A. Coursework Requirements
B. Guidance Committee and Program of Study
C. Evaluation for Continuation in the Program
D. Comprehensive Field Examinations
E. Dissertation Topic, Advisor, Committee, and Proposal
F. Doctoral Dissertation
G. Job Placement
Complete information about the Ph.D. Program in Political Science at Michigan
State University is contained in the 2005-2006 Graduate Program Handbook.
A. Coursework Requirements
The Ph.D. program requires that students take a minimum of 39 semester credits
in coursework (which usually means at least 13 semester courses). The program
has the following general course requirements:
- Research Methods - three semester courses (9 credits)
- political Philosophy - one semester course (3 credits)
- Formal Theory - one semester course (3 credits)
- Major Field - four semester courses (12 credits)
- Minor Field - three semester courses (9 credits)
- Elective - one semester course (3 credits)
- 1. Required Core Courses in Research Methods,
Political Thought, and Formal Theory
Students are required to take the following five courses: - PLS 800: Proseminar in Research Methods (Fall Semester)
- PLS 801: Quantitative Techniques in Political Science I (Fall Semester)
- PLS 802: Quantitative Techniques in Political Science II (Spring Semester)
- PLS 803: Proseminar in Political Philosophy (Spring Semester)
- PLS 809: Proseminar in Formal Theory (Spring Semester)
- These five courses will give students an introduction to the fundamental theories and methods of political science research. As such, they are core requirements of the Ph.D. program in Political Science at Michigan State University.
- 2. Major and Minor Field Designations and
Requirements
The Ph.D. curriculum of the Department is divided into seven fields: American Politics, Comparative Politics, Positive Political (Formal) Theory, International Relations, Political Thought, Public Policy and Administration, and Research Methods. - Students can choose one of the following four areas for a major field specialization:
- American Politics
- Political Philosophy
- Comparative Politics
- International Relations
- In order to satisfy the major field requirements, students must successfully complete at east four courses in the area— one of which must be the mandatory proseminar in that field.
- Students can choose one of the following seven areas for a minor field specialization:
- American Politics
- Political Philosophy
- Comparative Politics
- International Relations
- Public Policy
- Research Methods
- Formal Theory
- In order to satisfy the minor field requirement,
students must successfully complete at least three courses in the
area— one of which must be the mandatory proseminar in that
field. Students with a Minor Field in Research Methods must take at
least two Methods courses (either from inside or outside the Political
Science Department) beyond PLS 800, PLS 801, and PLS 802. Students
may use summer coursework in quantitative methods at the Inter-university
Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University
of Michigan in Ann Arbor to fulfill their Methods field requirement.
Minor fields can also be specifically designed by faculty guidance committees to meet the interests and needs of particular students. Any individualized-designed minor fields must be approved by the Department’s Graduate Studies Committee.
Proseminars are specifically designed to give students an introduction to the literature, theoretical problems, and methodological directions of each field. The proseminars within each field are:
- Research Methods
- PLS 800 Proseminar in Research Methods
- PLS 801 Quantitative Techniques in Political Science I
- PLS 802 Quantitative Techniques in Political Science II
- Political Philosophy
- PLS 870 Proseminar in Political Thought
- Formal Theory
- PLS 884 Proseminar in Political Institutions and Public Choice
- Public Policy
- PLS 811 Proseminar in Public Policy
- American Politics
- PLS 820 Proseminar in American Politics
- Comparative Politics
- PLS 850 Proseminar in Comparative Politics
- International Relations
- PLS 860 Proseminar in International Relations
- Proseminars are open to all Ph.D. students in the department. But, you must take the designated proseminars in your major and minor fields of specialization.
- The minimum requirements just listed— 15 hours of core courses (PLS 800, 801, 802, 803, and 809), 12 hours of major course credits, and 9 hours of minor course credits— sum to 36 credits. Since the total number of required hours is 39, this leaves a final 3 credits which a student must accumulate (for a minimum program). These final 3 credits can be earned in any of a number of different ways. For example, the 3 credits could be an additional course in research methods, an additional course in a major, an additional course in minor, or an additional course which is none of these. Elective course requirements can be also be taken in appropriate areas outside of the department (subject to the approval of the student’s guidance committee).
B. Guidance Committee and
Program of Study
Students are required to form a Guidance Committee by the end of their first
year in the program. The Guidance Committee must consist of four faculty
members: A Chair who serves as the student’s main academic advisor
for program planning, and at least three other faculty members. At least
three of the four Guidance Committee Members must be regular members of
the political science faculty, and there must be one faculty member representing
the student’s major field and one faculty member representing the
student’s minor field.
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C. Evaluation for Continuation
in the Ph.D. Program
Students are admitted to the doctoral program only on a probationary basis.
After the Spring semester of every year, the faculty will conduct an evaluation
of every first-year student’s overall academic performance. Students
must gain the faculty’s approval to continue in the doctoral program
beyond the first year.
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D. Comprehensive Field Examinations
After completing the required courses and before writing a dissertation,
students must pass a Comprehensive Field Examination in both their Major
and Minor Fields. Students must successfully pass the Comprehensive Field
Examinations by the end of the third year in which they have been enrolled
as a full-time graduate student in the Ph.D. program at MSU, including the
first (“probationary”) year before formal admission to the Ph.D.
program.
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E. Dissertation Topic, Advisor,
Committee, and Proposal
After passing the Major and Minor Comprehensive Field Examinations, students
must establish a doctoral dissertation committee. In order to accomplish
this, students must identify a suitable dissertation topic, identify a faculty
member to supervise the project and serve as the Chair of the Dissertation
Committee, establish a full dissertation committee, write a dissertation
proposal, and successfully defend the proposal in an oral defense.
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F. Doctoral Dissertation
Once the dissertation proposal is approved, students must conduct the research
for the dissertation, write up the findings, present written drafts of the
proposal to their committees, and successfully defend the completed project.
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G. Job Placement
A complete dossier (including curriculum vita, biosketch, a minimum of three
letters of reference, copies of publications, papers, chapters from the
dissertation, teaching evaluations, etc.) should be on file with the Graduate
Program Secretary. Students should consult frequently with their Dissertation
Chair and the Departmental Placement Director about job opportunities and
prospects.
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