Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in the field of Political Science
Program Learning Outcomes for the MA and PhD Degrees in the field of Political Science
Upon completing the MA and PhD degrees in the field of Political Science, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge of theoretical and empirical research in two of the following three sub-fields of Political Science: American politics, comparative politics, and international relations.
- Apply social science research design and methodologies, including advanced statistical techniques.
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate their research effectively through multiple mediums including scholarly writing, oral presentation, and poster sessions.
- Demonstrate their competence as political scientists through research, teaching, and professional development activities.
Requirements for the MA and PhD Degrees in the field of Political Science
MA Degree Program
The MA degree is a non-thesis master’s degree. For general university requirements, please see Non-Thesis Master's Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students. The Master of Arts degree requires 30 semester hours of coursework, all of which must be taken at the graduate level (500-level or above except with permission of the Director of Graduate Studies), and the completion of two research papers in seminars taken over the course of study. A minimum GPA of 3.00 is required for awarding the MA degree.
The Political Science Department requires that not more than 3 years elapse between the time the student is admitted to the graduate program and the completion of the MA degree, unless an extension is approved by the Graduate Studies Committee.
Students pursuing the PhD degree in the field of Political Science have the opportunity to also earn a Master of Arts (MA) degree in the field of Statistics. For additional information, see the Opportunities tab.
The requirements listed in the General Announcements (GA) satisfy the minimum requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses (or requirements) not officially listed here may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor or, where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions or any exceptions to the stated official curricular requirements must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the MA Degree in the field of Political Science | 30 | |
Requirements for the PhD Degree in the field of Political Science
PhD Degree Program
For general university requirements, please see Doctoral Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students.
The requirements listed in the General Announcements (GA) satisfy the minimum requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses (or requirements) not officially listed here may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor or, where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions or any exceptions to the stated official curricular requirements must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the PhD Degree in the field of Political Science | 90 | |
Coursework
A student must complete successfully 54 credit hours of advanced coursework. This must include the core courses in each of 3 fields, 3 courses beyond the core in the major field, 2 courses beyond the core in the minor field, POLI 500, POLI 502, POLI 506, POLI 511, and 1 additional course that meets the research tools requirement.
Exams
A student must pass two Preliminary Examinations (a general exam in the major field and a predissertation exam), a thesis prospectus defense, and a thesis defense.
Maintenance of Good Academic Standing
A student must remain in good academic standing with the university and with the department. Remaining in good academic standing with the department requires a GPA of at least 3.33, satisfactory evaluations for work as a research and/or teaching mentee, and satisfactory participation in professional development activities.
Policies for the PhD Degree in the field of Political Science
Department of Political Science Graduate Program Handbook
The General Announcements (GA) is the official Rice curriculum. As an additional resource for students, the department of Political Science publishes a graduate program handbook, which can be found here: https://gradhandbooks.rice.edu/2024_25/Political_Science_Graduate_Handbook.pdf.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content) and by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS). Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Political Science website: https://politicalscience.rice.edu/.
Opportunities for the PhD Degree in the field of Political Science
Requirements for the Coordinated PhD/MA Degree Program in Political Science and Statistics
The coordinated PhD/MA requires that a student fulfill all requirements for the PhD program in Political Science and satisfy the general university requirements for residency and total hours to receive a second non-thesis Master of Arts (MA) degree. The Statistics MA degree shall not be conferred prior to conferral of the PhD in Political Science. No course may count for credit for both MA degrees; however, POLI 502, POLI 504, POLI 505, POLI 506, POLI 507, and POLI 511 will continue to count toward the hours required for a PhD degree in Political Science when used to fulfill the requirements for this MA in Statistics.
To earn a non-thesis Master of Arts (MA) in the field of Statistics, students in the PhD program in Political Science must:
- Complete the form Plan of Study: Non-thesis MA, Joint PhD-MA in Political Science and Statistics, obtain all required signatures, including that of the Director of Graduate Studies in both the Department of Statistics and the Department of Political Science (or another person designated, respectively, by the chairpersons of these departments), and file that form with the home department.
- Earn a minimum grade of B+ (3.33 grade points) or above in four courses in statistical methodology in the Political Science department, which must include four of the following six courses: POLI 502, POLI 504, POLI 505, POLI 506, POLI 507, or POLI 511.
- Earn a minimum grade of B (3.00 grade points) or above in each of six courses from the Department of Statistics. Four of these courses must be STAT 605, STAT 518, STAT 519, and STAT 615. The remaining two elective courses may be selected among any other graduate-level (500-level or above) coursework in STAT, subject to the approval by the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Statistics (or another person designated by the chairperson of the Statistics department). Courses that are jointly listed between two departments (cross-listed) are counted as a course in the home department.
- Complete a major project that has strong statistical content and have the project approved by the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Statistics (or another person designated by the chairperson of the Statistics department), prior to conferral of the MA degree, by obtaining the appropriate signature on section 2 of the (previously filed) form: Plan of Study: Non-thesis MA, Joint PhD-MA in Political Science and Statistics.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Political Science website: https://politicalscience.rice.edu/.