School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
Graduate Programs in Political Science
Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science
75 semester credit hours minimum beyond the baccalaureate degree
Faculty
Professors: Patrick T. Brandt, Thomas L. Brunell, Harold D. Clarke, Paul Diehl, Euel W. Elliott, Edward J. Harpham, Jennifer S. Holmes, Robert C. Lowry, Clint W. Peinhardt, Marianne C. Stewart
Associate Professors: Jonas Bunte, Vito D'Orazio, Banks P. Miller
Assistant Professors: Rebecca Cordell, Thomas Gray, Lauren Santoro
Professors Emeriti: Anthony M. Champagne, Todd Sandler
Associate Professor of Instruction: Karl K. Ho
Mission Statement
The Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science provides a rigorous, disciplinary program with strong multidisciplinary links. The Program consists of innovative, state-of-the-science graduate education in political methodology and the fields of Comparative Politics and International Relations; Law and Courts; and Political Institutions and American Politics. In the first two years of the program, students acquire research skills and tools, work on research projects, and acquaint themselves with professional norms in the discipline. Later, they have opportunities to develop their instructional and presentation skills and to conduct research answering an important question (or questions) in the field. Throughout, emphasis is placed on preparing students for life after graduate school in academia, government, or industry.
Objectives
- Students will demonstrate the ability to apply political science and other social scientific theories to research questions.
- Students will develop the ability to apply advanced methodological training in understanding important political and social questions.
- Students will develop advanced skills in professional communication appropriate for presentation to professional audiences in academia, government, or industry.
Facilities
Students have access to the computing faculties in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences and the University's computer labs. The school has four computing laboratories which house 24-30 computers each that are network linked and equipped with major social science software packages, including EViews, R, RATS, SPSS and Stata. A geographic information system, the LexisNexis database, and Westlaw are also available for student use. The University's computer labs provide personal computers and UNIX workstations. Many important data and reference materials are also available online via the library and the school's memberships in numerous organizations.
Admission Requirements
The University's general admission requirements are discussed on the Graduate Admission page.
Although applications will be reviewed holistically, in general, the Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science Program seeks applications from students with at least a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education. An undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.2 and a combined quantitative and verbal Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score of 310 are desirable. Standardized test scores are only one of the factors taken into account in determining admission. Applicants should submit all transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and a one-page essay describing educational and professional objectives.
Prerequisites:
While there are no specific course prerequisites, entering students will benefit from exposure to undergraduate courses in economics, political science, sociology, calculus, statistics, and research design.
Degree Requirements
The University's general degree requirements are discussed on the Graduate Policies and Procedures page.
The PhD in Political Science requires a minimum of 75 post-baccalaureate graduate semester credit hours. Full-time students can complete the degree in an average of 5 years. Students must receive a grade of B or better in all core courses and must maintain at least a 3.2 grade point average to graduate. If placed on probation, students will have one semester to bring their cumulative grade point average to a 3.0 or greater.
Semester Credit Hour Requirements
Students must complete the following:
- 18 semester credit hours of core courses
- Courses in Major Field: 12 semester credit hours
- Courses in Minor Field: 6 semester credit hours
- Core exam
- Field exam
- PSCI 8381 Research Seminar in Political Science (3 semester credit hours)
- Research Methods: 6 additional hours
- Electives: at least 12 semester credit hours
- Matriculation to the dissertation phase
- Successful completion of a dissertation
- Successful completion of 75 semester credit hours
The requirements are outlined in further detail below.
I. Core Courses (18 semester credit hours)
Core semester credit hours include three courses in Political Science methodology and theory, and three proseminars in the program fields.
PSCI 6350 Logic, Methodology, and Scope of Political Science
Methodology (6 semester credit hours)
One of the following sequences:
EPPS 6313 Introduction to Quantitative Methods
and EPPS 6316 Applied Regression
or
EPPS 7313 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
and EPPS 7316 Regression and Multivariate Analysis
Three of the following four: (9 semester credit hours)
PSCI 6321 Proseminar in Comparative Politics
PSCI 6319 Proseminar in International Relations
PSCI 6311 Proseminar in Law and Courts
PSCI 6347 Proseminar in Political Institutions and American Politics
II. Major and Minor Field Courses (18 semester credit hours)
The field coursework consists of four courses (12 semester credit hours) taken in the student's chosen major filed and two course taken (6 semester credit hours) in the student's chosen minor filed for a total of 18 semester credit hours of coursework. Students may select their major and minors from the following fields: Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Institutions and American Politics, or Law and Courts.
