The doctoral program requires written examinations in two of the three subfields the student has chosen for specialization, course work in research methods, foreign language, and/or research skills, a comprehensive oral examination and a dissertation. Most doctoral candidates gain classroom experience as teaching assistants .
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The Political Science Department's Ph.D. program prepares students for research and teaching careers in higher education and for research-based careers in other fields. It offers a broad range of options in political science and international studies. These guidelines will supersede information found in the Graduate Catalog.
ADMISSION TO THE PH.D. PROGRAM
Admission to the Ph.D. program in Political Science is based primarily on the applicant's academic record, standardized test scores and references from instructors. Graduate Record Examination scores on the verbal, quantitative, and analytical sections of the GRE are required of all applicants. International applicants whose native language is not English are also required to submit TOEFL scores. All international applicants must register with the Applied English Center upon arrival at the University and pass an English proficiency test. International students may request a waiver of this exam if their TOEFL scores are exceptional.
Complete instructions for application are listed in How to Apply.
For full graduate standing in the Ph.D. program in Political Science, applicants are required to have completed at least l5 semester hours of graduate-level courses in Political Science and (except in cases of specific exemption by the Graduate Studies Committee) hold a master's degree or its equivalent in Political Science or a closely related field from an accredited U.S. institution.
Applications for the Ph.D. program should be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies by April 15 for anticipated enrollment in the ensuing Fall session. Applicants who wish to be considered for teaching assistantships, minority fellowships, or other financial aid must complete their applications by January 10.
Minority group members and women are encouraged to apply. The Division actively pursues equal opportunity policies. Minority fellowships are available for qualified applicants.
For Ph.D. study, courses in thePolitical Science Department are divided into the following five subfields:
STUDENT ADVISING FOR THE PH.D.
Students first entering the Ph.D. program should consult with the Director of Graduate Studies. They should then select a major advisor from among the Political Science faculty by the end of their first year in the graduate program and inform the Graduate Studies Coordinator in writing of their selection. This faculty member will be responsible for advising the student concerning enrollment, the rules of the graduate program, and other such matters as may arise in a faculty-student mentoring relationship. If a student chooses to alter his or her selection of faculty advisor, he or she must inform the Graduate Studies Coordinator in writing. Students who have not selected a faculty advisor by the end of their first year will not be permitted to enroll in the third semester.
Before students are ready to take the comprehensive examinations for the Ph.D., they must select a faculty member to be their dissertation advisor. If the faculty member agrees, he/she becomes the student's major advisor and should finalize the student's long-range plan of study. During or before the semester in which the comprehensive oral examination is taken, the dissertation advisor and the student must consult and select a three-person dissertation advisory committee which is chaired by the dissertation advisor. All members of this committee must be members of the Graduate Faculty. Unless special arrangements are made with the Director of Graduate Studies, this dissertation advisory committee may include at most one member from outside the Political Science Department. The student should consult all committee members in planning and conducting the dissertation research. Note: The committee which makes a final evaluation of the dissertation (referred to as the final oral examination committee), includes this dissertation advisory committee as well as other members (see below).
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PH.D. DEGREE
This requirement is designed to enhance the research
and analytical competence of Ph.D. candidates. Each student must satisfy
the requirements of one of the following options before attempting a
preliminary examination.
Option 1: Research Methods
POLS 706 and 707 plus one additional research methods course approved by
the major advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies. Please note that POLS 705 is a prerequisite for POLS 706, but is not considered and "additional research methods course" to meet this requirement.
Option 2: Research Methods and Foreign Language
POLS 706 and 707 (with POLS 705 as a prerequisite for POLS 706) plus one of the following choices in
a language that is approved by the student's major advisor and the Director
of Graduate Studies:
a. two semesters of a single foreign language no more than five years
old at the time of certification;
b. demonstrated reading knowledge of a language; or native speaker.
Please note that these are minimum research skill requirements . Students who specialize in an international area may need more than one year of language study, particularly those who intend to conduct field research abroad. Similarly, students might need further training in statistical analysis, modeling, or programming to meet the research needs of the dissertation. Each student's major advisor should determine what, if any, additional training is necessary.
Two semesters, which may include one summer session, must be spent in residence at the University of Kansas. During this period, the student must be involved full-time in academic or professional pursuits, which may include an appointment for teaching or research if the teaching/research is directed specifically toward the student's degree objectives. The student must be enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours per semester (see note below), and the increased research involvement must be fully supported and documented by the dissertation supervisor as contributing to the student's dissertation or program objectives. The research work must be performed under the direct supervision of the major advisor if on campus, or with adequate liaison if off campus.
Minor Field : The minor field may be another of
the five subfields in the Political Science Department, a related field from an outside
department, or an interdisciplinary program. The courses for the
minor field must follow the same structure, number and requirements as outlined above for
the major fields. Courses for the minor field may not be applied
to another examination field.
