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Graduate Program FAQ
General
- What is your department's philosophy?
- How long is your program?
- What are the requirements for the Ph.D. degree?
- How is your placement record?
Financial Support
- What is the annual cost of attending your program?
- What type of financial support do you offer?
- Do you offer support for the summer months?
- Is there support available for field work?
- Where can I obtain more information about financing graduate study at Stanford?
Research
- What are your research areas?
- How can I find out if any of your faculty members does research in my area of interest?
Preparing for admission
- Is Political Science a required major to apply to your graduate programs?
- Are applicants expected to have taken advanced coursework in mathematics and statistics?
- If admitted, can I obtain credit for previous work?
- Can you provide some guidelines for preparation?
- What are the admissions committee's expectations of prospective students?
- Can you tell me if I'm sufficiently prepared before I apply?
Application Procedures
- How do I apply?
- What are the application requirements?
- What is the application deadline?
- Can I apply for winter, spring, or summer quarter admission?
- Are there any special application requirements for international applicants?
Contacts
- Can I contact the admissions committee to inquire about my preparation in advance of my application?
- Will I have a chance to talk to someone before I decide to accept an offer of admission?
Master's degree for doctoral students
General
What is your department's philosophy?
The Department of Political Science does not embrace any particular philosophy or approach to the study of political science. We offer courses and research opportunities in a wide variety of fields in the discipline (see Research Areas below). Our principal goal is the training of scholars. The small size of our student body allows more individual work with members of the faculty than most graduate programs. It also makes possible financial assistance in one form or another to most students admitted to the Ph.D. program.
Our graduate 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 Ph.D. program is designed to be completed in five years of full-time study. Actual time depends on students' progress, research and travel requirements, and fields of study. The minimum residence requirement for the Ph.D. degree is 135 units of completed coursework, which takes approximately four years. The fifth year is typically spent writing the dissertation.
What are the requirements for the Ph.D. degree?
Requirements vary depending on which fields a student elects to offer. In general, students are expected to meet the minimum residency requirement of nine full quarters. All students must complete five units of graduate instruction in Political Theory unless previously taken as an undergraduate, and have competence in a quantitative skill. Depending on which fields they choose, students may be required to take a two-quarter sequence in quantitative methods. A language might also be required if the student and advisor think it appropriate for dissertation research. Beginning in their second year, students serve as teaching assistants in undergraduate courses for a minimum of three quarters.
Students are required to satisfy the Ph.D. comprehensive requirements in two fields. This requirement entails passing two examinations and writing one research paper. Upon completion of these three requirements, the student is recommended for Ph.D. candidacy. It is expected that students will attain candidacy by the end of the second year. In their third year, students are asked to submit a formal dissertation proposal for approval. Doctoral candidates take the University Oral Examination after they have made substantial progress on their dissertations. Students must finish all requirements and file a thesis to receive their Ph.D. degree.
See the requirements page for more details.
Most students who receive doctorates in the program do research and teach at colleges or universities. In recent years, they have obtained positions in political science departments at such institutions as the University of California at Berkeley, Colorado College, Harvard, Houston, M.I.T., Princeton, Yale, Southern California, Virginia, and Wellesley. One graduate joined the faculty at Harvard Business School. Others have positions in research organizations like RAND, and still others have positions in university administration and government. Click here to see the list of recent placements.
Financial Support
What is the annual cost of attending your program?
The costs of pursuing graduate study at Stanford depend on various factors, including student's housing preferences and family circumstances, among other factors. Information about financing graduate study and typical expenses for graduate students can be found through Graduate Admissions. Information about our financial support, which usually covers tuition and living expenses, follows below.
What type of financial support do you offer?
The department offers a standard package, consisting of a stipend and the payment of tuition and fees, to most incoming students. Several types of financial aid are available to graduate students in the Ph.D. program: Scholarships and fellowships (both national and University), research and teaching assistantships, and loans. The Department is generally able to offer financial assistance to all students in the Ph.D. program who are making satisfactory progress. This assistance normally covers the full cost of tuition and an additional amount for living expenses during the academic year. The latter amount is usually in the form of a stipend, teaching assistantship, or research assistantship. Although the Department cannot formally guarantee support beyond the first year, it expects to continue to provide an additional four years of support.
Do you offer support for the summer months?
The department currently offers financial support for two summers during a student's tenure. There are, additionally, opportunities for graduate students to hold research assistantships with department faculty. The terms of research assistantship appointments may vary from case to case but provide, in most cases, a stipend that covers summer living expenses.
Is there support available for field work?
In addition to providing the standard package described above, the Department will provide each student $1,000 in discretionary funds. Most students use this money to fund professional development expenses, including language study, faculty guided research and field work. In addition, the department offers students up to two summers of funding, which provides students with the possibility of conducting field work during the summer. It is also possible to use pre-doc fellowship funds to support field work during the later years of the program.
