Graduate Studies

Graduate study at Arizona State University is both demanding and rewarding. The program is designed to provide a well-grounded foundation in research methods and substantive content along with the opportunity to craft a program of study that meets individual interests and passions. The graduate program is relatively small, permitting close contact with faculty and with peers. The program encourages students to work with faculty in related disciplines when appropriate for the student’s fields of study.

Students select a major and minor field of specialization from among five general fields of study: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, and Public Policy. We also offer a minor in Methods and Models. Course work in the first year includes at least two research methods courses along with pro-seminars in the student’s choice of sub-fields. Full time graduate students generally carry at least 9 semester hours of course work and thus, by the end of the second year, students have 36 or more hours of credit toward the degree. Specific requirements vary depending on whether the student is in the M.A. or Ph.D. program, and, if in the Ph.D. program, in which sub-field the candidate is specializing.

Students admitted to the Ph.D. program without an M.A. have the opportunity to complete an “M.A. in passing” prior to taking comprehensive exams. We expect Ph.D. candidates to be prepared for comprehensive exams in their major and secondary fields no later than their fifth semester, and to defend their dissertation prospectus no later than their fifth semester. The Ph.D. program is structured so that students making good progress will have defended their dissertation by the end of their fifth academic year; and so that M.A. students will have defended their thesis by the end of their second academic year.

Much of the learning that takes place during the pursuit of a graduate degree involves interaction with faculty and peers both inside and outside the classroom. A large part of the success of a graduate depends on the socialization and professional development that occurs while in graduate school. To that end, the department has several mechanisms to aid professional develop, to encourage collaborative research and publication, to provide opportunities to successfully compete for research grants and to participate in professional conferences, seminars and meetings. We strongly encourage our students to take advantage of these resources in order to prepare for very competitive job markets in academia, public policy and the private sector.

Graduates of the program have obtained tenure-track positions at Louisiana State University, Georgia State, Middlebury College, Carleton College, the ASU Sandra Day O’Connor Law School, and Furman University, among others.