Work in a related field from either an outside department or an interdisciplinary program will herein be referred to as a special field. A special field is not to be treated as a simple extension or elaboration of topics treated in courses taken in one of the major fields. Instead, it should represent a significant academic departure, which cannot be pursued within the confines of the five existing fields. If the choice is a special field, approval in writing of the student's advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies must be obtained. The special field must consist of a program of four or more courses.
Grades of Incomplete : Grades of Incomplete (I) require
special attention by both students and faculty. The Department will
not permit a student with six or more semester hours of Incomplete to enroll
in further coursework.
Probation . According to the rules of the Graduate
School, a student must maintain a 3.0 grade point average. If the
cumulative grade point average drops below 3.0, the student will
be placed on probation. The Director of Graduate Studies will notify the student
of the situation and advise him/her that he/she will be dismissed
if certain conditions are not fulfilled. The Divisional rules state
that the cumulative average must be raised above 3.0 in the next
semester in order for the student to be returned to regular status;
otherwise the student may be dismissed. Departmental policies will
place additional obligations on the student and the Director of Graduate
Studies will inform the student of them. In particular, a student
on probation who receives any grade below "B" will be dismissed.
Third Semester Evaluation. In the spring of the
student's second year in the Ph.D. program, the graduate studies
committee will meet to formulate an evaluation of the student's progress.
Based on the coursework and other information that the graduate advisor
may solicit from professors, students will be informed whether their
work is satisfactory, marginal, or unlikely to lead to the eventual
completion of the Ph.D. The latter classification may be accompanied
with advice that the student should withdraw from the program.
Two Written Preliminary Examinations :
Each student must pass written preliminary examinations in the two major
subfields of the student's specialization and intensive study.
Time of the Examinations: Both examinations are taken
during the three-week examination periods in the Fall and Spring semesters
(e.g., the second and third full weeks of
September and the second and third full weeks of
February). The examinations will be offered on consecutive Mondays. The
scheduled dates for the examinations in the various subfields will be
announced after the exam registration deadline.
Admission to the Examinations : Students attempting
the preliminary examinations for the Ph.D. degree must meet the following
conditions prior to the examinations.
a. Complete all outstanding incompletes or obtain a waiver from the Director
of Graduate Studies.
b. Complete the FLORS requirement.
c. Complete the curricular requirements for the Ph.D. examinations
(above) and maintain an overall grade-point average of 3.5 or better in all graduate-level courses taken at the University of Kansas after admission of the Department of Political Science graduate program.
d. Meet the residency requirement of the Graduate School.
Application for the Examinations: Students planning to
take the examinations should notify the Director
of Graduate Studies of their intentions, in writing. The deadlines for
applications are August 1 for the fall examinations and December
15 for the examinations in the following spring. This notification must
include a completed form (obtainable from the Graduate Coordinator)
specifying:
l) The courses used to fulfill requirements and overall GPA.
2) Semesters and courses (or course/teaching combination) used to meet
the residency requirement.
3) That all grades of incomplete have been removed.
Failure to notify the Director of Graduate Studies precludes a
student from taking the examinations . Notification does not,
however, obligate a student to attempt the examination.
The following comments pertain to the content and procedures of these examinations.
Content of the Examinations: The student is expected
to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the institutional systems, political
processes, bibliographical materials, pertinent theories, and leading research
ideas in each examination subfield. In addition, both Ph.D. students and
faculty members should keep in mind that subfield examinations are not
confined to the content of particular courses . The prime purpose
of a subfield examination is to test a student's broad knowledge
in that subfield . Copies of past examinations in each subfield
are maintained in the Political Science Department office, 504 Blake; these
may be checked out. The subfield committees will have the right to specify changes in the formats of their examinations. In particular, they may introduce limitations on the lengths of answers to questions. Such changes must be widely promulgated at least six weeks before the date of the examinations. Students are encouraged to consult widely with departmental faculty in their subfields about the structure and expectations for exams.
Faculty Participation: Examinations in each subfield
are to be collegially prepared. No regular faculty member in the
subfield of the examination is precluded either from the writing
or the reading and grading of the examinations. Both faculty and
students should recognize that it is the responsibility of all faculty
members to participate fully in preliminary examinations for at least
one subfield.
Procedures for Preparing the Examinations : Allowing
sufficient time for examination preparation, the examination directors
are appointed by the Director of Graduate Studies. The examination
directors are responsible for soliciting questions from all the members
of the subfield, calling a meeting of the subfield at least two weeks
before the date of the examination, and submitting the final questions
to the Graduate Studies Coordinator one week before the examination. The examination director
is responsible for proofreading the examination and delivering it
to the Graduate Studies Coordinator at least one day before the first
examination.
