political science phd programs in california

• Graduate Program

Political Science Graduate Program

The PhD program in Political Science at the University of California, San Diego is consistently recognized as one of the top ten programs in the nation, as evidenced by the rankings of U.S. News & World Report and the National Academy of Sciences. We are also rated #1 in overall graduate student satisfaction in a recent National Doctoral Program Survey.

As a full-time doctoral program—we admit only for the PhD—our primary goal is to prepare scholars to teach and conduct research at major research universities.   Each year, from 15-20 new graduate students enter the program and spend an average of five years earning the PhD. As our placement history attests, the training and mentoring we provide has prepared students to land rewarding jobs at the world’s best universities and colleges.

With over forty faculty members and eleven adjunct professors engaged in graduate teaching, we maintain a small ratio of students to faculty. This allows for close faculty supervision of graduate education and fosters an ethos of mentoring and collaboration. Graduate seminars are small and students have ample opportunity to become involved in collaborative research projects with faculty from across the subfields of contemporary political science. We also offer students many opportunities to attend colloquia that feature presentations by faculty, outside speakers, and dissertation candidates. The small number of students accepted into the program also makes it possible to fund almost all graduate students throughout their entire graduate careers.

A hallmark of our program is the willingness and ability of both faculty and graduate students to work across traditional sub-disciplinary boundaries. We believe that political science is a coherent discipline, rather than independent subfields loosely grouped under an umbrella. We as a department seek to break down additional barriers and build bridges across all the subfields and give all of our students a broad command of the discipline as a whole, regardless of their area of specialization.

In accordance with these principles, our graduate program includes a required First-Year Curriculum for all incoming PhD students. This curriculum is composed of two quarters of courses in Analytic Theory (203A-B) and two quarters of Research Methods (204A-B) courses. We also offer an Integrated Workshop, which is designed to promote intellectual engagement and conversations across fields, so as to better prepare our students to conduct research that scholars across fields will care about.

We believe the design of our graduate program is a unique statement about the discipline of political science. No similar attempt to unify the curriculum has been undertaken in any other department in the country. Our students will not only have a broader command of the discipline as a result of this first year curriculum but will be able to see problems of politics in their more specialized areas of study through new and, we hope, clearer lenses. We are excited about the direction of our Department and hope to provide leadership to the profession by highlighting and building upon this unity in our graduate program.

Department of Political Science

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Our Ph.D. program in Political Science is designed to break down barriers and build bridges across the subfields and give all of our students a broad command of the discipline as a whole, regardless of their area of specialization.

Director of Graduate Studies Claire Adida [email protected] SSB 389

Placement Director Gareth Nellis [email protected] SSB 350

Student Affairs Manager Ethel Lu [email protected]

Graduate Coordinator Katie Smith [email protected]

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UCLA Graduate Programs

Graduate Program: Political Science

UCLA's Graduate Program in Political Science offers the following degree(s):

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Masters available on Doctoral track

With questions not answered here or on the program’s site (above), please contact the program directly.

Political Science Graduate Program at UCLA 4289 Bunche Hall Box 951472 Los Angeles, CA 90095-1472

Visit the Political Science’s faculty roster

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Visit the registrar's site for the Political Science’s course descriptions

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(310) 825-3372

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MAJOR CODE: POLITICAL SCIENCE

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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 #9 best value university ( Princeton Review ), and the #10 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 value university - Princeton Review

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.    

JOB PLACEMENTS

American Council on Learned Societies

Cal Poly Pomona

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Canadian Federal Government

Carnegie Mellon University

Loyola Marymount University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

National Chengchi University, Taiwan

Rice University

University of Florida

Read more about alumni job placements...

  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, politics of race/ethnicity, studies in the global supply chains 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

Online Application

Department Chair

Sara Goodman   [email protected]  949.824.4865

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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© UC Irvine School of Social Sciences - 3151 Social Sciences Plaza, Irvine, CA 92697-5100 - 949.824.2766

Graduate Program

Graduate study in political science.

Berkeley's Department of Political Science is consistently ranked among the top departments of political science in the United States, and its esteemed faculty have trained some of the world's finest scholars and teachers in the field. Our graduates consistently find rewarding jobs at leading colleges and universities, as well as in research, industry, government, and public policy.

The Department does not embrace or promote any particular school of theory or method of analysis, valuing instead theoretical diversity, intellectual breadth, analytical rigor, and scholarly excellence. It is committed to maintaining among its faculty, and in its graduate training, the full range of expertise contained within the subfields of contemporary political science, and the varied methodological approaches appropriate to the rigorous analysis of political phenomena are integral parts of the research environment. Another important aspect of the department's pedagogical philosophy is a commitment to collegial, collaborative, and informal relations within the community.

Berkeley brings the benefits of a large research university—libraries, research centers, a wide variety of perspectives—but graduate courses in political science are small enough for intensive dialogue among participants. Most seminars have fewer than ten students, and there are many other opportunities for close contact between faculty and students including special reading courses, research and teaching assistantships, informal seminars, and joint research endeavors. Research collaboration between faculty and graduate students often lead to joint presentations at professional conferences and co-authored publications in leading academic journals.

The department's strengths are augmented by the campus' intellectual and disciplinary richness. The distinction across all disciplines of Berkeley's academic departments and professional schools create an environment of unequaled opportunity for individualized specialization and intellectual involvement with other fields of study. Students take courses in other departments, and the campus commitment to interdisciplinary study is codified in the requirement that all students have a faculty member from another department on their qualifying exam and dissertation committees. It is precisely the confluence of so many highly-ranked departments and so much exciting research that crosses discipline boundaries that makes Berkeley one of the highest-ranked graduate institutions in the United States, and one of the leading intellectual centers of the world.

Political Science PhD

The Charles and Louise Travers Department of Political Science at UC Berkeley welcomes students interested in pursuing graduate study and research leading to the Ph.D. in political science. Graduate students may specialize in one of six principal subfields: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, Models and Politics, and Methodology. In addition, the Departments faculty and graduate students work with over twenty interdisciplinary research institutes and centers around campus.

Contact Info

[email protected]

210 Social Science Bldg

Berkeley, CA 94720

At a Glance

Department(s)

Political Science

Admit Term(s)

Application Deadline

December 2, 2024

Degree Type(s)

Doctoral / PhD

Degree Awarded

GRE Requirements

Yes, with exceptions

Department of Political Science

Graduate main page, graduate program.

The Political Science graduate program at UC Davis is a nationally ranked Ph.D. granting program with excellence across the subfields in Political Science. Our department prioritizes collaboration, camaraderie, and a diversity of perspectives and methodologies that help foster innovative research. On a per-person basis, our faculty has been the 6th most productive nationally and the top UC Political Science department according to this study in the journal PS: Political Science and Politics. You can learn more about our excellent faculty here: https://ps.ucdavis.edu/people 

Doctoral Program

Program Overview

The principal goal of the Stanford Ph.D. program in political science is the training of scholars. Most students who receive doctorates in the program do research and teach at colleges or universities. We offer courses and research opportunities in a wide variety of fields in the discipline, including American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, and Political Methodology. The 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.

Political Science

About the Program

The Charles and Louise Travers Department of Political Science at UC Berkeley welcomes students interested in pursuing graduate study and research leading to the Ph.D. in political science.  Graduate students may specialize in one of six principal subfields:  American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, Models and Politics, and Methodology.  In addition, the Department’s faculty and graduate students work with over twenty interdisciplinary research institutes and centers around campus.

Visit Department Website

Admission to the University

Applying for graduate admission.

Thank you for considering UC Berkeley for graduate study! UC Berkeley offers more than 120 graduate programs representing the breadth and depth of interdisciplinary scholarship. The Graduate Division hosts a complete list of graduate academic programs, departments, degrees offered, and application deadlines can be found on the Graduate Division website.

Prospective students must submit an online application to be considered for admission, in addition to any supplemental materials specific to the program for which they are applying. The online application and steps to take to apply can be found on the Graduate Division website .

Admission Requirements

The minimum graduate admission requirements are:

A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;

A satisfactory scholastic average, usually a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale; and

Enough undergraduate training to do graduate work in your chosen field.

For a list of requirements to complete your graduate application, please see the Graduate Division’s Admissions Requirements page . It is also important to check with the program or department of interest, as they may have additional requirements specific to their program of study and degree. Department contact information can be found here .

Where to apply?

Visit the Berkeley Graduate Division application page .

Doctoral Degree Requirements

Normative time requirements.

The Political Science department at UC Berkeley admits students for the doctoral degree only. The PhD program has two major phases: (1) coursework and examinations, and (2) 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).

Time to Advancement

The coursework and examination phase requires 40 units (typically 10 classes) of graduate-level coursework and competence in three of eleven  subfields . Subfield competence is demonstrated through coursework and written exams offered each semester. A Preliminary Field Examination is typically taken in the student’s second or third year of the program. All students must pass one exam in one of the following subfields: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Methodology, Models and Politics, or Political Theory. All students must also demonstrate competency in two additional subfields, by taking a minimum of three to four courses in two of the following areas: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, Methodology, Models and Politics, Area Studies, Political Behavior, Political Economy, Public Policy & Organization, Race & Ethnic Politics, and Interdisciplinary Studies in Political Thought. Other appropriate subfields may be designated by the department. Students must achieve a combined GPA of 3.5 in these courses.

The particular sequence of courses that a student takes in preparation for the comprehensive field exam is not prescribed. Rather, the faculty assist students with a 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 preliminary examination requirements have been met, the student prepares a prospectus for dissertation research. The student convenes a committee known as the Qualifying Examination Committee, consisting of four faculty members. The Qualifying Examination Committee advises on the prospectus and examines the student on specific research plans. UC Berkeley is highly committed to interdisciplinary scholarly engagement and the student may elect to include faculty members from another department or unit at UC Berkeley on both their Qualifying Examination Committee and Dissertation Committee. Engagement with members of the faculty from other departments should begin during the coursework stage so that the advice and input of the outside member are represented in the prospectus.

When sufficient preparation for the proposed research has been demonstrated to the Qualifying Examination Committee, the student is advanced to doctoral candidacy. It is expected (and for most funding packages, required) that the student advance to doctoral candidacy by the end of their third year.

Dissertation Research and Writing

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 from the Qualifying Examination 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.  There is no formal dissertation defense at Berkeley. 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.

General Curriculum Guidelines

Students are required to complete 24 units of coursework in their first year of study. At least 12 of these units must be in political science graduate courses; the remainder may be in graduate or upper division undergraduate courses in other departments. The first year is designed to allow the student the opportunity to engage in foreign language study, area specialization, and to meet and study with faculty from other departments who may become members of the qualifying exam or dissertation committees. All students are reviewed at the end of the first year of study on their overall academic performance. This overall evaluation will include GPA and successful completion of all 24 required units. In exceptional cases, a student may decide not to continue in the PhD program or may be asked to leave after the first year; in this event, students may either be awarded an MA degree (if they complete the requirements for the degree, see next item) or will leave the program without an MA degree.

Second Year

During the second year, students must complete an advanced topical research essay, the second year paper.  The student will narrow their interests, continue to explore ideas for a dissertation topic, and identify potential advisers. Coursework continues as students begin preparing for both preliminary field exams and writing their dissertation prospectus. Additionally, students in their second year usually serve as a graduate student instructor (GSI), a 20 hour per week position.  