Where can I obtain more information about financing graduate study at Stanford?
You may start by consulting the university's website for graduate education. Other resources include the Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures handbook.
Research
The department offers teaching and research opportunities in five major research areas: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Methodology, Political Institutions, and Political Theory. In addition, there are ample opportunities for graduate study in related departments at the university. Please click here to see a list of other social science departments.
How can I find out if your faculty does research in my area of interest?
You can try the faculty links in the previous question to associate faculty names with specific areas of study. Alternatively, you can then access more specific information about particular faculty members by going to the faculty page.
Preparing for admission
Is Political Science a required major to apply to your graduate programs?
No, the department does not require that prospective students be political science majors. On the other hand, the department does expect that prospective students have had sufficient exposure to the field for them to develop a clear statement of purpose for attending our graduate program. In addition, as part of the application materials, applicants are required to submit a written sample that will certainly justify students having previously studied political science.
Are applicants expected to have taken advanced coursework in mathematics and statistics?
No, students are not required to have taken advanced courses in quantitative methods as a prerequisite for admission. In fact, the department offers a two to three-quarter sequence in quantitative methods that introduces first-year students to methodological tools that they can later use in their chosen fields of study. This sequence does not assume that students have had prior exposure to statistics or advanced mathematics. In addition to the sequence, the department offers a math refresher course for two weeks prior to the start of classes in the fall for those students who need to review the math skills necessary for the quantitative methods sequence. Note, however, that there are certain areas of study (such as American politics and political behavior) that will require more training in quantitative methods beyond the first-year sequence. Opportunities to pursue advanced work in quantitative methods exist both within and outside the department (e.g., taking courses in the economics and statistics departments).
If admitted, can I obtain credit for previous work?
The university will allow a maximum of 45 units for work done elsewhere in another graduate program. Transfer credit is subject to the approval of the Office of the University Registrar, and there is no guarantee that transfer credit will be awarded. Please check with the graduate administrator if you have questions about this.
Can you provide some guidelines for preparation?
Admission to our program is highly competitive. About twelve 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, written sample, and letters of recommendation. Although we have no official score requirement, admitted students typically have GRE scores of 700+ on both the Verbal and Quantitative sections, and a score of 5.5 in the Analytical section. Admitted students typically have a GPA of at least 3.8 in their previous studies. Please be assured that the department reviews each application very carefully and makes decisions on an individual basis.
What are the admissions committee's expectations of prospective students?
Admission committees follow guidelines established by the university and the department to ensure a fair review of application materials and the selection of a high quality pool of incoming students. An overview of graduate admission and study at Stanford is available.
Can you tell me if I'm sufficiently prepared before I apply?
Unfortunately, the department cannot tell whether or not a student is sufficiently prepared prior to a review of his or her application. Assessment of a prospective student's preparation, which is the basis of admission decisions, takes place only after a student has submitted a complete application package.
Application Procedures
You need to submit an online application through the internet. The application is available through the Graduate Admissions web site. Note that online applications require the use of a credit card.
What are the application requirements?
A complete application consists of the following documentation: a completed Stanford application and "Statement of Purpose", three letters of recommendation, 2 copies of transcripts, reported GRE and TOEFL scores, and a writing sample no longer than 35 pages. The application fee for 2009 is $125. The application deadline is December 1, 2009. **Writing samples can be submitted in the “Additional Information” section of the online application or sent as hardcopies directly to the department address: Department of Political Science, 616 Serra Street, Encina Hall West Room 100, Stanford, CA 94305-6044**
What is the application deadline?
The deadline to apply for admission for the academic year 2010-11 is December 1, 2009..
Can I apply for winter, spring, or summer quarter admission?
No, the department only reviews applications for students that will be entering our program during the fall quarter.
Are there any special application requirements for international applicants?
Information for international applicants is available from Graduate Admissions. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores are required of all applicants whose first language is not English. The TOEFL requirements are waived for applicants who have recently completed two or more years of study at a university where all instruction is provided in English. The department no longer requires the Test of Spoken English for admission.
Contacts
Can I contact the admissions committee to inquire about my preparation in advance of my application?
No, the admissions committee is not available for consultation prior to the time when all applications are reviewed. Since admissions committees are formed anew each year, it is not possible to refer you to committee members that have not yet been named.
Will I have a chance to talk to someone before I decide to accept an offer of admission?
Yes. The department organizes a special activity every Spring to invite admitted students to campus. This event is an excellent opportunity to talk to faculty and students about specific concerns or questions a prospective student may have.
Master's Degree
What are the requirements for the master's degree?
Please note that the Department does not offer a terminal master's degree. Current doctoral students may apply, however, for a Master of Arts in Political Science during the course of their Ph.D. program. Master's candidates must take 45 units of course work, and 25 of those units must be in graduate seminars. There is no examination or thesis requirement.