enough published writing around it to warrant attention. There are many ways to complete a survey within or across political science fields. To start, fields like comparative politics have field-specific journals and anthologies with useful descriptions and citations. There is the Journal of Comparative Politics , a journal called Comparative Political Studies , and a big anthology called Comparative Politics: A Practical Guide . Another extremely helpful resource is the research database known as Oxford Bibliographies . There, political science scholars compile bibliographic entries that define subfields and provide key citations.

Again, these are not strictly sequential steps. Often, it’s necessary to engage existing topics and research questions and use them to inspire reflection on what feels significant. Or it’s likely that specific interests will help delimit subfields, making it easier to comb through topics.

It’s important to narrow topics so that a researcher could reasonably become an expert on. In Oxford Bibliographies, many times they break very broad topics into multiple subtopics, each with its own body of literature. But it can also be useful to think about the research question that might stem from the broad topic. What specifically is it that needs to be known about this topic? What causes and effects are involved in phenomena we can see and describe but have not yet analyzed? Or what can be critiqued, evaluated, improved or replaced? Finding how a broad topic can lead to descriptive, analytical, or evaluative research questions is the most effective way to identify compelling and specific topics.

The List – Political Science Research Topics (1-30)

African politics.

1) African Ethnic, Linguistic, and Religious Minority Political Representation

2) Authoritarianism in the Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa

3) Comparative Political Structures of African Urban Governments

4) Democratization Policies and Political Movements in Africa

5) Ethnic and Religious Plurality in the Politics of Nigeria

6) National and Transnational LGBTQ Political Movements in Africa

7) Political Organization Around Climate Crises in Africa

8) Public Opinion on International NGOs in Africa

9) South Africa’s Governmental Policies for COVID Vaccination

10) Women in African Politics

Asian Politics

11) Competing Claims to Sovereignty in the South China Sea

12) Economic and Cultural Effects of China’s One-Child Policy

13) Labor Politics in China

14) Media Politics and Expression in Asian Countries

15) Nationalism and Religious Minorities in India

16) Philippine Politics and the Illicit Drug Economy

17) Social Movements in East Asia

18) South Korean Policies Addressing Demographic Decline

19) Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong

20) Youth Protest Movements in Taiwan

Comparative Politics

21) Authoritarian Populism in Brazil, Hungary, and India

22) Countries that Host Foreign-Owned Nuclear Weapons

23) Diasporas and National Politics in South and East Asian Countries

24) Differences in Environmental Politics Between the Global North and Global South

25) Elections in Sierra Leone and Their Differences from Other Countries

26) Governmental Responses to Gang Violence in Different Latin American Countries

27) Income Inequality in Advanced Democracies

28) Indigenous Rights and Politics in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand

29) Laws Surrounding Abortion in the U.S. and the U.K.

30) State Legitimacy and Authority in Botswana and Somalia

Political Science Topics (31-60)

European politics.

31) Authoritarianism and Media Politics in Turkey

32) Austerity, White Identity Politics, and Brexit

33) Ethnic and Religious Minority Representation in the European Union

34) European Public Opinion on Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

35) Far-Right Political Mobilization in Europe

36) France’s Political Opposition to Multicultural Pluralism

37) Immigration, Islamophobia, and European Union Political Campaigns

38) Political Challenges and Opportunities for European Integration

39) Regime Transitions in Post-Communist Eastern Europe

40) Welfare State Development in Western Europe

International Relations

41) Border Security Politics, Immigration, and International Relations

42) Efficacy of International Criminal Justice Bodies

43) Energy Politics of International Relations

44) Global Economy of Illicit Drugs

45) Global Politics of Intellectual Property

46) International Conflict Management

47) International NGOs and Their Effects on National Politics

48) Political Responses to Transboundary Pollution

49) Preferential Trade Agreements and Tariff Wars

50) Regulation of International Private Corporations

Latin American Politics

51) Authoritarianism and Democratization in Brazil’s Political History

52) Christian Transnational Political Mobilization in Latin America

53) Electoral Volatility and Suppression in Venezuela

54) Government Responses to Organized Crime in Mexico and Central America

55) Guerilla Insurgencies in Latin America

56) Neoliberalism and Democracy in Latin America

57) Military Government in Latin America, 1959-1990

58) Populism’s Role in Shaping Latin American Politics

59) Poverty, Inequality, and Development in Latin America

60) Regional Economic, Political, and Cultural Integration in Latin America

Political Science Research Topics (61-90)

Methodology.

61) Accuracy and Reliability of Models Predicting Election Outcomes

62) Applying Game Theory to Understand Political Strategies

63) Development of Survey Methods and Research

64) Ethical Problems Surrounding the Use of Experiments in Political Research

65) Experimental Methods for Promoting Voter Turnout

66) Impact of Survey Design and Sampling Techniques on Validity in Public Opinion Polls

67) Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Political Research

68) Machine Learning Techniques and Political Science

69) Researching Politics Through Big Data

70) Using Ethnography to Study Political Behavior and Institutions

Middle Eastern Politics

71) Comparative Politics of the Middle East and North Africa

72) Democracy, Statehood, and the Israel-Palestine Peace Process

73) Immigrant Labor Politics in Oil-Rich Middle East Countries

74) Mobilization and Oppression Through Media Control in the Arab Spring

75) Oil Wealth, Political Stability, and Economic Development in the Middle East

76) Political Islam, National, and International Politics in the Middle East

77) Postcolonialism and the Political Development of Iran

78) S. Foreign Policy and Its Effects on Stability and Governance in the Middle East

79) Women’s Political Participation in the Middle East and North Africa

80) Water Politics and Their Impact on Middle Easter International Relations and Security

Political Theory

81) Critical Political Theory and the Frankfurt School

82) Development of Political Thought in Ancient China

83) Effects of New Media (i.e., TVs, CDs, social messaging platforms) in Politics

84) Feminist Interventions in Political Thought

85) Hegelian and Counter-Hegelian Political Thought

86) Intersectionality in Political Theory

87) Nationalist and Cosmopolitan Political Thought

88) Religion in Classical and Contemporary Political Thought

89) Political Representation and Policy Responsiveness to Public Opinion

90) Postcolonial and Decolonial Political Theory

Political Science Topics (91-100)

U.s. politics.

91) Age and Generational Differences in U.S. Politics

92) Asian American Politics and Political Movements

93) Campaign Advertising in U.S. Elections

94) Celebrity Influence on Political Campaigns in the U.S.

95) Interest Groups and Modern U.S. Conservativism

96) Litigation Strategies in Political Contests Over Abortion

97) Politics of Electoral Redistricting in the U.S.

98) Politics of U.S. Healthcare System and Reform

99) S. Politics and Policies of Mass Incarceration

100) Voter Opinion on Women Political Candidates

Final Thoughts on Political Science Research Topics

Political science topics are rarely one-size-fits-all. Like many humanistic and other modes of research, topics typically suit the specific interests and motivations of the researcher. Do you want to improve a method or practical process? Are you interested in the politics of a specific region, or motivated to learn about something especially urgent? Where is the conversation within or across fields, and where might you have the most to contribute? Combining careful self-assessment and knowledge of research fields is the best way to effectively carve out your own chunk of the gigantic discipline that is political science.

Political Science Research Topics – Additional Resources

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• High School Success

Tyler Talbott

Tyler holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Missouri and two Master of Arts degrees in English, one from the University of Maryland and another from Northwestern University. Currently, he is a PhD candidate in English at Northwestern University, where he also works as a graduate writing fellow.

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