During the third year, most students continue to teach as GSIs and complete their coursework in addition to taking their field exams. 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). Students must pass a written Preliminary Field Examination in one subfield and “course out” of two other subfields by taking a prescribed set of courses in each.

Students may sit for their Preliminary Field Examination as early as the beginning of their second year, and if necessary, as late as winter of their third year. Field exams are offered at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. All students are expected to have completed one field exam, “coursed out” out of two additional fields, and written & defended their dissertation prospectus (pass 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 their third year. The third year is also when students should begin to apply for extramural fellowships to support their dissertation research.

Fourth Year

Beginning in the third year and continuing into the fourth, students should be collecting much of the information and data necessary for their dissertation. Many students spend one or both semesters of their fourth year conducting research, many going abroad to do field work.

Like the fourth year, the fifth year is variable according to an individual's research schedule. Often this is a good year to use the Dean’s Completion Fellowship while focusing on writing the dissertation. This is also the time, if research is complete and writing has begun, to apply for finishing fellowships and extramural dissertation awards. Ideally, if students plan to enter the job market during the fifth year, they should have most of their dissertation completed by then. 

Sixth Year and Beyond

Students are normally expected to finish by their sixth year. In the sixth year, students continue to work on completing and revising the dissertation and enter the job market. This is also a time students apply for post-doctoral fellowships. To fund the final year(s), some students teach as adjunct faculty at the many colleges and universities in the area, and some find research assistantships.

American Politics

Subfield Coordinator: David Broockman

The study of American politics at Berkeley brings together faculty and graduate students who seek to tackle the most important questions confronting the field using diverse methodological approaches.

Among other topics, the faculty’s research agenda encompasses the quality and meaning of representation in contemporary American politics, the political implications of rising economic inequality, the politics of immigration and of minority group representation, the meaning of American national identity, the sources and implications of party polarization, the development of American bureaucratic government and of the American welfare state, and the balance of power among Congress, the Presidency, and the Courts. Our program strives to train students to have a diverse methodological toolkit, including quantitative, historical/developmental, game-theoretic, behavioral, and institutional approaches.

The department supports several workshops and colloquia that foster this diverse intellectual community, including the American Politics Research Workshop, the Positive Political Theory seminar series, the Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration Colloquium, the American Political Development working group, and the Quantitative Methods Workshop. These research units also provide funding for graduate student research projects and for faculty-student collaboration. Faculty work closely with students to help each student carve out a research agenda that fits his or her interests, while addressing a substantively important problem.

Comparative Politics

Subfield Coordinator: Scott Straus

Berkeley has a longstanding tradition of distinction in comparative politics. Members of the department’s comparative politics faculty are widely recognized as national and international leaders, and the department’s strengths have grown in recent years.

The coverage of substantive themes, methodological approaches, and geographic expertise is extremely broad. Comparative political economy, political regimes and regime change, political parties and organizations, and social mobilization are the subject of great interest among faculty and graduate students. Some comparative faculty and graduate students rely largely upon formal theory in their work. Some are highly proficient in quantitative methods, while others use case studies and qualitative methods. Many faculty and graduate students use multi-method approaches. The faculty emphasizes rigor of method—whether applied in formal, statistical, or qualitative work. All graduate students in comparative politics are expected to achieve proficiency in all methods prevalent in the field.

The faculty and graduate student populations are diverse; no single theoretical orientation or methodology enjoys status as orthodoxy. Generally speaking, Berkeley comparativists pursue “big” questions that have broad implications for political life and public policy as well as social science. Such questions include when and why Chinese peasants resist unjust authority; how transformations in the global economy are reshaping the welfare state in advanced industrialized countries; how economic structures and resource flows mold state and market institutions; why economic liberalization has proved difficult in Japan and how it may yet come about; why democracy is failing in Russia while working in Indonesia; why opposition forces succeed in forging electoral alliances in some African polities but not others; how party systems influence the provision of public goods across the Indian states; and how labor organizations are responding to transformations in economic policy in Latin America.

International Relations

Subfield Coordinator: Vinod Aggarwal

International Relations at Berkeley focuses on the study of contemporary and historical problems in world politics. Our faculty and graduate students work on an eclectic set of substantive issues that frequently cross over between international relations theory, security studies, and international political economy.

Current research interests pursued by our group include the causes and consequences of peace and war, the political economy of trade and finance, American foreign and national security policy, emerging issues in security, geopolitical order and change, the impact of technology and geography on world politics, the role of ideas and identities shaping international affairs, the link between business and politics, and the interaction between religion and global politics. In addition to resources in the Political Science Department, our work is reflected and supported by various centers across campus: the Institute for International Studies (IIS), the Berkeley Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Study Center (BASC), the Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy (BRIE), the Religion, Politics and Globalization Program (RPGP), Evidence in Governance and Politics (EGAP) and others. In addition, the journal Business and Politics is edited by one of our faculty members.

Our methodologies are equally eclectic, ranging from socio-historical analysis to quantitative empirics and formal modeling. Much of our research is interdisciplinary, drawing from fields as disparate as economics, psychology, ecology, theology, or history. We take theory seriously but not to the exclusion of interesting and important global problems. Our overarching goal is to contribute to an understanding of how international politics is organized and how it functions around substantive issues that matter to political actors and human beings.

Methodology & Formal Theory

Subfield Coordinator: Thad Dunning

The Berkeley program in empirical methodology and formal theory offers rigorous training that is carefully integrated with major substantive agendas in political science.

The program builds centrally on innovative faculty research, which encompasses new methods for causal inference and program evaluation, as well as statistical computing and survey analysis. The work on surveys has included path-breaking contributions to developing and refining experiments embedded in surveys and computer-assisted telephone interviewing; and innovations in measuring issue orientations and in multi-level modeling of political behavior. In formal theory, faculty have contributed to opening new lines of inquiry into strategic interactions where formal institutions are weak, and to modeling information and incentives in organiza­tions—as they affect both the dynamics of institutions within the United States and those in authoritarian and democratizing regimes. Faculty in both tradi­tions play a promi­nent role in developing empirical tests of formal theory, based on both laboratory experiments and obser­va­tional data. The faculty has also done influential work on qua­litative meth­odology, compa­rative-historical methods, and linking qualitative methods with both quantitative tools and with formal analysis.

The methods/formal faculty make important institutional contributions on the Berkeley campus. They convene the Positive Political Theory Seminar, which draws together a national consti­tuency of leading modelers for its biweekly meetings. They have led the campus Survey Research Center and helped to sustain its innovative research on survey methodo­logy; and they were central to launching the Berkeley’s NSF/IGERT training program in Politics, Economics, Psychology, and Public Policy (PEPPP). Berkeley’s Institute of Govern­mental Studies, as well as the Survey Research Center, are important venues for convening scholars and graduate students, and they provide support for graduate students pursuing methodological and formal training.

Faculty members also play leading roles in the national political science profession. Their contri­butions have included serving as Chair of the Board of the American National Elections Studies (ANES); providing crucial leadership in launching the NSF program on the Empirical Implications of Theoretical Models (EITM); co-editing the new Oxford Handbook of Political Methodology; serving as President of the Political Methodology Society; and founding APSA’s Organized Section for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research. The political science department maintains close ties with the national Institute for Qualitative/Multi-Method Research, and many graduate students attend the institute. Three of the methods/formal faculty are Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Political Theory & Philosophy

Subfield Coordinator: Daniel Lee

Berkeley’s department offers a full range of courses in political theory, including classical, modern, and contemporary political philosophy (both European and American).

In the history of political thought, faculty have particular strengths in ancient moral and political thought, renaissance and early modern political thought, Enlightenment social and political thought, and nineteenth and twentieth century Marxism, British and Continental theory, and critical theory. In contemporary political theory, their areas of expertise include liberal and democratic thought, sovereignty and multiculturalism, and postfoundational approaches to subjectivity and social inquiry.

The core curriculum for graduate study in the department involves those courses recommended in preparation for the qualifying exam in the history of political thought (such courses include POL SCI 212A POL SCI 212B , POL SCI 212C , POL SCI 213 , and POL SCI 214 ); and courses of special relevance to the qualifying exam in contemporary political theory (including POL SCI 215A , POL SCI 215B , and POL SCI 216 ). The history of political thought exam has two parts. Part I queries students about the nature of the history of Western political thought as a field of knowledge, and/or about debates focused on particular periods or problems. Part II of the exam asks students to respond to questions about particular theorists or texts in each of three major time periods (ancient and medieval; early modern; modern). The contemporary political thought exam approaches twentieth and twenty-first-century political theory from three angles: subfields of theory, theorists and approaches, and topics.

The research, writing, and pedagogical interests of faculty within political theory are impressively varied. Greater details about the work and interests of each faculty member may be found on their faculty web pages.

Models & Politics

Subfield Coordinator: Sean Gailmard

Formal models are used in political science as abstract representations of political institutions and choices in order to focus attention on key logic and causal mechanisms in a political process. Good modeling requires fluency in technical fields such as game theory and social choice theory, as well as the substantive knowledge to craft an appropriate and insightful model for a specific application.

The Models & Politics subfield, instituted by the faculty in 2007, connects advanced training in formal modeling techniques (also commonly referred to as formal theory, positive political theory, or political economy) with innovative substantive research in political science. It is designed for students who plan to make significant use of formal modeling in their own research in American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, or Political Theory. This subfield is appropriate for students who wish to use formal models to structure and inform their empirical research, as well as those who wish to become pure modelers.

Political Behavior

Subfield Coordinator: Gabriel Lenz

Political behavior at UC Berkeley serves as a bridge between political science on the one side and political psychology and political sociology on the other. Its focus is on the social and psychological processes by which individuals (and groups) engage in political life. Although the actual studies of these matters may occur within a particular geographical or institutional context and data are most often drawn from the American experience, the purpose is to generalize to a class of political phenomena or behavior beyond specific countries or specific institutions. Attention is also paid to problems of survey design and analysis, the development of scales, indices, and other measurement devices, questionnaire construction, interviewing, sampling, and other elements of systematic research that aim to yield data susceptible to statistical analysis. Among the substantive topics covered in the field are: public opinion; political leadership; political participation and protest and personality and politics.

Political Economy

Subfield Coordinator: Steven Vogel

The political economy group in the department defines the substantive scope of the subfield broadly, including the role of the state in the economy, the politics of economic policy, the political and social institutions that underpin markets, formal models of governance, patterns of international trade and investment, international organizations, and the history of political economic thought. Scholars in this area employ a wide range of methodological tools, including ethnographic fieldwork, archival research, case studies, quantitative analysis, and formal modeling.

Public Policy & Organization

Subfield Coordinator: Christopher Ansell

Public policy studies explore political responses to specific public problems, like environmental degradation, poverty, or disease. Faculty in this subfield are interested in the political dynamics of policy-making and policy implementation, including such topics as agenda-setting, regulatory decision-making, and federalism. Since public problems often ignore jurisdictions, a policy-oriented approach to political science is often concerned about the interplay between different levels of government (local, regional, national, and international). The Public Policy & Organization subfield, therefore, draws on and contributes to scholarship in urban politics, American politics, comparative politics, and international relations.

Policy outcomes are typically mediated by organizations that mobilize stakeholders, make authoritative decisions, administer programs, and enforce laws. These organizations range from complex government bureaucracies to professional associations and social movement organizations. The organizational and inter-organizational aspects of policy-making and policy implementation are a particular concern of this subfield. Important debates in this field often focus on understanding how specific institutional arrangements are created to govern policy arenas and on whether these institutions produce effective, efficient, and equitable governance.

