Graduate Program - Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science
For the doctoral degree, the program of study includes at least 51 hours of graduate course work, exclusive of the comprehensive examination (PS9970) and dissertation research (PS9090). Up to 24 hours of courses from a student's master's program (at Missouri or elsewhere) may be counted toward the doctoral degree, at the discretion of the student's doctoral committee. The doctoral degree requires a minimum of 72 hours of course credit including research hours through the dissertation defense. All master's students must take the following courses:
- PS7000 Introductory Statistics for Political Science (3 hours),
- PS7010 Computing Methods (a one hour lab), and
- PS9000 Scope and Methods (3 hours).
At least forty-two hours of the program must be graduate seminars, that is, 400-level courses.
Doctoral students must identify a primary and a secondary field among the four areas of study in the Department of Political Science:
- American Politics,
- Comparative Politics,
- International Relations, and
- Public Policy and Administration.
A student must take at least twelve hours of graduate seminars in the primary field, and at least nine hours of graduate seminar in the secondary field. Each student must also select an outside field, including a minimum of six hours of courses outside of the Department of Political Science. Each student must also complete a minimum of 15 hours in research and methodology courses, described below. Other courses in elective political science fields may be included to meet the minimum number of hours. During the second semester, a student selects an advisor and a four-person faculty committee that advises the student, approves a program of study, and prepares and monitors a written and oral comprehensive examination.
Faculty represent the primary, secondary, outside, and methods fields. During the second semester, the student's doctoral committee meets in a planning session with the student to prepare a program of study, outlining courses for the student during the doctoral program. Subsequent meetings of the doctoral committee may be held to assist in developing the student's program of study, but the doctoral student also meets with faculty individually for guidance and preparation for the comprehensive examination.
After a student passes the comprehensive examination, a four-member doctoral committee supervises dissertation research and the oral defense of the dissertation. The Graduate School administers residency requirements and other University rules. The Graduate Catalog of the University of Missouri outlines regulations that apply to all MU graduate students.
The outside field consists of six hours of substantive course work outside political science that is related to the student's dissertation proposal and general research interests. This work does not have to be concentrated in a single discipline. Many students take courses in disciplines such as economics, statistics, law, history, philosophy, management, public affairs, or journalism to fulfill this requirement.