Study Political Science’s Major Subfields
In American Politics, faculty and students conduct research on voting behavior, political institutions, public opinion, urban politics and their intersection with race, gender, and income.
In Comparative Politics, faculty specialize in the politics of Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Special attention is given to authoritarian stabiliy and democratization, political economy, the development of the state, and political parties.
In International Relations, faculty and students study world politics, international security, international political economy, political violence and civil war, and international organizations.
Our program emphasizes political questions of social and economic inequality – globalization, identity politics and social movements – throughout the curriculum. Our courses in Political Theory examine democratic and normative political theories.
Program Overview
The terminal MA program gives you a broad education in the general field of political science. MA students also have the option to develop technical skills by completing the political science department’s graduate methods sequence. MA students typically apply their degree toward careers in the private or public sector, while other proceed to PhD programs to pursue their academic interests.
The PhD program prepares students for careers in both academic and non-academic positions. We train our students to become successful scholars and teachers. PhD students complete the MA program requirements, take additional courses that help them specialize in particular fields of study and complete a methods sequence. Many of our PhDs pursue a career in academia, but some of our graduates also successfully apply their political science training to non-academic careers. You can view a list of PhD placements.