Comparative Politics
PPPE 6319 Political Economy of MNCs
PSCI 6305 Workshop in Constitutional Law Studies
PSCI 6306 Human Rights and International Law
PSCI 6335 Institutions and Development
PSCI 6337 Comparative Institutions
PSCI 6342 Comparative Courts and Law
PSCI 6352 Empirical Democratic Theory
PSCI 6361 Civil Conflict
PSCI 6362 Political Development
PSCI 6363 Conflict and Development
PSCI 6365 U.S. and International Asylum and Refugee Law
PSCI 6374 U.S. Global Security and Public Opinion
PSCI 7313 Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency
PSCI 7318 Conflict Management
PSCI 7350 Institutions and Citizen Behavior
International Relations
PPPE 6319 Political Economy of MNCs
PSCI 6306 Human Rights and International Law
PSCI 6309 International Political Economy
PSCI 6316 International Organizations
PSCI 6358 Refugee and Migration Policy
PSCI 6361 Civil Conflict
PSCI 6365 U.S. and International Asylum and Refugee Law
PSCI 6374 U.S. Global Security and Public Opinion
PSCI 7313 Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency
PSCI 7318 Conflict Management
PSCI 7330 International Conflict
PSCI 7335 Theories of International Relations
Political Institutions and American Politics
PSCI 6301 Constitutional Law
PSCI 6323 Public Choice
PSCI 6324 Local and State Government and Politics
PSCI 6330 Campaigns and Elections
PSCI 6331 Executives, Legislatures and Public Policy
PSCI 6333 Political and Civic Organizations
PSCI 6337 Comparative Institutions
PSCI 6339 Election Law and Electoral Systems
PSCI 6343 Law and the Policy Process
PSCI 6352 Empirical Democratic Theory
PSCI 7350 Institutions and Citizen Behavior
Law and Courts
PSCI 6301 Constitutional Law
PSCI 6305 Workshop in Constitutional Law Studies
PSCI 6306 Human Rights and International Law
PSCI 6339 Election Law and Electoral Systems
PSCI 6342 Comparative Courts and Law
PSCI 6343 Law and the Policy Process
PSCI 6365 U.S. and International Asylum and Refugee Law
PPPE 6366 Law and Development
With approval of the Director of Graduate Studies or Program Head, other classes may be substituted for field courses.
III. Optional Concentration in Research Methods (12 semester credit hours)
In addition to major and minor field concentrations, students who have completed EPPS 7313 and EPPS 7316 can complete a concentration in research methods by taking four courses from the following list of research methods classes.
IV. Research Methods (6 hours)
Students must take two of the following classes:
ECON 6306 Applied Econometrics
ECON 6309 Econometrics I
ECON 6316 Spatial Econometrics
ECON 6320 Game Theory for the Social Sciences
ECON 6380 Experimental Economics I
ECON 7309 Econometrics II
ECON 7315 Econometrics III
ECON 7316 Game Theory
EPPS 6324 Data Management for Social Science Research
EPPS 6346 Qualitative Research Orientation
EPPS 6352 Evaluation Research Methods in the Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
EPPS 7304 Cost-Benefit Analysis
EPPS 7318 Structural Equation and Multilevel (Hierarchical) Modeling
EPPS 7344 Categorical and Limited Dependent Variables
EPPS 7370 Time Series Analysis I
EPPS 7371 Time Series Analysis II
EPPS 7390 Bayesian Analysis for Social and Behavioral Sciences
EPPS 7386 Survey Research
GISC 5322 (GEOS 5322) GPS (Global Positioning System) Satellite Surveying Techniques
GISC 5324 (GEOS 5324) 3D Data Capture and Ground Lidar
GISC 6301 GIS Data Analysis Fundamentals
GISC 6363 Internet Mapping and Information Processing
GISC 6384 (GEOS 6384) Advanced Geographic Information Systems
GISC 6385 (GEOS 6385) GIS Theories, Models and Issues
GISC 6388 Advanced GIS Programming
GISC 7310 Advanced GIS Data Analysis
GISC 7360 GIS Pattern Analysis
GISC 7361 Spatial Statistics
GISC 7365 (GEOS 5326) Advanced Remote Sensing
PPPE 6310 Research Design I
PPPE 6342 Research Design II
PPPE 6V91 Evaluation Research (Field Practice) (6 semester credit hours)1
PSCI 6364 Public Opinion and Survey Research
PSCI 6374 U.S. Global Security and Public Opinion
PSCI 7372 Game Theory for Political Scientists
Other courses as approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Program Head.
V. Core and Field Exams
To advance to the dissertation stage of the program, students must pass both core and field exams. The core exam is taken at the first scheduled opportunity once students have completed the relevant core classes. The field exam consists of a field paper and an oral examination.
VI. Additional Coursework (12 semester credit hours minimum)
Students must take at least 12 semester credit hours of additional coursework.
VII. Research Seminar (3 semester credit hours)
After the core and field exams have been successfully completed, students are required to enroll in PSCI 8381 Research Seminar in Political Science or in an independent study with their likely chair to develop their dissertation prospectus. Full-time students should defend their dissertation prospectus prior to the start of their 4th year.
