Graduate Students
Graduate Program in Political Science Handbook
- Introduction
- Scope and Methods Sequence
- Tools of Inquiry
- Counseling, Review, and Evaluation
- Major Area, Minor Area and Cognate Course Work
- The Dissertation Design Seminar. Proposal, and Committee
- The Final Defense of the Dissertation
- Master of Arts Degree
- Graduate Program Overview
- Graduate Student Publications, 1991-Present
- Ph.D. Placements
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN POLITICAL SCIENCE
Graduate Handbook
October 2005
The aim of the Ph.D. program in Political Science is to produce professional scholars capable of making important contributions, through their research and teaching efforts, to our understanding of political phenomena. This requires facilitating the transition of the student from a consumer of knowledge to a connoisseur, and ultimately, a producer and disseminator of knowledge. To do this students must be exposed to issues concerning scientific knowledge and processes, as well as be introduced to the fundamental techniques and tools of political inquiry. Equally important is an understanding of the breadth and diversity of Political Science, as well as the way in which the discipline has developed over time. A Ph.D. program also must insure that students are familiar with, and capable of using, the insights from important bodies of literature. At the same time it must not be so structured that students are prevented from pursuing innovative and self-directed courses of study. Finally, a program designed to produce professional scholars must familiarize students with professional norms and practices.
To accomplish these goals the University of Illinois Ph.D. program in Political Science blends a set of general requirements aimed at insuring that all students are familiar with a set of fundamental issues and basic techniques with a flexible approach to course work in substantive areas. Students progress through the program with the aid of a set of faculty committees that guide them in the preparation of an appropriate course of study and review their progress at various points. Qualifying examinations are structured to test each student's ability to utilize the insights and analytic abilities developed during the course of his or her training. The student's progress at the dissertation stage is facilitated by a seminar aimed at the successful development and defense of dissertation proposals.
The Graduate College at the University of Illinois stipulates that a minimum of 24 units of graduate work is required for the Ph.D. degree, 8 of which may be units of dissertation research. This usually requires a minimum of four years of graduate study, two of which must be in residence. Doctoral candidates must be enrolled as full-time students for at least one semester of their residency, and all degree requirements must be completed within seven years of the candidate's initial registration in the Graduate College. Students beginning the Ph.D. program holding a Masters’ Degree must complete all requirements within five years of the date of first enrollment.
The Department of Political Science requires that Ph.D. candidates complete a "scope and methods" sequence as well as complete a "tools of inquiry" sequence. All students must undergo a progress review during their fourth semester. Students are required to demonstrate proficiency in at two of three basic fields in Political Science (American Politics, Comparative Politics, and International Relations,). This is done by successfully completing two qualifying examinations in one of the fields listed above. Proficiency in a second field is demonstrated by the completion of two graduate-level courses in a field in which no qualifying examination is taken. One of the courses must involve the preparation of a research paper and the student must receive grades of B or above for all courses. These requirements insure only a minimum of breadth. Students are encouraged to enroll in relevant and challenging courses beyond what is necessary for satisfying the minimal requirements.
For maximum breadth and to benefit from the wisdom of interdisciplinary approaches to the study of political phenomena, the Department of Political Science requires all Ph.D. candidates to acquire cognate knowledge. Completing at least two units of graduate-level course work in another department fulfills the cognate requirement. These courses may not be used toward any other of the degree requirements.
In their third semester of course work, all Ph.D. students must enroll in a research practicum. Students sign up with specific faculty members for individual research experience. Nevertheless, the research seminar will entail a formal class meeting each week, with a discussion led by one or more faculty members assigned as instructors for the class. At the end of the semester students will present their research papers to the class, their research advisors, and any interested faculty or graduate students.
In their sixth semester of course work, all Ph.D. students must enroll in a dissertation design seminar that is intended to facilitate the development of a dissertation proposal. The successful defense and public presentation of this proposal makes the student eligible for candidacy; the successful defense of the completed dissertation qualifies the student for the awarding of the Ph.D.
