PhD program

The PhD program takes about four years to complete following an MA degree. In first year, you will focus on coursework: six graduate courses including POLI 600 (Professional Development Seminar).

At least one, but no more than two of the graduate courses, may be taken outside the Department of Political Science. Two of the other courses must be "field" seminars are designed to prepare you for candidacy examinations.

PhD students normally take two candidacy examinations during the second year of doctoral study and  then prepare and defend a dissertation proposal.

The dissertation counts for 80% of the PhD program. Students should aim to have their dissertation proposal approved well before the end of their second year of study. Once approved, the dissertation takes about two years to complete.

For more information about the graduate programs in Political Science, refer to the Academic Calendar and/or the Political Science Graduate Handbook.

The department will only consider applicants for the PhD program whose research interests are in one of the following areas:

• Contemporary political theory
• International and transnational politics
• Democratic constitutionalism
• Politics in the global south
• Cultural, social and political thought
• Indigenous nationhood