VIII. Electives and Dissertation Hours (variable semester credit hours)
In order to fulfill the 75 semester credit hour PhD requirement, students should enroll in a combination of additional electives and dissertation hours (PSCI 8V99 Dissertation or Practicum). Students may not enroll in dissertation hours before they have successfully defended a dissertation proposal. No more than 6 semester credit hours of independent study (PSCI 7V83) may be taken, unless approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Program Head.
IX. Dissertation
There are two possible options of dissertation format. One is the "book-length" format. Another option is the "three-paper" dissertation, which consists of three papers that may or may not be thematically related. The submission of an approved dissertation will complete the course of study for the PhD degree in Political Science. The procedure for approval of the dissertation is outlined in the UT Dallas Graduate Catalog.
Master of Arts in Political Science
30 semester credit hours minimum
Faculty
Professors: Patrick T. Brandt, Thomas L. Brunell, Harold D. Clarke, Paul Diehl, Euel W. Elliott, Edward J. Harpham, Jennifer S. Holmes, Robert C. Lowry, Clint W. Peinhardt, Marianne C. Stewart
Associate Professor: Vito D'Orazio, Banks P. Miller
Assistant Professors: Rebecca Cordell, Thomas Gray, Lauren Santoro
Professor Emeritus: Anthony M. Champagne
Associate Professor of Instruction: Karl K. Ho
Mission
The mission of the Master of Arts in Political Science (MAPS) degree is to offer advanced instruction in the social science literature and theories about politics, citizenship and governance. We offer two optional concentrations. Students who want an intellectually rigorous legal education as preparation for law school, for more advanced graduate learning, or for law-related careers in teaching, journalism, government, policy-making, or the private sector, can pursue the Law and Courts optional concentration to obtain the reasoning and analytic skills necessary to understand the technical rules of law, legal practices and policies, and law more generally as a social phenomenon. Students interested in positions as legislative staff, political consultants, or other careers in professional politics, should pursue the legislative studies option concentration to advance their knowledge of legislative processes and the role that legislatures play at the local, state, and national levels of government.
Objectives
Students in the Master of Arts in Political Science program will:
- Develop a competency in one of the fields of Comparative Politics and International Relations; Political Institutions and American Politics; or Law and Courts.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply political science theories and concepts to the study of citizenship, governance and politics.
- Develop competency in analysis, evaluation, and research design relevant to political science research and analysis.
Law and Courts concentration
- Acquire detailed knowledge of the role of the judicial system in the evolution of public policy in the United States.
Legislative studies concentration
- Demonstrate proficiency in skills required for at least one position in the practice of politics by successfully completing an internship.
Facilities
Students have access to the computing facilities in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences and the University's computer labs. The school has four computing laboratories that have 24-30 computers that are network linked and equipped with major social science software packages, including EViews, R, RATS, SPSS, and Stata. A geographic information system, the LexisNexis database, and Westlaw are also available for student use. The University's computer labs provide personal computers and UNIX workstations. Many important data and reference materials are available online via the library and the school's memberships in numerous organizations.
Admissions Requirement
The University's general admission requirements are discussed on the Graduate Admission page.
The Master of Arts in Political Science seeks applications from students with a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education. Although applications will be reviewed holistically, in general, entering students have earned a 3.0 undergraduate grade point average (on a 4.0 scale), and a combined verbal and quantitative score of at least 300 on the Graduate Records Examination (GRE). Standardized test scores are only one of the factors taken into account in determining admission. Applicants should also submit all transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and a one-page essay outlining the applicant's background, education, and professional objectives.
Prerequisites
While there are no specific course prerequisites, entering students will benefit from exposure to undergraduate courses in the economics, political sciences, sociology, college algebra, statistics, public policy, and research design. In cases where undergraduate preparation is not adequate, students may be required to take additional course work before starting the master's program.
Degree Requirements
The University's general degree requirements are discussed on the Graduate Policies and Procedures page.
Students seeking a Master of Arts in Political Science must complete at least 30 semester credit hours of work in the program, must receive a grade of B- or better in all required courses, and must maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average to graduate. The program has two optional specialized concentrations: law and courts, and legislative studies.
Required Courses: 6 semester credit hours
PSCI 6350 Logic, Methodology, and Scope of Political Science
EPPS 6313 Introduction to Quantitative Methods
or EPPS 7313 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
All students should complete the core courses as soon as possible.
