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Programs of Study, 1997-1999
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
POLITICAL SCIENCE
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; (217) 333-2575.
URL: http://occss-novell.cso.uiuc.edu/polisci/main.htm
Prospective students may contact: Michael Krassa, Director of Graduate Study. E-mail: m-krassa@uiuc.edu
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: M. L. Bowen, S. A. Douglas, M. A. Krassa, R. G. Muncaster, S. T. Seitz
Assistant Professors: M. Caldwell, B. J. Gaines, D. Grynspan, C. S. Leff, G. L. Munck, M. A. Orlie, L. S. Rich, B. R. Sala, T. Shaw
GRADUATE DEGREE 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. Students are not normally admitted in the spring semester.
MASTER OF ARTS
Students can earn a master of arts in political science usually within one year. It entails the completion of eight units and the achievement of a 3.0 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, eight 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. Expertise in a cognate field is demonstrated through advanced course work.
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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