REQUIREMENTS
FOR Ph.D. IN POLITICAL SCIENCE
Updated January 30, 2007
Course
of Study
Tools of Research
Examinations
Dissertation
I.
COURSE OF STUDY
Required
Credits
Each
student is required to complete 60 graduate
credits, of which at least 20 credits (5 courses)
should be earned through 800-level doctoral
research courses. These courses may be in any
areas of political science and may include independent
study, so long as the independent study includes
a major research paper. Students matriculating
in the fall of 2005 and thereafter are not allowed
to take more classes after reaching 45 credits
until they have completed at least one part
of the first examination successfully.
Knowledge of Two Fields
For
the Doctorate in Political Science, students
are required to develop a major and minor area
of concentration from among the five fields
in the Program (American Politics, Comparative
Politics, International Relations, Political
Theory and Public Policy). Special competence
in these two fields is the basis of the student's
doctoral specialization and is also the basis
of his or her First and Second Examinations.
In each of the two chosen fields, students must
take at least one course at the 700-level.
Exposure
to Other Fields
Each
student is required to complete a total of three
courses in at least two fields OTHER THAN their
major or minor with a grade of B or better.
Courses which are cross-listed are counted only
once in meeting any requirement.
Political
Theory
Students
who do not major or minor in Political Theory
will take one course in Political Theory.
II. TOOLS
OF RESEARCH
Research
Design
It is advisable that before the completion of 45 credits every student complete at least one course in quantitative or qualitative research methods.
Foreign
Language
Each
student must demonstrate competence in a language
other than English. This can be achieved by
passing a language examination administered
by the Program.
Students
should also pay particular attention to the
use of foreign languages in the collection of
primary data through interviewing, analysis
of foreign language documents, etc. They should
also seek to improve their ability to handle
the foreign literature on the subject of their
dissertation.
Proficiency
in a foreign language is demonstrated by a written
examination, administered by the Program, in
which the student is required to translate a
page of typical text in Social or Political
Science into English. The use of a dictionary
is permitted.
In
lieu of taking the language examination administered
by the Program, a student may take one of the
courses offered by the CUNY Graduate School
Language Reading Program. A grade of B or better
in one of these courses may be used to fulfill
the language requirement.
Students
who have received a BA from a foreign institution
may use the language used in that institution
as a medium of instruction to satisfy one of
the language requirements.
Dates
for the foreign language examinations are announced
at the beginning of each academic year. Students
who wish to be examined in a language not ordinarily
given may make arrangements with the Executive
Officer.
III.
EXAMINATIONS
First
Examination
The
First Examination tests the student's ability
to explicate, examine, and assess the major
theories, applications, and controversies within
his or her chosen areas.
The
First Examination must be taken after the completion
of 27 credits and before the completion of 45
credits.
The
First Examination examines students in two of
the Program's five fields. Students are
examined in one major field and one minor field.
The examination consists of a six-hour written
examination in the major field and a four-hour
written examination in the minor field.
Students may take their major and minor examination
in the same semester or in consecutive semesters.
Students
may select questions in sub-fields that they
designate when they register for the examination.
(Majors must answer questions in three sub-fields,
minors in two sub-fields). In the American
Politics Examination, students must answer one
question on national institutions or one on
political processes. In the International Relations
Examination, beginning in January 2006, the
"International Relations Theory and Foreign Policy"
sub-field is considered the foundation of the
field and will be
required for all students taking the First Examination.
That is, whether you are taking international
relations as a major or a minor field, you must
answer one of the questions for "International
Relations Theory and Foreign Policy" as one
of your three or two questions, respectively.
Each
major and minor field is subdivided into standard
specialized concentrations or subfields.
Any student wishing to broaden the focus of
his/her major or minor field can request an
additional concentration. The First Examination
Committee must receive these requests at least
one semester prior to the examination.
Second
Examination
The
Second Examination tests the doctoral candidate's
ability to explicate, examine and assess the
major theories, applications, and controversies
within his/her chosen areas, and place his/her
ideas in the range of views in those areas,
with a focus on his/her intended dissertation
research.
Between
the semester in which the student completes
60 credits and two semesters after the completion
of 60 credits, the student completes a dissertation
proposal under the supervision of a faculty
adviser and faculty reader.
The
dissertation proposal is considered satisfactory
for the purpose of registering for the Second
Examination when the faculty sponsor and reader
so indicate in a written communication to the
Executive Officer.
The
examining committee consists of five faculty
members, including the sponsor and the reader.
No more than three members of the examining
committee can come from the student's major
field. Upon completion of a satisfactory
dissertation proposal, the student consults
with his or her sponsor about the composition
of the examining committee, which is then selected
in consultation with the Executive Officer.
A
faculty member from another Ph.D. Program may
be invited to participate in the supervision
of a political science dissertation as a reader,
provided: (1) the Dissertation Committee is
satisfied that the dissertation proposal fully
meets applicable standards, and (2) a member
of the Ph.D. Program in Political Science takes
full responsibility as sponsor or co-sponsor
of the dissertation.
The
student circulates his or her dissertation proposal
to the members of the examining committee, who
should submit written comments to the faculty
sponsor at least two weeks before the
examination. The faculty sponsor then
conveys the comments to the student.
The
Second Examination itself is a two-hour oral
examination in which the student is expected
to place his or her research project within
broader areas of the discipline. A satisfactory
written proposal is a prerequisite for the oral
examination, not part of the examination itself.
The exam will cover areas that are not included
in the text of the proposal. The student is
encouraged to consult with the individual members
of the examining committee prior to the examination
to identify the issues that will be addressed
during the exam. These issues should be
primarily determined by the student's research
interests as expressed in the dissertation proposal.
IV.
DISSERTATION
Students
have eight years maximum to complete all of
the requirements for the Ph.D. degree. Students
should keep in mind that a dissertation has
the purpose of continuing their training in
theory and research. It is not intended to become
a lifelong undertaking. Doctoral candidates
should also note that the probability for finding
teaching, research and other positions is significantly
higher for Ph.D. holders than for ABDs (all-but-dissertation).
Once
the dissertation proposal has been approved,
the student is expected to work closely with
his or her sponsor and reader in researching,
organizing and writing the dissertation. In
addition, the student is encouraged to consult
with other faculty members, as it may be desirable,
in pursuing his or her research.
The
Examination Committee for a Final Oral Examination
represents the Ph.D. Program and through the
Graduate Council of the Graduate Center. It
is therefore responsible for the standard of
the Ph.D. Degree at the University. The
committee must decide whether all academic
requirements for the degree have been fulfilled.
The
Dissertation Defense Committee is composed of
the sponsor and reader of the candidate, as
well as the three other members from appropriate
disciplines chosen by the Executive Officer
with the advice of the candidate.
The
Dissertation Defense takes place no less than
30 days after the student has made complete
copies of the dissertation available to all
members of the Defense Committee.
The
Dissertation Defense is a two-hour examination.
Each examiner has approximately 20 minutes to
examine the candidate.
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