General Political Science Majors: 24 semester credit hours
Prescribed Electives: 9 semester credit hours
Choose three of the following:
PSCI 6321 Proseminar in Comparative Politics
PSCI 6319 Proseminar in International Relations
PSCI 6311 Proseminar in Law and Courts
PSCI 6347 Proseminar in Political Institutions and American Politics
Field Courses: 6 semester credit hours
Choose two additional courses at the 6000 or 7000 level in one of the following fields:
Comparative Politics
PPPE 6319 Political Economy of MNCs
PSCI 6305 Workshop in Constitutional Law Studies
PSCI 6306 Human Rights and International Law
PSCI 6335 Institutions and Development
PSCI 6337 Comparative Institutions
PSCI 6342 Comparative Courts and Law
PSCI 6352 Empirical Democratic Theory
PSCI 6361 Civil Conflict
PSCI 6362 Political Development
PSCI 6363 Conflict and Development
PSCI 6365 U.S. and International Asylum and Refugee Law
PSCI 6374 U.S. Global Security and Public Opinion
PSCI 7313 Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency
PSCI 7318 Conflict Management
PSCI 7350 Institutions and Citizen Behavior
International Relations
PPPE 6319 Political Economy of MNCs
PSCI 6306 Human Rights and International Law
PSCI 6309 International Political Economy
PSCI 6316 International Organizations
PSCI 6358 Refugee and Migration Policy
PSCI 6361 Civil Conflict
PSCI 6365 U.S. and International Asylum and Refugee Law
PSCI 7313 Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency
PSCI 7318 Conflict Management
PSCI 7330 International Conflict
PSCI 7335 Theories of International Relations
Political Institutions and American Politics
PSCI 6301 Constitutional Law
PSCI 6323 Public Choice
PSCI 6324 Local and State Government and Politics
PSCI 6330 Campaigns and Elections
PSCI 6331 Executives, Legislatures and Public Policy
PSCI 6333 Political and Civic Organizations
PSCI 6337 Comparative Institutions
PSCI 6339 Election Law and Electoral Systems
PSCI 6343 Law and the Policy Process
PSCI 6352 Empirical Democratic Theory
PSCI 7350 Institutions and Citizen Behavior
Law and Courts
PSCI 6301 Constitutional Law
PSCI 6305 Workshop in Constitutional Law Studies
PSCI 6306 Human Rights and International Law
PSCI 6339 Election Law and Electoral Systems
PSCI 6342 Comparative Courts and Law
PSCI 6343 Law and the Policy Process
PSCI 6365 U.S. and International Asylum and Refugee Law
PPPE 6366 Law and Development
Other field courses as approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Program Head.
Free Electives: 9 semester credit hours
Three additional political science courses at the 6000 or 7000 level, or EPPS methods courses offered throughout the School, or internship. Students may write an optional thesis by registering for three semester credit hours of independent study.
Law and Courts Concentration: 24 semester credit hours
Required Course: 3 semester credit hours
PSCI 6301 Constitutional Law
or PSCI 6311 Proseminar in Law and Courts
Prescribed Electives: 21 semester credit hours
Choose seven courses from the following:
EPPS 6316 Applied Regression
or EPPS 7316 Regression and Multivariate Analysis
PPPE 6366 Law and Development
PSCI 6304 Internship in Constitutional Law Studies
PSCI 6305 Workshop in Constitutional Law Studies
PSCI 6306 Human Rights and International Law
PSCI 6331 Executives, Legislatures and Public Policy
PSCI 6339 Election Law and Electoral Systems
PSCI 6342 Comparative Courts and Law
PSCI 6343 Law and the Policy Process
PSCI 6365 U.S. and International Asylum and Refugee Law
PSCI 6301 Constitutional Law
PSCI 6311 Proseminar in Law and Courts
Other field courses as approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Program Head.
Legislative Studies Concentration: 24 semester credit hours
Required Course: 3 semester credit hours
PSCI 6347 Proseminar in Political Institutions and American Politics
Prescribed Electives: 9 semester credit hours
Choose three courses from the following:
EPPS 6316 Applied Regression
or EPPS 7316 Regression and Multivariate Analysis
EPPS 7386 Survey Research
PSCI 6324 Local and State Government and Politics
PSCI 6330 Campaigns and Elections
PSCI 6331 Executives, Legislatures and Public Policy
PSCI 6333 Political and Civic Organizations
PSCI 6339 Election Law and Electoral Systems
PSCI 6341 Texas Legislative Process
PSCI 6343 Law and the Policy Process
PSCI 6352 Empirical Democratic Theory
PSCI 7350 Institutions and Citizen Behavior
PSCI 6364 Public Opinion and Survey Research
Other courses as approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Program Head.
Free Electives: 6 semester credit hours
Two additional courses at the 6000-level or above offered by programs in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, subject to approval by the Director of Graduate Studies or Program Head. These may include additional courses from the list above.
Internship: 6 semester credit hours
PSCI 6V42 Legislative Affairs Internship (6 semester credit hours total; can be spread over more than one semester). Internships can be done in Austin, TX or Washington, D.C., or with another state or local government agency or political organization.
1. This is a two-semester long program evaluation project that culminates in a final report.