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Graduate Program

Located in a beautiful coastal community with a year-round temperate climate, UCSB is a world-class research university offering a comprehensive array of academic programs. The campus was recently ranked in a national study as one of the top two public research universities in the country. Another recent study ranked the Political Science Department eighth in the nation in faculty productivity. Despite UCSB's growing stature as a research institution, the faculty remains committed to teaching and working with students.

The Department of Political Science offers diversified and flexible programs of graduate study leading to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. In addition to offering five traditional areas of study--American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and methodology--the Department allows students to define their own, interdisciplinary fields of study for the Ph.D. This flexibility is rare among graduate programs at major universities.

Building on the faculty's wide-ranging interests and expertise in the study of political science, the Department is building research clusters that both combine strengths across subfields in political science and connect to areas of strength in other departments across campus. These include:
  • Political Communication (with a special focus on the internet and other new media)
  • The Politics of Identity
  • The Politics of Social and Economic Policy (with a special focus on Environmental Policy)

Approximately 60 students are enrolled in the Department's graduate programs. This ratio of three students per professor permits extensive contact and mentoring by the faculty. The graduate program in Political Science also admits a few non-degree students who meet all the regular admission requirements but prefer not to work toward an advanced degree. Our students come from all over the United States and from abroad.

Requirements of the Graduate Program in Political Science
Information about our graduate program, including the Ph.D. program, M.A. Program, facilities, and financial aid is detailed in our comprehensive handbook Graduate Study in Political Science. (In .pdf format--requires Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0 or higher, which can be downloaded from Adobe free of charge.) Contents include:
  • Admission to the Ph.D Program
  • Ph.D. Program Rules and Degree Requirements
  • Optional Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Emphases
  • M.A. Admission and Degree Requirements
  • Tuition, Fees, and Residency
  • Financial Aid and Employment
  • Housing
  • Application Information
 handbook

Note: Applications for admission are ordinarily accepted for enrollment only in the fall quarter. Application forms must be completed on-line at the UCSB Graduate Division website, https://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/eapp/.

A quick overview of the Ph.D. program requirements is contained in this chart. The exam/field paper requirements for the traditional subfields are detailed in this separate handout. Additional information on methodological training, teacher training, and interdisciplinary emphases within the program is provided on the Training and Emphases page.

Information for New Students
The Graduate Handbook provides general information for new students, including local housing options and transportation. A special handout on Financial information for current and prospective graduate students (in .pdf format) includes fee schedules, housing cost estimates, parking, and childcare costs. This information is updated annually.

Course Information
The Graduate Seminar Schedule is posted on-line at the beginning of each academic year. Changes to the schedule may occur each quarter. For a description of these courses, please see the UCSB catalog at http://www.catalog.ucsb.edu/2008cat/depts/polsci.htm.

In addition to the scheduled graduate seminars, each year the Political Science Department hosts lectures and presentation on current research and timely topics by noted experts in the field. The Colloquium and Seminar Calendar is updated throughout the academic year on the Department's News and Events web page.

Visiting the Department
Students interested in visiting the Department should contact the Graduate Program Assistant for an appointment (see Contact Information below). A series of helpful links to information for prospective visitors to UCSB can be found on the UCSB Information link on our home page. Additional information can be found on the Political Science Graduate Student Association (PSGSA) web page.
Contact Information for the Graduate Program
Linda James james@polsci.ucsb.edu
Graduate Program Assistant, Ellison Hall, 3835.

Prof. Eric Smith smith@polsci.ucsb.edu
Graduate Program Advisor, Ellison Hall, 3711.

Additional information about the Political Science Department can be found on our Faculty and News and Events web pages.