Sophisticated explanations of policy-making and implementation call for specific analytical tools and intellectual frameworks. This subfield draws on theories of policy-making and implementation, governance, public administration, public law, institutionalism, and organization theory as a framework of analysis.

RACE & eTHNIC pOLITICS

Subfield Coordinator: To be determined

This subfield is concerned with major theories and empirical approaches the study of race and ethnicity as political identities. Drawing from works across the social sciences, we will explore a range of topics with implications for politics in the United States and countries around the world. These topics include: how identity should be conceptualized and measured; why some forms of identity are activated, mobilized, and contested; how identities are represented politically; how racial and ethnic identities intersect with other salient identities; how social diversity and civil society are interrelated; what factors affect the integration of immigrants; and which varieties of democracy enable the flourishing of plural identities. The subfield focuses on the United States and the other parts of the world, including Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Because the study of race and ethnicity intersects with all major subfields of political science, our goal is to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the current state of knowledge as well as the intellectual resources needed to undertake their own original research.

INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES IN POLITICAL THOUGHT

This course-out field option enables students of political thought to deepen their competence in political theory through work outside of the core theory curriculum, including supplemental disciplines in the social sciences and humanities.  Students satisfy this requirement by taking at least three (3) graduate-level courses (for a letter grade), which may be offered by Political Science or other departments, such as Philosophy, History, Classics, Jurisprudence and Social Policy, Rhetoric, Sociology or Comparative Literature. 

POL SCI 200A Major Themes in Comparative Analysis 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Subject and texts to be studied vary with instructor. See departmental announcements. Major Themes in Comparative Analysis: Read More [+]

Hours & Format

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.

Additional Details

Subject/Course Level: Political Science/Graduate

Grading: Letter grade.

Formerly known as: Political Science 200

Major Themes in Comparative Analysis: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 200B Major Themes in Comparative Analysis: Research Design 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 This course provides an introduction to research design in comparative politics; it is the second semester of the two-semester introductory graduate sequence for the comparative sub-field. We will focus on various topics relevant to doing research, such as how to formulate research questions; develop concepts and measures; bolster the validity of descriptive and causal inferences; and use various qualitative and quantitative methods in the service of diverse substantive agenda. Developing the ability to critique research is one important objective. However, the primary goal of the course is to provide a first foundation for actually doing research. Major Themes in Comparative Analysis: Research Design: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Three hours of seminar per week.

Major Themes in Comparative Analysis: Research Design: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 201A Comparative Analysis of Industrial Democracies 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2013, Fall 2012, Fall 2011 The comparative study of politics in Western societies. The place of parties, political structures, interest groups, and economic institutions. The relation between domestic political developments and the international system. The effect of economic development on political change. The effect of labor politics on national politics. Comparative Analysis of Industrial Democracies: Read More [+]

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POL SCI 201B Comparative Analysis of Industrial Democracies 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2010, Fall 2007, Fall 2006 The comparative study of politics in Western societies. The place of parties, political structures, interest groups, and economic institutions. The relation between domestic political developments and the international system. The effect of economic development on political change. The effect of labor politics on national politics. Comparative Analysis of Industrial Democracies: Read More [+]

POL SCI 201D Governance of the E-conomy 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2008, Spring 2006, Spring 2002 New digital technologies, changing market structures, and innovative business organizations are transforming the economic and social landscape of the advanced industrial countries. The policy issues associated with this transformation pose fundamental philosophical and political questions of how to organize our markets, polity, and society. The means of making and implementing these choices is politics. The necessarily global scope of the E-conomy extends the political and policy challenges to the international arena. This course will explore the literature on the political economy of the Internet to determine what policy choices -- hence which political debates -- are and will be most important. We also will examine our conceptual understanding of the burgeoning digital economy and its impact on politics, law, and socio-economic relations. Governance of the E-conomy: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.

Governance of the E-conomy: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 202A Theories of Development and Political Change 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2013, Spring 2012, Fall 2011 Issues of social organization and political change. Theories of progress, development, modernization and dependence. Theories of Development and Political Change: Read More [+]

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POL SCI 203 Urban and Subnational Politics in Low- and Middle-Income Countries 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Fall 2013, Fall 2011 Metropolitan areas in the developing world face enormous challenges. This course will consider the political and institutional environment in which efforts to address metropolitan problems are developed, the financial and institutional vehicles used to provide services of different types, and the role of political parties and other political organizations in the development and allocation of services. Readings will be drawn from Political Science , Sociology, Geography, and Economics. Urban and Subnational Politics in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Read More [+]

Rules & Requirements

Prerequisites: Graduate student standing

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Two to Three hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.

Urban and Subnational Politics in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Read Less [-]

POL SCI C203 Subnational and Urban Politics in Low and Middle-Income Countries 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2021, Fall 2013 This course will consider the political and institutional environment in which efforts to address metropolitan problems are developed, the financial and institutional vehicles used to provide services of different types, and the role of political parties and other forms of political organization in the development and allocation of services. Emphasis will be placed upon fertile areas for research within the social sciences. Subnational and Urban Politics in Low and Middle-Income Countries: Read More [+]

Also listed as: GMS C203

Subnational and Urban Politics in Low and Middle-Income Countries: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 204 The Politics of Gender 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2004, Fall 2003 This seminar is designed for Ph.D. students as a foundation for future research on the origins and persistence of gender inequality in politics and other positions of power. We will look at variation in gender inequality indicators to systematically address how women’s and men’s socio-economic status and political power has varied across time (in historical perspective) and place (in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas). Throughout the course, we will pay particular attention to the way gender intersects with other identities, such as race, ethnicity, sexuality and class. We will draw on readings primarily from political science and economics, but also sociology, psychology, law, and anthropology. The Politics of Gender: Read More [+]

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POL SCI 204B Bureaucracy in Comparative Perspective 4 Units

Terms offered: Not yet offered Adopting a comparative perspective on bureaucracy, this course examines how and why the structures, capacities, effectiveness and accountability of bureaucracies vary significantly in different places and at different times. Why do some administrative organizations become politicized and corrupt while others establish strong meritocratic administration and effective performance? Why do some bureaucracies develop their own power base and become relatively autonomous while others are subject to elaborate political oversight and micro-management? The course will examine these questions in both the global north and the global south. Bureaucracy in Comparative Perspective: Read More [+]

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POL SCI 206 Comparative Party Systems 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2013, Spring 2012, Spring 2001 Why are there political parties? The origins of parties in issue cleavages, legislatures, social movements, and personal followings. Types of parties. The political machine, the ideological party, third parties, flash parties. Federalism and political parties. Intra-party competition and selection of leaders. What do parties try to maximize: votes? ideological purity? personal security of party professionals? How parties change: reform movements , issue crises, external social movements. Comparative Party Systems: Read More [+]

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POL SCI 207 Political Violence 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2017 This graduate seminar is designed to introduce students to the comparative study of political violence. The course examines two broad themes through a variety of theoretical and empirical approaches. The first theme focuses on why individuals choose to rebel: When does violence become a strategy for resolving conflict? Why do individuals participate in violence? How is violence organized? The second theme focuses on how states choose to repress citizens: When are human rights violations committed? When does a state use violence over other strategies? What are the effects of state violence? Political Violence: Read More [+]

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POL SCI 209A Comparative Political Economy 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 This seminar provides an introduction to the major debates in comparative political economy. Although the empirical focus is on the affluent democracies, many of the debates and issues analyzed have implications for other regions. The course is divided into two main parts. The first part examines leading theoretical perspectives on political economy, such as Friedman, Marx, Weber, and Polanyi. The second part of the course is more topical. It probes a number of examples of economic development, crisis, and change, with an eye to assessing alternative theoretical perspectives. Comparative Political Economy: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Four hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.

Comparative Political Economy: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 209B Post Fordism: New Patterns of Production, Time, and Meaning in Contemporary Capitalism 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2009 With changes in technology, the internationalization of production and the massive increase in trans-border transactions of all kinds, it has been argued that we live and work in an era of substantively different capitalism. Were this true, it has deep implications for politics and for political economy. This graduate seminar explores the validity of this claim of a "new capitalism" through a variety of materials, starting with the question of whether "Fordism" ever existed, moving on to the question of whether "Post-Fordism" exists and ending with a variety of ethnographic studies that show how global production chains shape culture, gender, and hieraarchy/power. Post Fordism: New Patterns of Production, Time, and Meaning in Contemporary Capitalism: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-4 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Three to four hours of seminar per week.

Instructor: Chaundhry

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POL SCI 210 Selected Topics in Comparative Politics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 See departmental announcements. Topic will vary with instructor. Selected Topics in Comparative Politics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.

Selected Topics in Comparative Politics: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 211 Special Topics in Political Theory 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 See department web site for specific course offerings. Special Topics in Political Theory: Read More [+]

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.

Additional Format: Two to three hours of seminar per week.

Special Topics in Political Theory: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 211A The Law of Nations 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022 This graduate seminar course will be dedicated to a detailed study the law of nations, focusing on (1) its historical origins in classical and medieval jurisprudence; (2) its development in major treatises, especially in those by Grotius and Pufendorf; (3) critiques in recent scholarship on the legal history and politics of modern empire-building. The course will involve a study of original print texts, including the 1646 De Jure Belli ac Pacis and the 1698 De Jure Naturae et Gentium. The Law of Nations: Read More [+]

The Law of Nations: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 212A History of Political Thought: Ancient and Medieval 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Fall 2019, Fall 2017 A weekly seminar on political thought from the ancient Greeks to the Renaissance. Ancient and medieval political theorist, typically including Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, and Aquinas. History of Political Thought: Ancient and Medieval: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Three to Four hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.

History of Political Thought: Ancient and Medieval: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 212B History of Political Thought: Early Modern (Renaissance to French Revolution) 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2020, Spring 2018 A weekly seminar on political thought from the Renaissance to the French Revolution. Early modern political theorist, typically including Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau. History of Political Thought: Early Modern (Renaissance to French Revolution): Read More [+]

History of Political Thought: Early Modern (Renaissance to French Revolution): Read Less [-]

POL SCI 212C History of Political Thought: Modern (French Revolution through World War II) 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2020, Spring 2019 A weekly seminar on political thought in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Modern political theorists, typically including Tocqueville, Hegel, Marx, Mill, Nietzsche, and Weber. History of Political Thought: Modern (French Revolution through World War II): Read More [+]

History of Political Thought: Modern (French Revolution through World War II): Read Less [-]

POL SCI 213 Methodological Topics in the History of Political Thought 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Spring 2017, Fall 2012 A weekly seminar on approaches to the history of political thought. Theoretical topics, typically including the nature of meaning and textuality, validity, and historical explanation. Methodological Topics in the History of Political Thought: Read More [+]

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POL SCI 214 Symposium in the History of Political Thought 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 An intensive examination of theorists, theories, or concepts in the history of political thought. Symposium in the History of Political Thought: Read More [+]

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes. Students may enroll in multiple sections of this course within the same semester.

Symposium in the History of Political Thought: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 214A Aristotles Politics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2021 In this course, we will read the whole of Aristotle's Politics. Prior knowledge of ancient Greek is not necessary, although we will have the original on hand and will be discussing the meaning of the Greek as we go. This will be a communal scholarly journey, drawing on graduate students. Topics to include the polis (city-state), oikos (household), freedom,, slavery, Aristotle's interpretation of Plato, citizenship, democracy, oligarchy, Aristotle's ideal political system , the political implications of economic disparity, and how to think about and avoid political revolution. Aristotles Politics: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-4 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Two to four hours of seminar per week.

