POLSC-PHD - Political Science (PhD)

Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science

The principal goal of the Stanford Ph.D. program in political science is the training of scholars. Most students who receive doctorates in the program do research and teach at colleges or universities. We offer courses and research opportunities in a wide variety of fields in the discipline, including American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, and Political Methodology.  The program is built around small seminars that analyze critically the literature of a field or focus on a research problem. These courses prepare students for the Ph.D. comprehensive exam requirement within a two-year period and for work on the doctoral dissertation. 

The University's basic requirements for the Ph.D. degree are discussed in the Graduate Degrees section of this bulletin.

Admission to the Ph.D. Program

Admission to the Ph.D. program is highly competitive. The selection of Ph.D. students admitted to the Department of Political Science is based on an individualized, holistic review of each application, including (but not limited to) the applicant’s academic record, the letters of recommendation, the scores on the General GRE (Graduate Record Examination), the statement of purpose, and the writing sample. About 12-15 students, chosen from a large pool of applicants, enter the program every year. These students are chosen on the basis of a strong academic background as evidenced by previous study, test results, writing sample, and letters of recommendation.

General GRE scores are required of all applicants. Scores from any GRE subject tests are not required. There are no exceptions to the GRE requirement and no other exams (including the LSAT or GMAT) are accepted in lieu of the GRE.

Before starting the application process applicants should read the Admissions section of the department website, especially the Frequently Asked Questions. All questions regarding graduate admissions should be directed to the Political Science Student Services office.

Students who completed graduate coursework at another institution are encouraged to begin the process of transferring course units in the Winter quarter of their first year of doctoral study. Transfer of units will be evaluated by the Director of Graduate Studies on a course by course basis. Graduate work accepted for transfer of residency does not automatically exempt a student from having to complete a course requirement for the degree. University policies related to transfer of  credit for graduate work done elsewhere is located in G.AP 3.2.1 Residency Policy for Graduate Students.

Academic advising by department faculty is a critical component of graduate students’ education. The Political Science department is committed to providing academic advising in support of graduate student scholarly and professional development. When most effective, this advising relationship entails collaborative and sustained engagement by both the adviser and the advisee. Both the adviser and the advisee are expected to maintain professionalism and integrity.

As a best practice, students and advisers should periodically discuss advising expectations to ensure mutual understanding. Graduate students are active contributors to the advising relationship, proactively seeking academic and professional guidance and taking responsibility for informing themselves of policies and degree requirements for their graduate program.

Additionally, the program adheres to the advising guidelines and responsibilities listed by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and in the "Graduate Advising" section of this bulletin. Academic advising by Stanford faculty is a critical component of all graduate students' education and additional resources can be found in the Policies and Best Practices for Advising Relationships at Stanford and the Guidelines for Faculty-Student Advising at Stanford.

All incoming doctoral students are assigned two pre-candidacy mentors by the Director of Graduate Studies. These mentors are responsible for advising students until they advance to candidacy on key areas such as course selection, initial research projects, and early stage professional development opportunities. Students should meet with their pre-candidacy mentors at least once per quarter, although there is likely to be variation in meeting frequency by individual adviser and advisee. 

In the third year, students will convene a prospectus committee who will meet them once each quarter to receive an update on overall progress and to provide feedback on the prospectus. In the fall, this committee will consist of at least two faculty members. By the spring quarter, the committee will have three faculty members, who will be expected to approve the final prospectus by the end of the year. While this prospectus committee may form the basis for a dissertation reading committee, students will be free to assemble a dissertation reading committee whose members differ from those of the prospectus committee.

By the end of the fourth year, students are required to appoint one primary dissertation adviser and are encouraged to identify two to three additional faculty who are likely to fill out the rest of their dissertation reading committee. They are required to formally identify their full reading committee by the end of their fourth year. The adviser and committee are selected by the student on the basis of expertise relevant to the dissertation project. Students should meet with their adviser and reading committee (once named) at least once per quarter, though there is likely to be variation in meeting frequency by individual adviser and advisee.

Faculty advisers should provide guidance in key areas such as selecting courses, designing and conducting research, developing teaching pedagogy, navigating policies and degree requirements, and exploring academic opportunities and professional pathways.

At least once per year, either formally or informally, students and advisers are expected to review the student’s progress towards completion of their research and their degree. Such discussions may include other members of the student’s dissertation committee, either together or individually.

Nearly all students have an adviser from among the primary faculty members of the department. In rare circumstances, the dissertation adviser may be a faculty member from another Stanford department. When the research adviser is from outside the department, the student must also identify a co-adviser from the department's primary faculty. 

The Director of Graduate Studies is an additional advising resource for students, particularly in areas of degree progress, program requirements, and selecting research advisers. Academic progress and student completion of program requirements and milestones are monitored by the Director of Graduate Studies and student services staff and are discussed at meetings of the faculty twice per academic year.

Requirements and milestones, as well as more detailed descriptions of the program’s expectations of advisers and students, are listed in the Ph.D. Program Guide, found on the department website.

The Ph.D. is conferred upon candidates who have demonstrated substantial scholarship and the ability to conduct independent research and analysis in Political Science. Through completion of advanced course work and rigorous skills training, the doctoral program prepares students to make original contributions to the knowledge of Political Science and to interpret and present the results of such research.