Political Science, Ph.D.
Learn research skills and develop your own research agenda.
About the Ph.D. in Political Science
The Department of Political Science in the College of Liberal Arts offers the Ph.D. in Political Science. It is designed to prepare students for careers in university-level teaching and research. Students select a major and minor field from
- American politics
- Comparative politics
- International relations
- Political science methods
Students learn research skills and have opportunities to develop their own research agendas. Doctoral students must take at least three research tool courses, at least two of which must be quantitatively-oriented. In addition to research papers for seminar classes, faculty often encourage students to join them on collaborative research projects outside the classroom.
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Program Information
Degree
Ph.D. in Political Science
Required Credit Hours
54 hours
Program Type
Doctorate Program
Program Location
School
Graduate Program Coordinator
Thank you for your interest in a graduate degree in Political Science from the University of Mississippi. We are an empirically focused department with strengths across American Politics, Comparative Politics and International Relations. Our program is small be design, emphasizing hands-on training and research opportunities for students. Our training prepares graduates for a range of careers in academia, as well as government, NGOs and the private sector.
Benjamin Thomas Jones
Associate Professor of Political Science and Graduate Program Coordinator
Ph.D. in Political Science Program Details
Get the details on the Ph.D. in Political Science—how to apply, what classes you'll take, opportunities offered through graduate assistantships, and the research support available to you.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 1
The Department of Political Science welcomes student applications with the following materials. Additional details are found on the department website.
- Complete the Graduate School’s Online Application.
- Pay the application fee ($60).
- Submit official transcripts. International applicants whose first language is not English may be required to submit scores from an acceptable English language proficiency test.
- Upload Supplemental Application materials for the Department of Political Science to the link provided by the online application.
- Statement of purpose: 2-page document describing your interests in political science, selection of a major field (American politics, comparative politics, or international relations), and career goals;
- Writing Sample: substantial piece of work that highlight your best writing and analytical skills;
- Three letters of recommendation: provide contact information for three recommenders
Under special circumstances, we will consider Spring admissions (October 15th deadline). In most cases, this requires having a master’s degree.
Ph.D. students receive competitive stipends. Doctoral students are eligible for numerous forms of financial assistance, including graduate assistantships (which require assisting faculty with teaching or research) and honors fellowships. Graduate assistantships automatically receive a scholarship that covers some or all of the tuition and non-residency fee, if applicable, for regular semesters and subsidized health insurance.
The Graduate School’s financial aid webpage lists a variety of funding possibilities, including summer support and a recruiting fellowship program that promotes academic excellence and access to graduate education to groups who are historically underrepresented.
Political Science Scholarships
Alumni and friends of the Department of Political Science have given support for graduate students. There is no separate application for these funds. Visit the department website to learn more about these graduate scholarships.
A student enrolled in the doctoral program will be admitted to candidacy when the following requirements have been satisfied: (1) a minimum of 54 semester hours of graduate-level course work in political science have been completed, including course work for the M.A. (done at The University of Mississippi or elsewhere), but excluding credit for the thesis or internship; (2) the methodology requirement has been met; and (3) the written and oral portions of the comprehensive examination have been passed. Each student working for the Ph.D. is required to complete three semesters of methods/tools courses, including Pol 550, Pol 551, and Pol 552.
Each student working for the Ph.D. is required to take a comprehensive examination consisting of two parts, one written and one oral. The written examination shall cover both the student’s major field and minor field. The oral portion of the examination will be a rigorous, comprehensive test of the student’s knowledge of the discipline of political science with special emphasis on the selected subfields.
Both a dissertation prospectus and a dissertation exhibiting original research and demonstrating mature scholarship and critical judgment, as well as familiarity with the tools and methods of research, are required.
Students in the Department of Political Science have access to a number of resources on campus to support their research, including
- John Davis Williams Library (U.S. Government Documents Regional Depository)
- Grisham Law Library (with LEXIS and WESTLAW facilities)
- The Center for the Study of Southern Culture
- The Mississippi Center for Supercomputing Research
- Social Science Research Laboratory
As a member of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, the University provides access to ICPSR’s data archives and opportunities for advanced study in political methodology for faculty and students.
Video: Get to Know the Department of Political Science
Hear firsthand from students, faculty, and staff about the Political Science program.
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