Aristotles Politics: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 215A Approaches to Contemporary Political Theory 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2021, Spring 2020 A weekly seminar on contemporary approaches to political theory. Approaches to Contemporary Political Theory: Read More [+]

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POL SCI 215B Topics to Contemporary Political Theory 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2020, Fall 2019 A weekly seminar on leading topics in contemporary political theory. Topics to Contemporary Political Theory: Read More [+]

Topics to Contemporary Political Theory: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 216 Symposium in Contemporary Political Theory 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Fall 2016, Fall 2012 An intensive examination of a contemporary theorist, debate, or issue. Symposium in Contemporary Political Theory: Read More [+]

Symposium in Contemporary Political Theory: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 217 African American Political Thought 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2020, Spring 2003 An examination of interrelationships of politics, personality, and culture, normally with specific focus on American materials. Research papers will be written and discussed during the semester. African American Political Thought: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for POL SCI 217 after completing POL SCI 217 . A deficient grade in POL SCI 217 may be removed by taking POL SCI 217 .

African American Political Thought: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 220A Theories of International Relations 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Origin, application and utility of major concepts featured in the study of international relations. Relation of various strands of political and social theory to international relations. Theories of International Relations: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Previous work in international relations

Theories of International Relations: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 221 International Security 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 The goal of this course is to introduce advanced political science graduate students to current debates in the field of international security and to prepare these students for conducting dissertation research in their own areas of interest within this field. This course is designed for advanced political science graduate students preparing to commence their dissertation research. Its orientation is theoretical rather than empirical and it is both reading and research. International Security: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: If course was taken prior to Fall 2016, students will receive no credit for Political Science 221 after taking Political Science 222.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-4 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Two to Four hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.

Formerly known as: Political Science 224A

International Security: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 222 Religion and International Relations 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2021, Fall 2018 How has religion shaped the structure of the international system? How should IR scholars approach the role that religion plays in contemporary affairs? How does religion constrain or motivate international conflict? This seminar seeks to guide students through readings in the social sciences, from psychology and sociology to anthropology and political science, that explore the intersection of religion and international relations. We will examine a variety of theoretical approaches to the topic of religion and global politics, explore religious origins of the modern state system, and analyze the influence of religion on historical and comtemporary conflicts, with a particular focus on ethnic conflict, terrorism, and peacemaking. Religion and International Relations: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: Political Science 226

Religion and International Relations: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 223 Selected Topics in International Relations 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2021, Fall 2019 See departmental announcements. Topic will vary with instructor. Selected Topics in International Relations: Read More [+]

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with instructor consent.

Selected Topics in International Relations: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 224 Sociological Traditions in International Relations 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2009, Spring 2007 This seminar traces the development of the constructivist program in international relations in order to better understand its elements, assumptions, and methods and apply those to current issues. We start by uncovering the roots of constructivism in sociology and philosophy and examine structuation theory, the English School, world systems theory, regime theory, and sociological institutionalism. The second part of this course focuses on the constructivist agenda in international relations, its boundaries and its critics. In the last part of the course we examine current research in IR that draws on sociological methods, including work on the role of norms, epistemic communities, transnational civil society, and the origins of the state. Sociological Traditions in International Relations: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-4 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three to Four hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.

Instructor: Hassner

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POL SCI 225 Constructivism 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2019, Spring 2017, Fall 2010 This seminar traces the development of the constructivist program in international relations in order to better understand its elements, assumptions, and methods and apply those to current issues. We start by uncovering the roots of constructivism in sociology and philosophy and examine structuation theory, the English School, world systems theory, regime theory, and sociological institutionalism. The second part of this course focuses on the constructivist agenda in international relations, its boundaries and its critics. In the last part of the course we examine current research in international relations that draws on sociological methods, including work on the role of norms, epistemic communities, transnational civil society, and the origins of the state. Constructivism: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: 224B

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POL SCI 225A The Empirical Analysis of International Security 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2013, Fall 2007, Spring 2006 This course offers an introduction to the empirical analysis of International Security. The primary goals are 1) to acquaint students with the empirical knowledge in the field of International Security that has been produced with quantitative approaches and 2) to help students develop and hone their skills in empirical analysis. Therefore, particular emphasis will be given on how to go beyond being "consumers" of empirical research and how to become "producers" of novel empirical knowledge. The Empirical Analysis of International Security: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Four hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.

The Empirical Analysis of International Security: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 226A International Political Economy 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 The creation, maintenance, transformation, and decay of international arrangements designed to manage or regulate interstate activities relating to trade, money, resource use, technology, and physical environment. International Political Economy: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Introductory courses (graduate or undergraduate) in international relations, foreign policy, international organizations and political economy

International Political Economy: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 227 International Cooperation 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 This seminar will cover the topic of international cooperation. We will begin by reviewing the positions of central IR paradigms on the possibility of international cooperation and the role of international institutions. We will talk about why states want to cooperate, which obstacles need to be overcome, and how international institutions can facilitate interstate cooperation. We examine questions concerning the design of international institutions, the extent of compliance they evoke, and their effect in various areas of international cooperation. We also discuss how domestic politics affect a state’s willingness to cooperate and comply with international institutions. International Cooperation: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Two hours of seminar per week.

International Cooperation: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 228 Civil Conflict and International Intervention 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2020, Spring 2015, Spring 1998 Civil conflict, committed primarily by non-state actors, often results in international intervention in some form. This course, then, focuses on two themes: first, why does civil conflict occur? What motivates individuals and groups to resort to violence? What tactics do they use? How do they expect to succeed? Second, why do international actors intervene in civil conflict? What are their aims in intervening? Are they successful in those goals or in others? Civil Conflict and International Intervention: Read More [+]

Objectives & Outcomes

Course Objectives: Broaden your theoretical framework in international relations more generally Engage with the existing work in the field and begin high-level research on civil conflict and international intervention Think about the ways in which international actors intervene Understand the causes, strategies, and outcomes of civil conflict

Civil Conflict and International Intervention: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 230 Essential Methodological Tools 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2012, Fall 2011, Fall 2010 This course presents essential methodological concepts, ideas, and tools students need to know before beginning their study of the formal and quantitative methods tools used in political science research. Topics covered include functions, limits, continuity, calculus, optimization, probability and statistics, and linear algebra. Entire courses are often devoted to each of these topics (e.g., Math 1A-1B, 53, 54; Stat 101, 134, 135), and this course clearly cannot provide an equally comprehensive treatment. Rather, the class selectively focuses on specific mathematical concepts that are most commonly used in applied formal and quantitative work in political science. The goal of the class is to ensure that students have a sufficiently firm understanding of these critical ideas and facility with them that subsequent methods course can build on the foundation. Essential Methodological Tools: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Open only to graduate students. Consent of instructor and graduate adviser

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-4 hours of lecture and 1-2 hours of discussion per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 8 hours of lecture and 2-5 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 1.5-3.5 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three to Four hours of Lecture and One to Two hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks. Six hours of Lecture and One and one-half to Three and one-half hours of Discussion per week for 8 weeks. Eight hours of Lecture and Two to Five hours of Discussion per week for 6 weeks.

Essential Methodological Tools: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 231A Quantitative Analysis in Political Research 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Introductory course in the analysis of political data. Quantitative Analysis in Political Research: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 132A-132B or Statistics 130A

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of seminar and 2 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Four hours of seminar and two hours of discussion per week.

Quantitative Analysis in Political Research: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 231B Quantitative Analysis in Political Research 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Topics from multi-equation causal modeling and introductory econometrics, with special emphasis on procedures appropriate for political data, including survey data. Quantitative Analysis in Political Research: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 231A or equivalent

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-3 hours of seminar and 1-2 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of seminar and one to two hours of discussion per week.

POL SCI 231C Quantitative Analysis in Political Research 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023 Learn about model-based statistical inference and its applications to political science research. The course will cover multiple approaches to model-based inference. First, students will learn about maximum likelihood estimation, which proceeds by assuming the data were generated by a specified probability model. Second, students will learn a collection of methods in machine learning, which employ algorithmic models to optimize fit to the data without relying on assumptions about the data mechanism. Along the way, students will learn about the strengths and limitations of these different approaches, how to interpret the outputs of different types of models, and how to assess the value of estimated models in different situations. Quantitative Analysis in Political Research: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 231A and 232B or equivalent

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-4 hours of seminar and 2-1 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Two to one hours of discussion and three to four hours of seminar per week.

POL SCI 232A Formal Models of Political Science 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Mathematical models of politics with applications to political learning, bargaining, and democratic theory. Topics from game theory, collective choice theory, and mathematical psychology. Formal Models of Political Science: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar and 2 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of seminar and two hours of discussion per week.

Instructor: Powell

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POL SCI 232B Formal Models of Political Science 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 This course emphasizes the application of the formal analytic tools to current or significant research in political science. Formal Models of Political Science: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 232A or consent of instructor

POL SCI 232H Public Policy and Business 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2011, Fall 2009 The course will study public policy in its connection with business. Policy is seen as an endogenous outcome of a game where diverse political forces try to shape public decisions to their advantage. The focus is broad, covering both theory and evidence. The aim is to analyze how a wide range of political institutions and processes affect public policy and economic performance. The ultimate goal of the course is to acquaint students with the topics at hand , and to consolidate their control of formal theory and quantitative techniques by discussing their application to the subject. Public Policy and Business: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate student

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POL SCI 234A Qualitative and Multi-Method Research 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2021 This course introduces diverse methodological tools, following the premise that all methods are strengthened if linked to qualitative analysis. Explores alternative approaches to concept formation, measurement, and causal inference, based on large- and small-N analysis and case studies. Analytic tensions that motivate the course derive from, among other sources, the pressure on case-study and small-N researchers to strive for analytic rigor and generality; and the skepticism of some statisticians about quantitative inference - both descriptive and casual - in social science. Qualitative and Multi-Method Research: Read More [+]

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POL SCI 235 Introduction to Research Methods 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2021, Fall 2018, Fall 2015 Overview of methods of political research. Theories, concepts, variables, hypotheses. Research design, quantitative and qualitative methodology. Basic data collection techniques. Approaches to data analysis. Provides an overview of different statistical techniques, but does not teach statistics . Introduction to Research Methods: Read More [+]

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POL SCI 236A The Statistics of Causal Inference in the Social Sciences 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2015, Fall 2014 Approaches to causal inference using the potential outcomes framework. Covers observational studies with and without ignorable treatment assignment, randomized experiments with and without noncompliance, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity, sensitivity analysis, and random inference. Applications are drawn from a variety of fields including political science, economics, sociology, public health, and medicine. The Statistics of Causal Inference in the Social Sciences: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: One multivariate regression course

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-4 hours of lecture and 2-1 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three to four hours of lecture and two to one hours of discussion per week.

Instructor: Sekhon

The Statistics of Causal Inference in the Social Sciences: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 236B Quantitative Methodology in the Social Sciences Seminar 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 A seminar on successful research designs and a forum for students to discuss the research methods needed in their own work, supplemented by lectures on relevant statistical and computational topics such as matching methods, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity, and Bayesian, maximum likelihood and robust estimation. Applications are drawn from political science, economics, sociology, and public health. Experience with R is as sumed. Quantitative Methodology in the Social Sciences Seminar: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Political Science 236A or STAT 215A or equivalent

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and two hours of discussion per week.

