Program Overview

Political Science Ph.D.

Program Overview

UNT's Political Science Ph.D. provides you the opportunity to specialize in American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Methodology and Political Theory. The department also has strengths in areas that bridge traditional subfield boundaries, such as Peace and Conflict, Political Institutions, and Race and Ethnic Politics.

Program Details

Program Type

• Doctoral Degree

Format

• On Campus

Estimated Time to Complete

• 4-5 years

Credit Hours

• 72 (with bachelor's) or 60 (with master's)

Why Earn a Political Science Ph.D.?

The doctoral degree in Political Science prepares you for academic careers in research and teaching, as well as professional careers in public service and the private sector. The program introduces you to the substantive, theoretical and methodological aspects of the study of politics, and trains you to perform original research on political behavior.

Marketable Skills

• Advanced public communication
• Advanced analytical thinking
• Advanced data collection and analysis
• Theory building
• Topical expertise

Program Highlights

Our faculty have participated in high-profile research regarding school choice, political campaigns and elections, American public law, democratization in the Third World and international peace.

Our graduate students have published a number of articles and book chapters, whether sole-authored, co-authored with graduate students, or with faculty.

We encourage you to attend and present research papers at national and regional political science conferences. Funding is available to attend conferences.

UNT belongs to the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, which is the world's repository of social science research data, and the European Consortium for Political Research. Our library system also has a large collection of U.S. government, United Nations and related international agency documents.

Our department awards several teaching fellowships and assistantships to help you pay for your graduate education. Research assistantships are available for students to work with faculty members holding research grants.

Because of our close student-faculty research collaboration, you get involved in research early in your graduate education. You may participate in grant-funded research as a paid assistant or aid faculty members on publications.

Career Opportunities

Our Ph.D. program has a track record of producing successful scholars. Our alumni have secured positions in universities and colleges across the country and around the globe. Recent tenure-track placements (since 2010) include:

• California State University-Long Beach
• CIDE (Mexico)
• Florida Atlantic University
• Northern Kentucky University
• Prairie View A&M University
• Trinity University
• University of Mary Washington
• University of South Carolina
• Utah State University
• West Texas A&M University

Sample Courses

• Political Science Teaching and Research (3 hrs)
• The American Presidency (3 hrs)
• Interest Group Politics (3 hrs)
• Mass Political Behavior (3 hrs)
• Foreign Policy Analysis (3 hrs)
• Human Rights (3 hrs)