An overview of the year-to-year flow of the program is provided in Appendix I and each of these general points is developed more fully below.
Scope and Methods Sequence
To provide students with a broad introduction into issues affecting the conduct of scholarly inquiry, all Ph.D. candidates are required to take P.S. 521 and a course in research design. Students with prior graduate training who have already successfully completed a comparable sequence may request a waiver of this requirement.
Political Science 521 is a "scope" course that introduces students to basic ideas and issues in the philosophy of science, and to different approaches to the nature of knowledge and scientific laws and theories. It also discusses the relevance of scientific approaches to political inquiry, reviewing both the limits and potential contributions of scientific approaches to the study of social phenomena. A brief review of the history and trends within Political Science is also provided, with a special emphasis on the behavioral revolution and postbehavioralism. Finally, a brief review of the diversity of approaches to studying political phenomena is presented.
The Research Design requirement is normally satisfied by the completion of Political Science 522 or Political Science 523. Political Science 522 is a "methods" course that introduces students to the basic issues involved in, and principles governing, the conduct of empirically based political inquiry. Political Science 523 is a course that introduces students to the theory and methods of qualitative research. With the approval of the student’s Advisory Committee and the Director of Graduate Studies, another graduate level course in quantitative or qualitative research design may be used to satisfy this requirement.
Tools of Inquiry
Students are required to develop research skills that will enable them to carry out independent and original research. To this end the department requires that Ph.D. students complete a minimum of five graduate level courses distributed across the areas of statistics, formal theory, and qualitative methods, as appropriate for their specialization.
Specifically, all Political Science students must complete a two-course sequence in statistical methods. This requirement may be satisfied with a two-semester course in applied statistics, or with more advanced training. Students whose major area is Political Theory are exempt from the obligation to take courses in statistical tools, and may fulfill the five-course Tools of Inquiry requirement with other combinations of courses.
All students also must complete at least two courses in a second of the three areas identified above. A fifth course may be in any tool area. Political Science 523 may be taken in partial fulfillment of the Tools of Inquiry requirement, providing it is not also used to satisfy the Scope and Methods requirement.
Graduate courses in another graduate program or other previous training may, in some circumstances, be used to satisfy portions of this requirement. This program requirement may be satisfied in many ways; therefore, both the student’s Advisory Committee and the Director of Graduate Studies must approve the tools of inquiry sequence. A grade of B or better is required for all courses.
Counseling, Review, and Evaluation
Students must undergo several evaluations at different points in the Ph.D. program: the second-year review, qualifying examinations, the defense of the dissertation proposal, and the final defense of the dissertation. They also require advice and counseling on curricular, research, and professional matters throughout their graduate career. These functions are performed by a set of committees that operate at different points in the program.
The Advisory Committee
A three-person Advisory Committee composed of members of the Department graduate faculty will be appointed early in the second semester of each student's graduate work. The function of this committee is to advise the student on matters concerning course selection and professional development. Responsibility for the development of a course of study in the Ph.D. program lies solely with the student. The Advisory Committee's primary function is to consider the program devised by the student and to provide advice on suggested modifications. While the student's advisor (who is the chair of the Advisory Committee) will normally sign the student's registration form, no committee approval is required for registration. The only exceptions to this largely advisory role are that the committee must approve the student's research tool sequence and the cognate area courses. The Advisory Committee also can play a valuable function in the student's professional development by providing concrete advice concerning attendance at and participation in professional meetings, as well as publication and placement strategies.
The Second Year Review Committee
A Second Year Review Committee will be appointed and meet during the fourth semester of each student's graduate work. The function of the second-year review is to assess the student's progress in the program and to make recommendations concerning his or her continuation in it. The criteria for such a review are the student's performance in course work (grades, incompletes, number of courses taken. etc.), one or two papers demonstrating original research capacity, and a three to five page statement of research interests. The committee can recommend that the student (1) be terminated in the program, (2) be allowed to continue, but without departmental financial assistance or subject to certain conditions, or (3) be encouraged to continue in the program. The committee's evaluation and recommendation are to be in the form of a written report, a copy of which is to be given to both the Director of Graduate Studies and the student. The report should detail the student's strengths and weaknesses, as well as the specific considerations leading to the committee's ultimate recommendation concerning continuation in the program. The report should also specify when the student is likely to take qualifying examinations and how various degree requirements (e.g., tools of inquiry) will be met. Failure to have a second year review by the beginning of a student's fifth semester will result in a student's immediate termination from the graduate program.