Grading: Letter grade. This is part two of a year long series course. Upon completion, the final grade will be applied to both parts of the series.

Quantitative Methodology in the Social Sciences Seminar: Read Less [-]

POL SCI C236A The Statistics of Causal Inference in the Social Science 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2017, Fall 2016 Approaches to causal inference using the potential outcomes framework. Covers observational studies with and without ignorable treatment assignment, randomized experiments with and without noncompliance, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity, sensitivity analysis and randomization inference. Applications are drawn from a variety of fields including political science, economics, sociology, public health and medicine. The Statistics of Causal Inference in the Social Science: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture and Two hours of Discussion per week for 15 weeks.

Also listed as: STAT C239A

The Statistics of Causal Inference in the Social Science: Read Less [-]

POL SCI C236B Quantitative Methodology in the Social Sciences Seminar 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017 A seminar on successful research designs and a forum for students to discuss the research methods needed in their own work, supplemented by lectures on relevant statistical and computational topics such as matching methods, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity, and Bayesian, maximum likelihood and robust estimation. Applications are drawn from political science, economics, sociology, and public health. Experience with R is assumed. Quantitative Methodology in the Social Sciences Seminar: Read More [+]

Also listed as: STAT C239B

POL SCI C237A Political Economics 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2010, Fall 2009 Tools of political economics: preferences and institutions, electoral competition, agency, partisan politics. Redistributive politics: general interest politics, special interest politics. Comparative politics: electoral rules, separation of powers, political regimes. Dynamic politics: fiscal policy, growth. Political Economics: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Two hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.

Also listed as: ECON C215A

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POL SCI C237B Political Economics 3 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 Tools of political economics: preferences and institutions, electoral competition, agency, partisan politics. Redistributive politics: general interest politics, special interest politics. Comparative politics: electoral rules, separation of powers, political regimes. Dynamic politics: fiscal policy, growth. Political Economics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: ECON C215A is a prerequisite to ECON C215B , and POL SCI C237A is a prerequisite to POL SCI C237B

Also listed as: ECON C215B

POL SCI 239 Selected Topics in Methodology 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022 See departmental announcements. Topic will vary with instructor. Selected Topics in Methodology: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-3 hours of seminar and 0-1 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of seminar and zero to one hours of discussion per week.

Selected Topics in Methodology: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 239T An Introduction to Computational Tools and Techniques for Social Science Research 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Fall 2019 This course will provide graduate students the critical technical skills necessary to conduct research in computational social science and digital humanities, introducing them to the basic computer literacy, programming skills, and application knowledge that students need to be successful in further methods work. This course is not an introduction to statistics, computer science, or specialized social science / digital humanities methods. Rather , it is meant as a springboard for students to further their training once the course is finished, whether through campus workshops (e.g. D-Lab workshops), online courses, traditional classrooms, or independent learning. An Introduction to Computational Tools and Techniques for Social Science Research: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Two hours of lecture and two hours of discussion per week.

An Introduction to Computational Tools and Techniques for Social Science Research: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 243B Political Authority and Economic Exchange in East Asia 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2011, Fall 2009, Fall 2007 This course will compare how authority and exchange relations are combined to regulate political and economic activities in China, Taiwan, South Korea, North Korea, and Japan. The course will examine theoretical literature on state-society relations, market, world system, late development, as well as empirical case studies dealing with each nation covered. Political Authority and Economic Exchange in East Asia: Read More [+]

Political Authority and Economic Exchange in East Asia: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 243C Japanese Politics 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2014, Fall 2010, Spring 2006 Japanese domestic politics--issues in historical development; political bureaucratic and legal structures; studies in economic policymaking. Japanese Politics: Read More [+]

Japanese Politics: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 244A Analysis of Contemporary China 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2011 This is the first in a two-semester sequence designed to provide the incoming graduate student with a basic grounding in the politics of contemporary China. The focus will be on wide reading and comprehension of the available analytical literature; its sequel will be devoted to integrating that reading with primary source research materials. There are no prerequisites, though undergraduate course work in Chinese politics and/or some acquaintance with the Chinese language would be useful. Analysis of Contemporary China: Read More [+]

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POL SCI 244C Approaches to Chinese Politics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Spring 2021, Fall 2015 This course has three main objectives: to expose students to debates in the study of post-1949 Chinese politics; to consider how research on contemporary China both draws from and informs political science; and to explore characterizations of the Chinese state and state-society relations. Emphasis on questions such as: What can we learn by examining Chinese culture and institutions? Do concepts such as fragmented authoritarianism, neotraditionalism , state "reach," civil society, and corporatism produce insights into the structure and dynamics of Chinese politics? Approaches to Chinese Politics: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Two hours of seminar per week with an additional hour to be arranged with instructor.

Approaches to Chinese Politics: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 244D Collective Action in China 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2017, Spring 2012 This course will explore contentious politics in the People's Republic of China. Special attention to the current era and dissent by peasants, migrants, workers, religious groups, women, students, artists, and dissidents. How do concepts drawn from social movement theory help us understand popular activism? What are the consequences of protest for regime stability and the development of a more complete citizenship? Collective Action in China: Read More [+]

Collective Action in China: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 245A South Asian Politics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2019, Fall 2011, Spring 2010 Major themes of politics and international relations in India, Pakistan, Burma and the mountain kingdoms. South Asian Politics: Read More [+]

South Asian Politics: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 245B International Relations in East Asia 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2020, Spring 2017, Spring 2015 This seminar will focus on postwar relations among the countries in East Asia. Asia was long divided by colonialism, the Cold War, and America's "hub and spoke" alliance system. Nationalist sentiments and suspicions remain strong; one scholar characterized the region as "the cockpit of great power rivalries." Northeast Asia has seen no shooting wars between states since the Korean armistice in 1953; Southeast Asia has been at peace since the pullback of Vietnam from Cambodia in 1979. International Relations in East Asia: Read More [+]

International Relations in East Asia: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 246B Ethnic Politics 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2010 This graduate seminar is designed to introduce students to the comparative study of ethnic politics. It provides an overview of theoretical frameworks and methodological innovations across topics such as group mobilization, cleavage activation, identity representation, redistributive politics, and political violence. The readings are drawn from various political science subfields as well as other disciplines, reflecting a range of regional and country contexts. The purpose of the course is to provide graduate students with the background necessary for undertaking original research on questions relating to various forms of identity politics. Ethnic Politics: Read More [+]

Ethnic Politics: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 247A Western European Politics 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2013, Fall 2011, Fall 2009 Major themes of politics and international relations of Western Europe. Western European Politics: Read More [+]

Western European Politics: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 247G The Comparative Politics of the Welfare State 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2020, Fall 2018 This course analyzes the politics of social protection in Western Europe and the United States. After describing different national welfare regimes, we turn to contemporary challenges, notably globalization, persistent poverty, and changes in family forms and gender roles. We also look at the politics of welfare retrenchment and adjustment, paying particular attention to the prospects for progressive social policy. Must reform inevitably scale back protections for the weak and vulnerable, or can equity be safeguarded while promoting efficiency? The Comparative Politics of the Welfare State: Read More [+]

Instructor: Levy

The Comparative Politics of the Welfare State: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 248A Latin American Politics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2019, Spring 2017 Explores different analytical approaches to Latin American politics, focusing both on major concepts (clientelism, corporatism, the state, legitimacy, nationalism) and different explanatory approaches (focusing on factors such as dependency and imperialism, internal social order and economic change, political structure and institutions and political culture). Latin American Politics: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Either part of the 248A-248B sequence may be taken separately for credit.

Latin American Politics: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 249A Special Topics in Area Studies 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2021, Fall 2011, Spring 2009 See department web site for specific course offerings. Special Topics in Area Studies: Read More [+]

Summer: 6 weeks - 8 hours of lecture and 1.5 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Four hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks. Eight hours of Lecture and One and one-half hours of Discussion per week for 6 weeks.

Special Topics in Area Studies: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 249B Special Topics in Area Studies 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2009, Spring 2008, Spring 2006 See department web site for specific course offerings. Special Topics in Area Studies: Read More [+]

POL SCI 249C Special Topics in Area Studies 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2013, Spring 2012, Fall 2011 See department web site for specific course offerings. Special Topics in Area Studies: Read More [+]

POL SCI 250 Courts and the State 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2013 The course is a political science graduate seminar that will focus on courts' relationship to other political institutions, particularly but not exclusively in the American separation of powers context, with an emphasis on readings from institutionalist (both historical and rational choice) perspectives. Courts and the State: Read More [+]

Courts and the State: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 252 Legal Theory and Institutions 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2013 The organization and behavior of legal institutions, with particular reference to American courts and administrative agencies. Institutional responses to problems of legality, authority, policy choice, and the organization of enforcement and decision-making processes. Readings include empirical studies, judicial opinions, jurisprudential writings and organization theory. Legal Theory and Institutions: Read More [+]

Legal Theory and Institutions: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 257 Constitutional Law 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2009, Spring 2008, Fall 2001 Fundamental principles of constitutional law, leading cases, judicial decisions affecting the liabilities, rights, duties and procedures of governmental officers and agencies, causes and consequences of legal decision, judicial behavior. Constitutional Law: Read More [+]

Constitutional Law: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 259 Selected Topics in Public law 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2012, Spring 2008, Fall 2007 See departmental announcements. Topic will vary with instructor. Selected Topics in Public law: Read More [+]

Selected Topics in Public law: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 261 Political Behavior 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Spring 2023 A comprehensive review of the major topics in political behavior through intensive examination of the theories, findings, and proceedings of the most significant studies in the field. Political Behavior: Read More [+]

Political Behavior: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 262 Voting Behavior and Public Opinion 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2020, Spring 2018 Examination of the basic literature on American voting behavior, public opinion and student research on individually selected topics in this field. Voting Behavior and Public Opinion: Read More [+]

Voting Behavior and Public Opinion: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 263 Mass Politics in Advanced Industrial Democracies 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2010 Theories and evidence concerning political conflict in advanced industrial societies. The empirical focus is on mass politics: the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of ordinary citizens rather than of activists or elites. The principal theoretical focus is on how changes in social structure, culture, and political institutions influence patterns of political cleavages. The analysis is largely comparative, with attention to the issue of American exceptionalism versus cultural and policy convergence. Mass Politics in Advanced Industrial Democracies: Read More [+]

Mass Politics in Advanced Industrial Democracies: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 269 Selected Topics in Political Behavior 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2020, Spring 2019 See departmental announcements. Topic will vary with instructor. Selected Topics in Political Behavior: Read More [+]

Selected Topics in Political Behavior: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 271 American Government and Political Field Seminar 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021 This seminar is designed to acquaint students with current research approaches in various subfields of American Politics. Particular attention will be given to debates over theory, methodology, and substance. The seminar is not designed to provide a complete survey of the field. Students planning to be examined in American Politics are expected to master recommended readings on their own and should review additional readings included in versions of this seminar offered in the past years. American Government and Political Field Seminar: Read More [+]

American Government and Political Field Seminar: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 272 Local Politics and Public Policy in the United States 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023 This course examines politics and policy in local governments in the United States. The course covers topics ranging from local government development, machines and reformers, economic development and growth, the role of business, race and representation, housing and segregation, local elections and accountability, local institutions and turnout, partisanship and ideology, public-sector unions, gender and representation, policing, education and school boards, and the relationship between local governments and states. Local Politics and Public Policy in the United States: Read More [+]

