The Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science degree program is designed to provide students with the in-depth knowledge of domestic and international politics and analytical skills required for careers in academia, the public sector, or private enterprise. Concentrations of study include American politics, comparative politics, political philosophy, public policy, world politics, and methods. Students may,within limits, design a second field relevant to their own interests and career objectives or choose from the existing fields.

Requirements. The basic requirements for the Ph.D. degree in political science are:

1. A minimum of 72 units of graduate-level coursework:
   1. A two-course sequence in statistics and approaches to the field that fulfills the institutional requirement for one research tool (8 units).
   2. Demonstration of competence in a second research tool relevant to the student’s areas of study, such as an approved foreign language, advanced statistics, econometrics, or game theory (4 units).
   3. A 6-course sequence in each of two fields, a sequence that accords with the requirements set by the fields. (48 units).
2. Successful completion of the written qualifying examinations in each of two major fields. Qualifying examinations are offered once in the fall and the spring semesters. An oral examination, if required, will be administered within two weeks of the written examination.
3. Successful completion of the dissertation. The process begins with the preparation of a dissertation proposal, which must be defended by the student and approved by a three-person faculty committee. The final draft of the dissertation must be approved by the dissertation committee, and then orally defended in an open public forum.

Transdisciplinary Course Requirement. All students who enter the doctoral program are required to complete the transdisciplinary course requirement within the first two years of their program. For details on the requirement, see the “Doctor of Philosophy Degree ” section in this Bulletin.

Minimum GPA. A student must maintain a minimum of a B average (3.0) to remain in good standing within the Department of Politics and Policy. Falling below this level is grounds for terminating a student’s enrollment after 24 units of coursework. A Ph.D. candidate will not be permitted to take the Ph.D. qualifying exam if he or she does not have at least a B average.