The Director of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the student, appoints members of the Advisory and Second Year Review Committees. Committee membership is solely dependent upon the consent of the individual faculty members. The committee is automatically dissolved at the termination of its recommendations concerning the student's progress in the program.
Qualifying Examinations and the Examination Committees
Preparatory to admission to candidacy for the Ph.D., students must demonstrate expertise in one of the fields within the discipline. This requirement is fulfilled by a combination of two written qualifying examinations, composed of two questions each, and completing a five-course sequence of graduate-level courses. The qualifying examinations are normally to be taken during the student's fourth semester; but may be taken in the fifth semester or divided among these two times. It should be stressed that the designation of these periods as the norm for writing qualifying examinations does not necessarily have negative consequences for students who fail to meet the suggested time frame. Some students, because of the need to acquire additional skills or the exposure to other types of materials, may require additional time. Nevertheless, for the student who fails to meet these expectations without due cause, this failure should be a consideration in the department's decision to grant financial assistance, although clearly not the only consideration.
Students are to choose their qualifying examinations from a set of examination subfields within one of three fields (American, Comparative, and International Relations,). The array of subfield examinations available within a field is within the discretion of the corresponding area committee. Qualifying examinations will be offered once each semester.
Students are entitled to write qualifying examinations only in areas authorized by the Department's area committees. In unusual circumstances a student may petition the Advisory Committee and the Director of Graduate Studies for permission to write one exam in an area outside those normally authorized by the Area Committee. Examples include but are not limited to Political Economy and Comparative Methods. Students are to notify the Director of Graduate Studies of the qualifying examinations they propose to write no later than two months before the examination is to be scheduled. At that time, the student is entitled to a copy of a reading list for each examination area that he or she elects to write. It is the responsibility of the chair of the area committee that has authorized the examination area to provide for the preparation and updating of these reading lists. The student taking the examination may supplement these reading lists, but the examination committee responsible for administering the examination must approve supplements to the general reading list. Supplements to the reading lists must be prepared and approved one month before the examination is to be given. Students are required to notify the graduate office in writing of their wish to cancel an exam. Those who do not notify the graduate office or do so after the deadline (which is approximately one month prior to the date of the exams) will be considered to have failed their exams.
Subfield examinations are to be drafted by a three-person committee appointed by the head of the area committee; the same committee will grade the written portion of the examination. Qualifying examination questions should not be designed as direct tests of a student's knowledge of the literature in a field. Rather, they should be designed to test the student's ability to understand, integrate, and use the primary insights and observations generated by a body of literature.
The qualifying examination process proceeds as follows. Students receive three questions drafted by the examination committee. Students are to respond to two of these questions. The response is to be prepared in a forty-eight-hour period. All examinations must be typed and properly documented.
Subfield examinations are to be graded "Pass with Distinction," "Pass," or "Fail." Before rendering a grade, the student must undergo an oral examination by the examination committee. The oral examination will be held within four weeks of the conclusion of the written examination period. The results of the subfield examinations must be reported to the Director of Graduate Studies and to the student immediately after the oral examination. If a student fails a qualifying examination, he/she will be permitted to retake it one time, normally during the next regularly scheduled examination period. Failure to pass the examination at that time will result in the student's dismissal from the program.
Major Area and Minor Area
Major Area
Students in the Ph.D. program prepare for qualifying examinations by taking a series of five units of course work in one substantive area of political science. Students chose to specialize within one area–American politics, comparative politics, or international relations–by taking courses that prepare them for the examinations they expect to take within their specialty. Students must also attend to any course requirements imposed on majors or minors by the area; the decision to impose specific requirements is solely at the discretion of the area.