Local Politics and Public Policy in the United States: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 273 Urban Politics 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2010, Fall 2002, Spring 1998 Politics and policy-making in American cities. Historical, economic and social context of cities. Major urban political institutions, other levels of government in urban affairs. Urban Politics: Read More [+]

Urban Politics: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 274 American Political Development 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Spring 2020, Spring 2016 This course will consider several broad themes in American political development. The objective is to extract the central conditions, processes, and controversies that scholars have found running through American political development and try to come to terms with possible relations among them. American Political Development: Read More [+]

American Political Development: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 279 Selected Topics in American Government 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Spring 2021 See departmental announcements. Topic will vary with instructor. Selected Topics in American Government: Read More [+]

Selected Topics in American Government: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 280A Public Organization Theory 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2013, Fall 2012, Fall 2011 A survey of the literature of organization and management theory, emphasizing the major writers and distinctive contributions of various disciplines. Public Organization Theory: Read More [+]

Public Organization Theory: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 284 Strategies of Contemporary Governance 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2010 This course explores the implications of new strategies for coping with social problems and managing public programs. In response to growing criticism of government bureaucracy, public skepticism of expert authority, and an explosion of advocacy groups, a variety of new governance strategies have been developed. These new strategies are characterized by five broad themes: the use of markets or market mechanisms to increase efficiency; an emphasis on holding public agencies accountable and making them more transparent; the development of coordinating networks to link public agencies with each other and with stakeholders; the extensive involvement of non-state organizations in all aspects of governing; and renewed attention to the civic role of individuals and communities. The course investigates the extent to which these new strategies succeed in making the governance process more efficient, accountable, effective, representative, and civic. Strategies of Contemporary Governance: Read More [+]

Instructor: Ansell

Strategies of Contemporary Governance: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 289 Research Topics in Public Organization 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015 See departmental announcements. Research Topics in Public Organization: Read More [+]

Research Topics in Public Organization: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 290 Dissertation Research 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Seminar to aid students in initiating, carrying out, and completing dissertation research. Problems of planning dissertation research, the preparation of research designs and proposals for outside funding, field work, and writing and presenting the results of completed research. Presentations by graduate students working on their dissertations. Dissertation Research: Read More [+]

Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.

Dissertation Research: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 290A Research and Writing 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 The goal of this yearlong course is to provide a forum in which students propose, develop, and complete a research project that produces a journal-length paper of publishable quality. It is primarily oriented towards second-year Ph.D. students in any subfield (students in other years may participate with the professors’ consent). The course meets regularly during parts of the fall semester and irregularly during the spring semester. In the first few weeks of the course, we discuss the process of moving from research topic to research question; and we survey published articles by recent Ph.D. students/assistant professors, focusing on the structure and nature of the writing and presentation as well the quality of the argument and evidence. Research and Writing: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Course is primarily oriented towards second-year Political Science Ph.D. students in any subfield (students in other years may participate with the professors’ consent)

Grading: Letter grade. This is part one of a year long series course. A provisional grade of IP (in progress) will be applied and later replaced with the final grade after completing part two of the series.

Research and Writing: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 290B Research and Writing 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 The goal of this yearlong course is to provide a forum in which students propose, develop, and complete a research project that produces a journal-length paper of publishable quality. It is primarily oriented towards second-year Ph.D. students in any subfield (students in other years may participate with the professors’ consent). During the spring semester, students meet individually with the course instructors and their advisors, develop and revise drafts of their papers, and present their work at a department “APSA-style” conference. Research and Writing: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Students must take POL SCI 290A . In order to complete the course and receive credit, students must complete the requirements for both semesters

POL SCI 290CP Emerging Research on the Comparative Politics of Development 2 Units

Terms offered: Not yet offered This course provides a forum in which faculty and graduate students work together to incubate research on the comparative politics of development. Research focuses on the Global South, though work involving the Global North that sheds light on key issues in development is welcome. Graduate students or faculty circulate work in progress, and students arrive prepared with comments. An important goal is to promote a constructive scholarly community across Ph.D. cohorts. The emphasis is on learning by doing and on the transfer of not only faculty-to-student but also student-to-student knowledge. Students typically participate in the course across multiple semesters and years. Participation is by approval of the instructor. Emerging Research on the Comparative Politics of Development: Read More [+]

Emerging Research on the Comparative Politics of Development: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 290IC Emerging Research in International Relations and Comparative Politics 1 Unit

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 The main aims of this workshop are met through a forum in which faculty and graduate students at various career stages work closely together. It is an applied workshop with an emphasis on learning by doing and on learning how to be a more constructive colleague. Rather than segregate PhD students by cohort, the workshop is designed to bring cohorts together in order to facilitate the student-to-student transfer of skills and knowledge. Emerging Research in International Relations and Comparative Politics: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of seminar per week

Additional Format: One hour of seminar per week.

Emerging Research in International Relations and Comparative Politics: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 290PB Emerging Research in American Political Behavior Research Workshop 1 Unit

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 The main aims of this workshop are met through a forum in which faculty and graduate students at various career stages work closely together. It is an applied workshop with an emphasis on learning by doing and on learning how to be a more constructive colleague. Rather than segregate PhD students by cohort, the workshop is designed to bring cohorts together in order to facilitate student-to-student, in addition to student-to-faculty, transfer of knowledge. Emerging Research in American Political Behavior Research Workshop: Read More [+]

Emerging Research in American Political Behavior Research Workshop: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 290PI Emerging Research in American Political Institutions and Public Policy Workshop 1 Unit

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 The main aims of this workshop are met through a forum in which faculty and graduate students at various career stages work closely together to incubate research in American political institutions and public policy. It is an applied workshop with an emphasis on learning by doing and on learning how to be a more constructive colleague. Rather than segregate PhD students by cohort, the workshop is designed to bring cohorts together in order to facilitate student-to-student, in addition to student-to-faculty, transfer of knowledge. Emerging Research in American Political Institutions and Public Policy Workshop: Read More [+]

Emerging Research in American Political Institutions and Public Policy Workshop: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 290SA Africa Research Seminar 2 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017 This seminar is intended for graduate students who are conducting original research in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Primarily intended for graduate students in the social sciences and related humanistic fields, the seminar will provide students with a framework for engaging recent scholarship, developing their own theoretically informed questions, and proposing rigorous research designs. Students will also discuss the structure and quality of scholarly writing. Students will ultimately produce a research paper that serves as the basis for a prospectus, dissertation chapter, or publishable article. Africa Research Seminar: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Instructor consent required to enroll

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-2 hours of seminar per week

Africa Research Seminar: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 291 Research Workshop in American Politics 1 or 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 A forum for the presentation and discussion of research in progress by graduate students. To receive two units of credit, a student must make at least one presentation of work in progress and serve as a discussant for another student's presentation. To receive one unit of credit a student must regularly attend class and participate in discussion, but will not be required to make a presentation. Appropriate works in progress include (but are not limited to) a paper in preparation for submission to a journal, a dissertation prospectus (including early drafts), a dissertation chapter, or a job market paper. Anyone working on American politics, political behavior, public law, or public administration is welcome. Research Workshop in American Politics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate student standing (second year or above)

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of directed group study per week

Additional Format: Two to Three hours of Directed group study per week for 15 weeks.

Instructor: Schickler

Research Workshop in American Politics: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 291AS Research Workshop in Area Studies 0 - 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 A forum for the presentation and discussion of research in progress by graduate students (second year and above). To receive credit for the course, the student will make at least one presentation of work in progress per semester and to serve as a discussant for another student's work. Appropriate works-in progress include (but not limited to) a paper in preparation for submission to a journal a dissertation prospectus (including early drafts) , dissertation chapter, or a job market paper. Anyone working on Area Studies is welcome. Research Workshop in Area Studies: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate student (second year or above)

Additional Format: Two to three hours of Seminar-Research/Development.

Research Workshop in Area Studies: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 291F Research Workshop in Quatitative Modeling 1 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 A forum for the presentation and discussion of research in quantitative modeling. Anyone working on quantitative modeling or empirical testing of quantitative models is welcome to attend. To receive credit for the course, a student must attend regularly, participate actively, and make at least two presentations per semester. Presentations can be of the student's own work-in-progress or of work by other scholars (including both influential/classic works or interesting current working papers). Research Workshop in Quatitative Modeling: Read More [+]

Research Workshop in Quatitative Modeling: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 291IR Research Workshop in International Relations 0 - 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 A forum for the presentation and discussion of research in progress by graduate students (second year and above). To receive credit for the course, the students will make at least one presentation of work-in-progress per semester and to serve as a discussant for another student's work. Appropriate works-in-progress include (but not limited to) a paper in preparation for submission to a journal a dissertation prospectus (including early drafts) , dissertation chapter, or a job market paper. Anyone working on International Relations is welcome. Research Workshop in International Relations: Read More [+]

Research Workshop in International Relations: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 291T Research Workshop in Theory 0 - 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 A forum for the presentation and discussion of research in progress by graduate students (second year and above). To receive credit for the course, the student will make at least one presentation of work in progress per semester and to serve as a discussant for another student's work. Appropriate works-in-progress include (but are not limited to) a paper in preparation for submission to a journal, a dissertation prospectus (including early drafts) , a dissertation chapter, or a job market paper. Anyone working on theory is welcome. Research Workshop in Theory: Read More [+]

Research Workshop in Theory: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 292 Directed Advanced Study 1 - 12 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2021, Fall 2020 Open to qualified graduate students wishing to pursue special study and research under direction of a member of the staff. Directed Advanced Study: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor and graduate adviser

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-12 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 1-8 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 1-12 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: One to twelve hours of independent study per week. One to twelve hours of independent study per week for 8 weeks. One to eight hours of independent study per week for 6 weeks.

Directed Advanced Study: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 296 Directed Dissertation Research 4 - 12 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022 Open to qualified students advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Directed Dissertation Research: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 4-12 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 4-12 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: By arrangement with faculty.

Directed Dissertation Research: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 299 Special Study in Political Science 1 - 12 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2021 Second 6 Week Session, Spring 2016, Spring 2015 Special individual study for qualified graduate students. Special Study in Political Science: Read More [+]

Summer: 6 weeks - 4-8 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 4-8 hours of independent study per week

Special Study in Political Science: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 375 Graduate Student Instructor Training Seminar 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 This course is intended for all new graduate student instructors (GSI) in the Department of Political Science, and is meant to be taken simultaneously with the first semester of teaching as a GSI. The course functions as a participatory workshop. Although the course is intended for first-time GSIs, it is not a course in "how to be a GSI," but rather, how to be an effective political science teacher, now and at later steps in professional careers. Workshop time will be divided among presentations by the instructor, discussion of required readings, and discussion of weekly assignments in relation to challenges encountered by GSIs in the course of their teaching. Graduate Student Instructor Training Seminar: Read More [+]

Summer: 6 weeks - 5 hours of seminar per week 8 weeks - 3.5 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Two hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks. Three and one-half hours of Seminar per week for 8 weeks. Five hours of Seminar per week for 6 weeks.

