Head of the Department: Peter F. Nardulli
Correspondence and Information: Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Political Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 361 Lincoln Hall , 702 South Wright Street, Urbana, IL 61801
GRADUATE FACULTY
Professors: I. H. Carmen, S. P. Cohen, P. F. Diehl, A. B. Fields, R. E.
Kanet, E. A. Kolodziej, J. H. Kuklinski, D. F. Linowes, R. L. Merritt, S. S.
Nagel, P. F. Nardulli, D. M. Pinderhughes, P. J. Quirk, R. F. Rich, P. W.
Schroeder, M. G. Weinbaum, R. Weissberg, F. M. Wirt, G. T. Yu, D. A. Zinnes
Associate Professors: S. A. Douglas, M. A. Krassa, R. G. Muncaster, S. T. Seitz
Assistant Professors: M. L. Bowen, C. S. Leff, J. W. Lepingwell, M. D. McBurnett, G. L. Munck, M. A. Orlie, B. R. Sala
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
The Department of Political Science offers graduate work leading to the degrees
of master of arts and doctor of philosophy. Students are not normally admitted
to a terminal master's degree program.
ADMISSION
The Graduate College admission requirements apply for all programs. The student
should have a minimum of 20 hours of undergraduate work in political science
and cognate disciplines such as economics, psychology, finance, sociology, or
history. All applicants are required to submit Graduate Record Examination
scores and an example of written work. A minimum TOEFL score of 590 is required
of all international applicants whose native language is not English.
MASTER OF ARTS
Students can earn a master of arts in political science usually within one
year. It entails the completion of 8 units and the achievement of a 4.0 GPA in
all courses taken. A master's paper is required.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
The course of study leading to a Ph.D. in political science requires a minimum
of three years of full-time study, culminating in the successful defense of a
doctoral dissertation. Two of the three years must be spent in residence.
University residence requirements also state that a doctoral candidate must
spend two successive semesters in residence beyond the master's degree. A
minimum of 24 units of academic credit is required, 8 of which may be units of
dissertation research.
In addition to meeting Graduate College requirements, the Department of Political Science requires that students complete a "scope and methods" sequence, acquire proficiency in analytic skills, and demonstrate expertise in several subfields within the discipline. The progress of Ph.D. candidates is monitored at various points in the program. In addition to an interim evaluation, students must pass a set of qualifying examinations and present a dissertation proposal. Once the doctoral dissertation is completed, the candidate must successfully complete an oral final defense.
Ph.D. candidates concentrate in two of five fields of political study: American government and politics, comparative government and politics, international relations, formal theory and empirical methodology or public policy.
FINANCIAL AID
Students accepted into the department's graduate program are eligible to apply
for financial aid. Most incoming students with good credentials and continuing
students demonstrating satisfactory progress will receive some type of
financial aid, but the type and amount will vary. The Department of Political
Science provides, on a competitive basis, aid packages up to $15,000, plus
waivers of tuition and partial fees. Financial aid is usually a combination of
fellowship money and assistantships. Students not requiring or qualifying for
these types of assistance may apply for a tuition and fee waiver. Limited
amounts of aid are also available for such things as dissertation field
research, internships, and the presentation of papers at professional meetings.
The University of Illinois is also a participating member of the Committee on
Institutional Cooperation, which provides predoctoral grants to facilitate
research in developing countries.
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