Except for area-imposed requirements, students may elect to take any sequence of graduate-level course work within an area that they believe prepares them for the two examinations they plan to take in an area. The student’s Advisory Committee should approve the precise plan of study a student elects. All classes taken to satisfy this requirement must be at the graduate level and the student must receive a grade of B or better in each course.
The rule specifying five units of course work does not in any way preclude a student from further training in an area. More than five units often may be necessary to acquire the expertise required for a student to pursue a specific interest or substantive problem. Students are encouraged to take courses with an eye to the knowledge necessary to become expert practitioners of their chosen specialty and not to limit their education according to minimal requirements.
Minor Area
Students demonstrate expertise in a minor area with the completion of two units of course work in an area in which they do not take examinations. The student’s Advisory Committee should approve the course of study and the student must receive the grade of B or better in each course. Minor area course work may be in the areas of American politics, comparative politics, international relations, or political theory.
The Dissertation Design Seminar,
The Dissertation Proposal, and
The Dissertation Committee
In the sixth semester of their graduate work, students must enroll in the Dissertation Design Seminar (P.S. 598). The function of this seminar is to facilitate the development of the dissertation proposal, a written copy of which will constitute the main requirement of the course. The identification and discussion of common problems will facilitate the resolution of those problems. Moreover, the opportunity for students to deal directly with issues in other fields of Political Science will contribute to their understanding of the discipline. Insights from other subfields will contribute to the overall quality of the proposals at a point early enough to make a difference in the research. Another function of the course will be to make available information to the students on funding opportunities for the dissertation research, opportunities that will enhance the quality of the research as well as the students' placement possibilities and professional development.
While the Dissertation Design Seminar is to be supervised by a single faculty member, the work on the dissertation proposal is to be done in conjunction with the student's dissertation committee. The candidate, subject to the agreement of the individual faculty members, will select this committee before the end of the fifth semester of graduate work. The course is completed when a student presents a proposal to the Dissertation Committee and successfully defends it to them. After approval by the Committee, the student makes a public presentation of the proposal. Members of the seminar will be encouraged to attend the proposal presentation; the presentation will be open to departmental faculty and graduate students. The student is required to have the written approval of the proposal from his/her advisor prior to receiving a grade in this seminar. This written approval must be turned into the Graduate secretary who will initiate the grade change.
After the successful defense of a dissertation proposal the student will become eligible for admission to candidacy (ABD). The student will be admitted to candidacy at that point if all required courses are completed, all qualifying examination requirements are fulfilled, and the student has successfully completed 16 units of graduate credit with a minimum average grade of B.
The Final Defense of the Dissertation
The last stage in the successful completion of the requirements of the Ph.D. is the final defense of the completed dissertation. After a successful defense and the completion of whatever changes are deemed necessary, the dissertation must be deposited with the Graduate College in a format that meets their specifications.
The dissertation committee must consist of at least four members, all of whom must be members of the graduate faculty. In accordance with University policy on diversity on dissertation committees, at least one member of the dissertation committee must be outside of the student’s primary specialization. Unanimous approval of the committee is required for final approval of the dissertation.
MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE
The Department of Political Science does not normally admit students to a terminal Master of Arts degree program. Students in the Ph.D. program usually receive a M. A. degree during their second year in the graduate program, following completion of the minimum requirements. The M. A. degree requires 8 units of graduate level work, 2 of which can be thesis units (P.S. 599). Six of these units must be at the 500 level and six must be Political Science courses. In addition, the student’s advisor must approve a research paper. Candidates for the M. A. degree must achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0 out of a possible 4.0.
Appendix 1
General Outline of Student Progress
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Elective in Major |
Research Practicum |
Elective in Major |
Dissertation Research and Writing |
|
PS 522 or PS 523 |
Elective in Major |
Dissertation Design |
Dissertation Research and Writing |