Subject/Course Level: Political Science/Professional course for teachers or prospective teachers

Formerly known as: Political Science 301

Graduate Student Instructor Training Seminar: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 398 Professional Preparation for Graduate Student Instructors. 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Special study under the direction of a staff member with emphasis on the teaching of undergraduate courses in political science. Professional Preparation for Graduate Student Instructors.: Read More [+]

Professional Preparation for Graduate Student Instructors.: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 404 Research Skills 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2015 Individual research work under supervision of faculty members. Open to students engaged in supervised research projects in Political Science. Research Skills: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of independent study per week

Subject/Course Level: Political Science/Other professional

Research Skills: Read Less [-]

POL SCI 602 Individual Study for Doctoral Students 4 - 12 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2015, Fall 2014, Fall 2013 Individual study in consultation with the major field adviser, intended to provide opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required of candidates for the Ph.D. May not be used for unit or residence requirements for the doctoral degree. Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Read More [+]

Subject/Course Level: Political Science/Graduate examination preparation

Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Read Less [-]

Contact Information

Department of political science.

210 Social Sciences Building

Phone: 510-642-6323

Fax: 510-642-9515

Department Chair

Scott Straus, PhD

221 Social Science Building

[email protected]

Director of Graduate Affairs

Gabriel Lenz

742 Social Science Building

[email protected]

Graduate Student Advisor

Erin Blanton

Phone: 510-642-6467

[email protected]

Katie Jo Johnson

Phone: 510-643-4408

[email protected]

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Political Science

Graduate Studies

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Juris Doctor
• Master of Arts

This graduate program provides strong substantive and methodological training in political science and promotes close working relationships between faculty and students. Students choose from a curriculum of five fields: American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and methodology. Students may also develop an open field that can include coursework in other disciplines. Enrollment in the Ph.D. program is selective and limited in order to encourage collaborative work between faculty and students, both in research and teaching, to prepare students for academic careers in political science and other areas. The program has a strong placement record, with graduates working in a range of institutions from top-tier research universities to liberal arts colleges, as well as positions in government and political consulting. The program also offers numerous opportunities for students to pursue independent and collaborative research, as well as the funding to do so.

Graduate Program Requirements

Contact information.

The curriculum of the graduate program is divided into six general areas: American Politics, Comparative Politics, Formal Theory/Quantitative Methods, International Relations, Political Theory, and Race, Ethnicity & Politics. Prospective applicants are encouraged to visit the field websites and the faculty pages to explore the variety of research programs underway in the Department. We encourage our students to be well-rounded in their study of politics: the Department requires study in two major and two minor fields. One result of this is a collegial atmosphere among our graduate cohort.

The boundaries between these general fields are intentionally permeable, as are the boundaries between our Department and other academic disciplines. Formal theory and methods, for example, offers training that supports research across most of the subfields. Political Economy, an area of marked departmental strength, overlaps Comparative Politics and International Relations, and also invites interdisciplinary work with the Department of Economics. Similarly, the subfield of Political Theory is linked, through cross-appointments and the various interdisciplinary centers on campus, with a variety of departments including history, public policy, philosophy, classics, sociology, and literary & cultural studies.

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Ph.D. in Political Science and International Affairs 

The Ph.D. in Political Science and International Affairs is a joint program with the UC San Diego Department of Political Science .

This program prepares students for careers in university teaching and research, or as international affairs researchers and specialists in policy analysis.

Program Overview

The program builds on the considerable strength that each unit possesses and offers a unique focus within the context of the Pacific region.

The program has a required first-year curriculum in which students focus on coursework in politics and research methods. During the second year, students begin to focus their coursework on their chosen area of research, completing the 18 required courses for advancement to candidacy. In addition, candidates are expected to finish a seminar paper and sit for their general comprehensive exam. Details on the curriculum can be found here.

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Ph.d. program overview.

The Political Science and International Relations (POIR) Ph.D. program began in 2003 and is part of the POIR Department. POIR is a medium-size Ph.D. program with approximately 60 students currently enrolled across all years. The POIR faculty have expertise in the fields of American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and research methods. Ph.D. students train in three of these areas, with most students emphasizing American politics, comparative politics, or international relations as their first field. Each incoming POIR cohort is approximately 8-12 students in size. Students take courses their first two-three years; take their qualifying exams in their third year; and write and complete their dissertations in years three, four, and five.

Learning Objectives

The Political Science and International Relations Ph.D. program provides a well-structured and suitable education and training that reflects the current state of the disciplines and offers a breadth and flexibility rarely found in separate political science and international relations programs. Through effective and student-centered mentoring, research and teaching assistantships, professionalization workshops, and collaborative support for conference participation and publishing, POIR students train to be leading scholars who are competitive in both the academic and non-academic job markets.   *Please note: POIR does not offer a terminal Master’s Degree

Students will demonstrate mastery in critically applying knowledge and methodologies to address fundamental questions in the fields of American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and/or methods, as evidenced by their academic performance in the programs curricular requirements and the qualifying examinations.   Students will gain, practice and evaluate their skills in various quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis to conduct scholarly research consistent with the highest standards of the discipline as evidenced by their academic performance in the core and advanced methodology courses, the acceptance of their dissertation proposal, participation in the POIR Math Bootcamp, and/or completion of the POIR Methods field.

Qualifying Exams

Students will be able to demonstrate mastery in recognizing, assessing and synthesizing the existing literature and research in the fields of political science and international relations as evidenced by students’ academic performance in the program’s core courses and the comprehensive examinations.

Research & Dissertation

Students will gain the intellectual independence and skills to conduct research that results in an original contribution to knowledge as evidenced by the extent of students participating at major conferences, the degree of students with peer-reviewed publications and grant applications, and the completion of their dissertations.

Students will demonstrate a mastery of pedagogical skills and knowledge at a level required for college and university undergraduate teaching in their discipline as evidenced by their academic performance in the teaching practicum seminar, the quality of students’ teaching evaluations, and student participation in POIR and campus wide teaching workshops and trainings.

Professionalization

Students will gain and demonstrate scholarly communication skills adequate to publish, prepare grant proposals and present work not only in the fields of political science and/or international relations, but also across disciplines and diverse audiences as evidenced by the quality of their course papers and presentations, their participation at professional conferences and other research colloquia in various disciplines.   Students will develop the professional skills needed in their intended career placement as evidenced by their level of professionalism in the program, their participation in professionalization activities and training, the quality of their faculty mentorships, and the completion of the placement support group requirements.

Program Concentrations

Pursue your specialized area of study and research within Political Science and International Relations

American Politics

Comparative politics, international relations, methods and research tools, director of graduate studies.

Brian Palmer-Rubin [email protected]

Graduate Program Administrator and Advisor

Danielle De Rosa Ballard [email protected] DMC 357B

Graduate Program Assistant

Karin Amundsen [email protected] DMC 330C

Graduate Student Association

Miguel Hijar Chiapa, President Jessica Walker, Vice-President Yana Demeshko, Treasurer Shenali Pilapitiya, Senator/DGSA Representative Stephen Schick, Communications Director

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Home / Graduate / For Prospective Students

Ph.D. Program Description

*applications for 2024-2025  open on october 1, 2023., **application deadline---> click here.

You can find the Politics Ph.D. Prospective Student Guide HERE

Why choose the UC Santa Cruz Politics Department for doctoral study?

We offer a distinctive approach to the study of politics and the building of bridges among politics and other disciplines and topics.

Our department is the "Politics Department" for a reason:

• We study politics through historical, philosophical, cultural, conceptual, and other perspectives — in addition to the scientific approaches customary in the U.S. discipline of political science.
• We emphasize the study of politics in context . We tend to be skeptical of grand or formalistic theorizing that lies far removed from empirical realities or textual support.
• We put the substance of politics front and center. Methodological training, while important, is in the service of research, not an end in itself.
• We encourage interdisciplinary approaches to the study of politics. Our students often take seminars from and work with faculty in other departments and programs, including but not limited to those who are formally Affiliated Graduate Faculty .  Graduate students also have the opportunity to develop research topics and work with advisors not only in the Social Sciences but also Arts, Humanities, Physical and Biological Sciences, and even Engineering.
• And we have built a strong record of placing Ph.D. graduates in jobs.

The Faculty

The UC Santa Cruz Politics Department Faculty provides a distinctive mix of senior scholars whose work has led the field toward interdisciplinary and engaged research, and junior scholars whose work represents the diverse cutting-edge of U.S. and international political research. The small size of the program encourages close interaction among faculty and students.

Affiliated Graduate Faculty have been chosen on the basis of research and teaching that fit the distinctive intellectual profile and research strengths of the department, and for holding a Ph.D. in the discipline most closely related to our field (i.e., political science). This combination indicates an orientation towards political questions and problems and an interdisciplinary outlook and practice in their research. The Affiliated Graduate Faculty program began in the Fall of 2013.

     Affiliated Graduate Faculty means:

     1. AGF graduate courses, and any independent studies that AGF chooses to conduct with Politics students, count as "Politics" courses for Politics program requirements.

     2. AGF can be considered "Politics" members of a QE or thesis committee (but cannot serve as chair of these committees).

Areas of Special Strength

The department features several areas of special strength . These include:

• American political development;
• The social and institutional foundations of democratic politics;
• Varieties of capitalism and post-communist politics and economy;
• The politics of Asia and Latin America;
• Race, ethnicity, and politics;
• The politics of language;
• Post-colonial theory and nationalist discourse;
• early modern political thought;
• and informal and trans-local political organizations.

Interdisciplinary problematics

Graduate students also have the opportunity to develop and pursue interdisciplinary "problematics," that is, topics of historical and current interest and importance, by working with both Politics faculty and faculty members in other departments and fields. 

For example, a student who wishes to research and write on an aspect of urban affairs could work with Eleonora Pasotti , David Gordon , and Ben Read (each of whom works on aspects of urban politics) as well as Miriam Greenberg  or Hillary Angelo (Sociology), or Jennifer Maytorena Taylor (Film & Digital Media). 

Other problematics include:

• Political theory & religion,
• The economy & the crisis of democracy,
• Human security, and the environment (see this page ).

*Applicants who wish to pursue such topics should consult with the appropriate member of the Politics faculty.

The Curriculum

The Politics Department is impressed by the fact that many of the best studies of politics today disregard the conventional boundaries of political science's disciplinary subfields. Therefore, the core graduate curriculum and qualifying examination process are structured around four interrelated themes central to political inquiry.

Each of these areas of emphasis focuses, in a different way:

• On the relations among material life,
• Institutional authority,
• Collective mobilization,
• and political vision at all levels of politics.

Brings together the history of political thought, contemporary social and critical theory, and the contributions of legal and institutional analysis of various kinds.

This area of inquiry emphasizes the critical study of political practices that are experienced or understood as in some way limiting, oppressive, or wrong. The work of political and social theory as we see it is to transform our understanding of these practices, to see their contingent conditions, and to articulate the possibilities of governing ourselves differently.

2. Political Institutions

Emphasize the comparative and international study of political institutions as instruments of collective decision-making and action.

It focuses on the state and on transnational, subnational, and regional political institutions. In this area, we emphasize historical patterns of institutional development in relation to domestic political conflict and the changing contours of international political economy, and patterns of conflict and cooperation among states.

3. Political Economy

Focuses on the relationship between states, markets, and societies.

It addresses the history of the liberal state in the context of the origins and development of markets and capitalism and the historical evolution of national and supranational economies.

It considers the relationships among:

• Production and consumption;
• Political contexts for economic regulation and management;
• and the global and national problems of social welfare, resources, and the environment.

