Ph.D. in Political Science

Wayne State's Ph.D. in Political Science prepares students with a strong intellectual interest in political science for careers in academia, government, non-profit organizations and private-sector research firms. The Ph.D. in Political Science indicates not only the achievement of superior knowledge of the major theoretical approaches, research findings and debates in the discipline but also the ability to initiate, design and carry out independent research.

Our Ph.D. program attracts a diverse student body, including many mid-career professionals and accommodates both full and part-time study. Most students finish within five to six years and go on to a range of fulfilling careers within and outside academia. We offer fellowships and teaching assistantships to full-time students on a competitive basis. Part-time students are encouraged to apply for the Graduate Professional Scholarship (a tuition-only award). Research assistantships may also be available with individual faculty members.

Ph.D. students receive broad and rigorous training in research methods, one major and two minor fields of study. We offer preparation in seven subfields: American government and politics, comparative politics, political theory, public administration, public policy, urban politics and world politics. Subject to program approval, students may transfer up to 30 credits of relevant coursework from prior graduate study.

The Ph.D. program in political science offers many advantages, including small class sizes, evening classes to accommodate both full and part-time students and a faculty dedicated to excellence in both teaching and research and committed to your success.

Alumni

Wayne State political science alumni go on to a wide range of rewarding careers in higher education, research, government, international organizations and more!

Curriculum

The Ph.D. curriculum in political science requires a minimum of 90 credits in total.

• General departmental requirements must be completed by all Ph.D. students and are aimed at the development of basic analytic and methodological skills
• Within each major concentration, there are core requirements and elective courses. Total credit requirements in the major vary by field
• Students also are required to take at least six hours, but preferably nine, in each of two disciplinary minors
• At least 30 credits must be taken in courses open only to graduate students, that is, in courses at the 7000 level and above
• All Ph.D. students must complete 30 hours of dissertation credit over four semesters (PS 9991, PS 9992, PS 9993, PS 9994)

A course may not be used to satisfy more than one requirement unless specifically approved by the graduate director.

• General requirements

  Course #	Title	Credits
  PS 5630	Statistics and Data Analysis in Political Science I	4
  PS 6640	Statistics and Data Analysis in Political Science II	3
  PS 7760	Research Methods in Policy and Politics	3
  PS 8600	Philosophical Problems of Social and Political Inquiry	3

  View all requirements

• American politics and government

  Core requirements (nine credits)

  Course #	Title	Credits
  PS 7030	American Political Processes	3
  PS 7040	American National Institutions	3

  And at least one of the following:

  American politics and government electives (six credits)

  Course #	Title	Credits
  PS 5030	African American Politics	4
  PS 5040	Religion and Politics	4
  PS 5110	Constitutional Law	4
  PS 5120	Constitutional Rights and Liberties	4
  PS 6010	Political Psychology	3
  PS 6020	Intergovernmental Relations and American Federalism	3
  PS 6050	Class, Race and Politics in America	3
  PS 7010	The New Institutionalism	3

• Comparative politics

  Core requirements (12 credits)

  Course #	Title	Credits
  PS 7710	Seminar in Comparative Politics	3
  PS 7711	Advanced Seminar in Comparative Politics	3

  And two of the following:

  Course #	Title	Credits
  PS 7720	Comparative Politics of Advanced Industrial Democracies	3
  PS 7730	Comparative Politics of the Developing World	3
  PS 7740	Comparative Political Economy	3
  PS 7711	Advanced Seminar in Comparative Politics (may be taken more than once on different topics)	3

  Comparative politics electives (three credits)

  Course #	Title	Credits
  PS 5999	Special Topics: Applied Field Research/Mexico/Colombia	3
  PS 5999	Special Topics: Divided Societies/Dubrovnik	3
  PS 7010	The New Institutionalism	3
  PS 7720	Comparative Politics of Advanced Industrial Democracies	3
  PS 7730	Comparative Politics of Developing Countries	3
  PS 7740	Comparative Political Economy	3
  PS 7711	Advanced Seminar in Comparative Politics (may be taken more than once on different topics)	3
  PS 7470	Comparative Public Policy	3

• Political theory

  Core requirements (nine credits)

  Course #	Title	Credits
  PS 7550	Topics in the History of Political Thought	3
  PS 7650	Contemporary Political and Social Theory	3
  PS 7580	Political Theory of Public Law	3

  Political theory electives (six credits)

  Course #	Title	Credits
  PS 5560	Biopolitics	4
  PS 5999	Special Topics: Law, Authority and Resistance	3
  PS 7550	Topics in the History of Political Thought (may be taken more than once on different topics)	3
  SOC 6050	Sociological Theory Before 1920	3

• Public administration

  Core requirements (21 credits)

  Course #	Title	Credits
  PS 7300	Public Administration and its Environment	3
  PS 7320	Organization Theory and Behavior	3
  PS 7330	Public Budgeting and Finance	3
  PS 7340	Public Personnel Management	3
  PS 7350	Managing Public Organizations and Programs	3
  PS 7410	Policy Formation and Implementation	3
  PS 7480	Policy Analysis for Administration	3

  Public administration electives (six credits)

  Course #	Title	Credits
  PS 5899	Dispute Resolution	3
  PS 6020	Intergovernmental Relations and American Federalism	3
  PS 7250	Seminar in Urban Administration	3
  PS 7460	Program Evaluation	3

• Public policy

  Core requirements (12 credits)

  Course #	Title	Credits
  PS 7410	Policy Formation and Implementation	3
  PS 7460	Program Evaluation	3
  PS 7470	Comparative Public Policy	3
  PS 7480	Policy Analysis for Administration	3

  Public policy electives (minimum of nine credits)

  Course #	Title	Credits
  PS 6860	American Foreign Policy	3
  PS 7240	Urban Public Policy	3
  PS 7300	Public Administration and its Environment	3
  PS 7330	Public Budgeting and Finance	3

• Urban politics

  Core requirements (nine credits)

  Course #	Title	Credits
  PS 6050	Class, Race and Politics in America	3
  PS 7240	Urban Public Policy	3
  PS 7250	Seminar in Urban Administration	3

  Urban politics electives (six credits)

  Course #	Title	Credits
  PS 5030	African American Politics	4
  PS 6020	Intergovernmental Relations and American Federalism	3
  PS 6440	Regional, State and Urban Economic Development	3
  PS 7330	Public Budgeting and Finance	3
  CRJ 7320	Policing and Society	3

• World politics

   

  Core requirements (six credits)

  Course #	Title	Credits
  PS 7810	Seminar in World Politics	3
  PS 7811	Advanced Seminar in World Politics	3

  World politics electives (nine credits)

  Course #	Title	Credits
  PS 5850	Human Rights	4
  PS 5855	International Law	4
  PS 5999	Special Topics: International Prosecution of State Actors	3
  PS 6100	Introduction to Graduate Peace and Security Studies	3
  PS 6830	Civil War and Conflict Processes	3
  PS 6850	International Organizations	3
  PS 6860	American Foreign Policy	3
  PS 6870	U.S. Foreign Relations Law	4

• Minor field requirements

  Students are advised to take at least six (but preferably nine) credits in each of their two minor fields, with an emphasis on courses that are listed above as core requirements.

• Courses in other departments

  In consultation with the graduate advisor, Ph.D. students are typically permitted to take up to two graduate-level courses in other departments, when appropriate to their plan of work.