Ph.D. Program Requirements
The Political Science department at Berkeley admits students only for the Ph.D. degree. The Ph.D. program has two major phases: coursework and dissertation writing. The coursework phase is completed when the student has demonstrated competence in three of nine sub-fields of political science and completed a total of 40 units (ten courses). Students must pass three written comprehensive field examinations, or sit for two such examinations and demonstrate knowledge of the third field by passing three courses in the field with a minimum grade point average of 3.5.
The particular sequence of courses that the student takes in preparation for the comprehensive exams is not prescribed. With the assistance of the faculty, students select courses in keeping with their particular intellectual and scholarly interests. The department has no formal language or statistics requirement. A knowledge of language and/or statistical methods is required, however, when relevant to an individual student's program of study and dissertation research. It is expected that the coursework phase will be completed within three years of entering the graduate program. Many students are able to complete this phase by the end of their second year in residence.
When the above requirements have been met, the student prepares a prospectus for dissertation research. Once adequate preparation for conducting the proposed research has been demonstrated to a committee of the faculty, the student is "advanced to candidacy" for the Ph.D. This initiates the second major phase of the doctoral program, during which the student devotes full time to dissertation research and writing.
The doctorate is awarded when the student submits a satisfactory dissertation to a committee of three faculty members. The time required to complete the dissertation phase varies, depending on the topic and related research requirements.
A reasonable estimate of the time necessary for completion of the graduate program is six years (three years of coursework and three of dissertation research and writing). Students whose dissertations involve more extensive research may take longer to earn their degree.
General Curriculum Information
First Year
Students entering the graduate program will normally complete 24 units of course work during their first year of study. At least twelve of these units must be in graduate courses in political science; the remainder may be in upper division undergraduate or graduate courses in any department. The first year is designed to allow the student the opportunity to engage in language study, area specialization, and to meet faculty from other departments who may become members of the Qualifying Exam or the Dissertation committees. The other major component of the first year's curriculum is the Master's Essay.
While the department does not admit students for an M.A. degree, doctoral students may elect to receive a Master's degree while working towards the
Ph.D., and may do so in two ways at the conclusion of their first
year of study . The most common way is to submit a Master's Essay, approximately
30 pages in length (the paper is usually a seminar paper already submitted
as part of the student's coursework during the first year). Or less frequently chosen, doctoral students may receive
an M.A. after passing one of the Ph.D. preliminary examinations,
provided that the examination is not also counted toward the Ph.D. requirements.
The Master's degree will be awarded
after successful completion of the first-year coursework and approval
of the M.A. essay or successful completion of a Ph.D. preliminary examination.
Second Year
The second year is used to further narrow down one's interests and to continue exploring ideas and potential advisors for a dissertation topic. Coursework continues as students prepare both for preliminary field exams as well as to write the dissertation prospectus. In addition to the coursework, ongoing language or area study, and preparation for exams, students in their second year usually serve as Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) which is normally a 20-hour per week position. Some students will opt to serve as a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) instead of a GSI if they are offered a position by a particular faculty member with research funds.
Third Year
During the third year, most students continue to GSI and complete coursework in addition to taking two preliminary exams. Political Science doctoral students must pass three field specialties to be eligible to sit for the oral prospectus defense (known formally as the Qualifying Exam). Instead of sitting for three field exams, students have the opportunity to "course out" of one field specialty by taking a prescribed set of courses in the field. This course-out option must be completed within one semester of the second field exam.
Most students opt to take one exam in each of the semesters in their third year, but if desired, students may sit for a field exam in their second year and again in the third year. All students are expected to have completed their two field exams, to have coursed out of a third, and to have written and defended their dissertation prospectus by the end of the third year. The prospectus defense is a highly individual process depending on the field specialty and the faculty and student involved. Successful defense of the research plan and submission of the necessary paperwork by June 30 of the third year will guarantee a full year of funding via the Dean's Normative Time Fellowship (DNTF) which is redeemable anytime (and does not need to be used in consecutive semesters) over the following three years.
Fourth Year
In the fourth year, many students choose to stay in Berkeley and teach as they prepare for an extended stay in the field. Since the DNTF is deferrable until the sixth year, students often find that saving that fellowship and teaching in the fourth year helps them complete enough library and other research before embarking on extended trips. The fourth year is also when many students start applying for extramural fellowships to support their dissertation research.
Fifth Year
Like the fourth year, the fifth is variable according to an individual's research schedule. Often this is a good year to use the DNTF while in the field. This is also the time, if research is complete and writing has begun, to apply for finishing fellowships, particularly if a student has used the DNTF and would like to not teach in the final "write-up" year.
Sixth Year and beyond
In the sixth year, many students who do not have extramural or remaining campus fellowship will return to the classroom to teach while completing the dissertation and entering the job market. Others teach as adjunct faculty at the many colleges and universities in the areas, and some find research assistantships to fund the final year(s).