4. Political and Social Forces

Concern the interaction of social forces and political ones, drawing upon the work of scholars focused on social mobilizations and histories.

Accordingly, it focuses on articulating and organizing political interests and identities. It studies the mutual interaction of these interests and identities with structures (states, discourses, public policy, and the law) uniting substantive and theoretical concerns across regional, national, and global politics.

The department also recognizes the importance of informed and critically engaged methodology.

Another required course, Logics of Inquiry-(POLI 201) , investigates approaches to the study of politics and social science enterprise in general. The course works from positivist, interpretive, historical, and critical approaches to provide examples held up to critical and epistemological logic.

(POLI 201) focuses on three related issues:

• How do authors in politics and in related fields convince their readers of the validity of their theories?
• How can the reader distinguish between convincing and unconvincing research?
• How can one design one's own research so that it is as convincing as possible?

In addition to working critically upon and within conventional social science research, the Politics graduate curriculum also ranges beyond its methods, drawing upon cultural studies, historical sociology, and history as they inform the study of politics.

Students in the Politics graduate program also work with faculty in other distinguished departments at UCSC, including: 

• Anthropology ,
• Environmental Studies ,
• Feminist Studies ,
• History of Consciousness ,
• Latin American and Latino Studies ,
• Literature ,
• and Sociology .

Scholars and students in the program emphasize the articulation of important questions prior to the development of methods for grappling with them while recognizing the importance of appropriate methodological tools for doing meaningful political research.

Throughout its history, the department has been strongly committed to undergraduate teaching. The graduate program offers graduate students the opportunity to work closely with faculty and undergraduates as teaching assistants .

Advanced graduate students are also eligible to design and teach their own lower-division Politics courses in the summer session. The Politics Department's faculty is committed to "the teaching of teaching;" it's training of college educators emphasizes the importance of civic education in undergraduate instruction.

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Last modified: November 16, 2023 185.80.149.115

Department of Political Science

The Doctoral Degree

Earn a doctoral degree in political science.

During your first two years, your main goal is preparation for the Ph.D. examination.

You will obtain a substantive background in the discipline through the completion of three graduate courses per quarter.

Coursework (which may continue beyond the second year) includes the following required components:

• Comparative Politics . You must complete the core course POSC 217 and at least three additional courses in the field.
• International Relations . You must complete the core course POSC 216 and at least three additional courses in the field.
• American Politics . You must complete the core course POSC 249 and at least three additional courses in the field.
• Mass Political Behavior . You must complete a core course, either POSC 255 or POSC 256, and at least three additional courses in the field.
• Political Theory . You must complete the core course POSC 212 and at least three additional courses in the field.  
• You must complete the major field requirement . You must satisfy course requirements for the major fields, which require a total of eight graduate courses.  
• You must complete the distribution requirement . You must take one course in each of the three fields of study not selected as your major field.  
• You must complete the depth requirement . You must take three additional graduate courses in any field of study, according to your choice, in consultation with your faculty advisors. With the permission of the graduate advisor, one or more of these courses may be graduate-level courses outside of political science.  
• You must complete the methods requirement . You must complete POSC 201, POSC 202A, and POSC 203 and at least two additional graduate courses in methods The two additional courses may include POSC 202B, 204, 205, 207, 225, or other graduate methods courses. One of these may be from outside the Political Science Department, by permission of the Graduate Advisor.  
• You must complete the research colloquium requirement . You must be enrolled each quarter in POSC 230. You must be enrolled in the course while in residence, until completion of 10 units. Exceptions are only granted by the permission of the graduate advisor.  
• One POSC 290 course may be accepted in lieu of a seminar . This limit may be exceeded by the permission of the graduate advisor if course staffing or scheduling problems require it. All POSC 290 courses must have prior approval of the graduate advisor. A POSC 290 course should only be taken if the material to be covered is not available in a scheduled course.

Qualifying Exam & Prospectus

• You must take the Written Qualifying Examination . You will probably complete your major field course requirements during years one and two. In the fall quarter of year three, you continue to enroll in POSC 230, while also enrolling in POSC 291 (Individual Coordinated Study), designed to aid preparation for the comprehensive examination. Written examinations in the two major fields are normally taken at the end of the fall quarter of the third year. Postponements to this schedule are allowed in exceptional circumstances and all delays in taking comprehensive examinations must be approved by the Graduate Committee.  
• You must complete your oral defense of the prospectus . The winter and spring quarters of year three and all of year four are devoted to Directed Research (POSC 297) to prepare your dissertation prospectus under the direction of the principal advisor; to additional substantive seminars, and to continued participation in POSC 230. The choice of substantive seminars during this time should be made in conjunction with faculty advisors and should usually be applied either to the distribution or depth requirements, although you may also take courses in excess of these requirements. In the spring quarter, you will be advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the oral defense of their dissertation prospectus.  
• General regulations applying to the dissertation and qualifying examinations are found in the Graduate Studies section of the catalog and in other Graduate Division and department publications.

Dissertation Writing

Upon the successful defense of the prospectus, you commence (or continue) work on your dissertation under the supervision of your advisor. While most of your time is devoted to the writing of the dissertation, some students opt to take additional courses related to the dissertation topic.

The normative time to completion of the program is six years (18 quarters). Additional time is provided if circumstances warrant it. Whether circumstances justify additional time is to be determined by the Graduate Committee in cooperation with the thesis advisor.

If you do not complete your degree requirements during this two-year period, you are closely reviewed on a biannual basis. These reviews are provided by the graduate advisor, after consultation with the dissertation advisor. Until completion of the Ph.D. requirements, each review includes targeted amounts of required progress, to be completed prior to the next review. Students who fail to complete their scheduled work are reviewed by the Graduate Program Committee for a recommendation of termination.

Current students can contact the Graduate Advisor for Political Science Marissa Brookes at [email protected]  for further information.

Prospective student can contact the Director of Graduate Admissions for Political Science Paul D'Anieri at [email protected]  for further information.

Department of Political Science - UC Santa Barbara

Graduate program.

The Department of Political Science at UC Santa Barbara offers a distinctive doctoral program. We are known for our specializations in environmental politics and the politics of identity, and students may choose to qualify in either of these as one of their fields of study. Our program is designed for completion in five years, and it includes breadth coursework as well as field specialization. Many of our students take courses in other departments and work in areas that are multi-disciplinary. The program also includes a two-quarter research workshop spanning the second summer, with the goal of producing a paper ready for submission to a journal in the third year.

Our graduate students benefit from an active, engaged faculty, and extensive methodological training. Our program is medium in size, and this facilitates students working closely with a faculty mentor via our apprenticeship model of faculty-student relationships.

We value diversity, equity, and inclusion in our graduate student body, and we encourage students to apply who come from a wide range of backgrounds and lived experiences.  Our aim is to provide the highest quality graduate training in relevant, modern areas, in order to prepare our PhD graduates to go on to academic teaching and research positions, and to non-academic careers in the public and private sectors.

Graduate Advising

Director of Graduate Studies Dr. Chris Parker

Staff Graduate Program Coordinator Alexander Molenaar

Contact Info

Email: [email protected]

Location Ellison Hall 3833

Advising Hours

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday

11:00-12:00 and 3 :00-5:00

and otherwise, by appointment

• Prospective Students
• Program Requirements

Graduate Student Department Resources  

In addition to each student's advisor, two helpful resources are the Faculty Graduate Program Advisor, Chris Parker , and the Staff Graduate Program Coordinator, Alexander Molenaar .

Professor Benjamin J. Cohen serves as the Placement Advisor for graduate students.  His role is to provide guidance to students who are looking for both academic and non-academic jobs.  As students enter the job market, Professor Cohen will help guide students in searching for appropriate jobs and strategies for getting them.  He will also advise on cover letters, CVs, and job talks.

We understand, now more than ever, that students encounter a variety of challenges during their graduate study. In particular, we know that financial issues affect students from time to time, and we have created an emergency loan program that our Political Science graduate students can apply for. Please download the Graduate Student Emergency Fund Application if you are experiencing a financial crisis, and return your application to the staff graduate program advisor .

TA Resources

Teaching Assistant Handbook 2020/21

Childcare Reimbursement Graduate students who are serving as teaching assistants (at 25% or more time) are eligible to participate in a child care reimbursement program. The program allows eligible teaching assistants to receive up to $900 per quarter towards childcare expenses for non-school age dependents.

To receive the reimbursement, TAs must fill out the child care reimbursement form and turn it in, along with childcare receipts, to the staff graduate program advisor. For more information, see the program factsheet .

UAW For information on the UAW you can visit their website , or contact the PSGSA union rep.

Diversity and Inclusion

We have a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. You can read more about this at our Diversity page , which includes links to the rich array of campus resources.

Graduate Student Campus Resources

During this turbulent time of COVID-19, it is more important than ever for our institution to keep our students and local community supported and informed of the resources that are available. Please browse through the resources provided below and feel free to reach out to the staff graduate program advisor if you need any help being connected to resources at any time.

Resources available in light of COVID-19

Housing Resources

Financial Crisis Response Team

2020-21 Graduate Student Resource Packet: Includes information on academic support, health and wellness, community, financial support, food, and many other resources available to graduate students.

Career and Professional Development The Graduate Division wants to provide all graduate students wtih the resources to be successful in securing a satisfying and rewarding career. There are several online resources available through the Career & Professional Development section of their website.

American Political Science Association Resources

In addition, to listing available academic positions, APSA provides resources for individuals who are on or preparing to be on the job market. To see more, visit the APSA website . Resouces include: mentoring opportunities, questions to be prepared to answer as a job candidate, and other career resources.

Graduate Program Profile 2013 Program Profile (pdf)

Alumni and current students are invited to connect with one another through the MA/PhD LinkedIn group.

Department of Political Science

Welcome to political science.

Welcome to the Department of Political Science at California State University, Northridge. Our department hosts a highly distinguished group of faculty with varied expertise and significant research and publishing records. We also offer a rich curriculum in which most aspects of the discipline and areas of the globe are covered. Given the depth of our faculty's expertise and the range of the courses we offer, our strengths lie in the areas of American politics, international relations, comparative politics, political theory, and public law.

The department's accomplishments are not limited to its faculty. Our students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels are also regularly invited to present their papers at national or regional conferences. The department's Model United Nations Program is one of the most successful in the nation and has consistently been recognized for its outstanding achievements. In addition to a variety of internships and community service opportunities, the department also offers a unique Judicial Internship in which a select number of students from across the campus are placed as interns with judges in local courts.

The Department offers three areas of concentration: an option in Politics and Government , an option in Public Policy and Management , and an option in Law and Society . Each of these are designed to better prepare students for specific career goals in mind.

Program Concentration Options

The Politics and Government option gives our students broad training in political science and is especially useful in preparation for the further study of the discipline at the graduate level. This option will also accommodate students wishing to enter public service or who are interested in public administration or law school. This is also the most flexible to graduate, allowing for students to take both public policy and management as well as law courses to fulfill the major requirements.

Those wishing to enter public service or are interested in the study of public administration at the graduate level will greatly benefit from the Public Policy and Management option.

The Law and Society option is designed for those students with an interest in attending law school after graduating from CSUN.

Bachelor's Programs

Politics & Government

Public Policy & Management

Law & Society

Master's programs.

American Politics

Global Politics

Department chair.

Dr. Keiko Hirata

Sierra Hall 210 18111 Nordhoff St. Northridge, CA 91330-8332

• Phone: (818) 677-3488