Administering the Examinations : Registered students
may obtain the appropriate subfield examination from the Graduate
Studies Coordinator at 8:00 a.m. on the scheduled date. Any student
who accepts a copy of an examination will be deemed to have made
an attempt to write it. Students should give completed answers to
the Graduate Studies Coordinator by 5:00 p.m. the next day. If students
are unable to print their exam answers before the deadline, they
can submit a copy of the answers on disk and then provide a printed
version within 2 office days. If a student chooses to e-mail the
exam answers to the department, a printed copy should arrive in the
department within 2 office days . If students choose not
to type their answers as they prepare them, they may submit a hand-written
copy by the deadline and then provide a double-spaced typed copy
within 2 office days. Answers submitted in this way will be cross-checked
against the disks; deviations will result in a failure on the examination.
All submitted answers should be typed or letter-quality printed,
double-spaced, one-inch margins minimum, with pages numbered.
In submitting a completed test, the student promises that the work is his
or her own. Students must not consult with faculty members, students,
or other people about the content of the test while they are taking it.
Students are free to make use of any reference materials during their
work on the examination and appropriate references (in-text citation
including the author's name, date, and name of book or journal will suffice)
to the literature must be included in the answers. If the subfield examining
committee finds that the examinee has plagiarized on the exam, the exam
will be considered a failure and the Director of Graduate Studies will
institute dismissal procedures.
Notification of the Outcome of the Examinations :
As soon as practicable after the completion of the examination, and
in no case later than four weeks after the examination, the examination
director shall notify the student and the Director of Graduate Studies,
in writing, of the results of the examination. The subfield faculty
shall provide the student with a written explanation of the committee's
specific judgments on each examination question. A copy of this written
explanation should be given to the Director of Graduate Studies for
deposit in the student's departmental file. A copy should be made
of the examination for each member of the preliminary examination
committee to facilitate and expedite evaluation.
Constraints Regarding the Taking and Outcome of the Examinations :
Students may attempt the written preliminary examination in each
subfield a maximum of two times. A student may not drop a subfield
after failing its preliminary examination. A second examination in
the same subfield must be attempted at, or before, the next regularly
scheduled examinations. Failure on the second attempt at the preliminary
examination in any subfield shall result in a student's termination
from the graduate program. A student must pass the written preliminary
examinations before taking the comprehensive oral examination.
Change of Status to Candidacy . Upon passing the
comprehensive oral examination, the student becomes a candidate for
the Ph.D. degree.
Post-Comprehensive Enrollment . After passing the
comprehensive oral examination, candidates must enroll continuously--including
summer sessions--until all requirements for the degree are completed,
and each enrollment shall reflect as accurately as possible the candidate's
demands on faculty time and University facilities. During this time,
until all requirements for the degree are completed, or until l8
post-comprehensive hours have been completed (whichever comes first),
the candidate must enroll for a minimum of six (6) hours per semester
and three (3) hours per summer session in POLS 999, Doctoral
Dissertation, or other coursework approved by the student's
advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies as pertaining to the
dissertation. (Post-comprehensive enrollment may include enrollment
during the semester or summer session in which the comprehensive
oral examination has been passed). After eighteen (18) post-comprehensive
hours have been completed, minimum enrollment levels are one (1)
hour per academic term, including the summer semester.
Dissertation Prospectus All
Ph.D. students successfully completing their comprehensive examinations
must, within six months of such completion, successfully defend a prospectus
of the dissertation. Successful defense of the prospectus is required
to retain a status of "reasonable progress toward the Ph.D." and to
be eligible for further departmental funding. The defense will be conducted
before the dissertation committee.
Every doctoral candidate must assemble a dissertation committee no less
than two weeks before the prospectus defense. Committee membership is expected
to be the same as the final dissertation committee. The composition of
the dissertation committee must be formally submitted to the Director of
Graduate Studies for approval. Membership can be changed only by written
appeal to the Director of Graduate Studies or the Chair of the Department
of Political Science.
Such change in dissertation committee membership cannot be altered less
than one month before the scheduled date of the dissertation defense.
Selection of the Committee for the Final Oral Examination .
The committee for the final oral examination shall consist of at
least five members, including the members of the dissertation advisory
committee and two other members that serve as "readers." Both readers
must be members of the Graduate faculty and one must be from outside
the Department of Political Science. The Graduate School formally
appoints all members of the Final Oral Examination Committee at the
request of the department.
Reporting the Outcome of the Final Examination .
The department will report the outcome of the final examination to
the Graduate School. If a grade of "Unsatisfactory" is reported,
the candidate may be allowed to repeat the examination a second time.
Failure on the second attempt at the final oral examination shall
result in termination from the graduate program.
Instructions to Candidates for the Ph.D. Degree. An
Application for degree should be submitted online to the Graduate School at least three months prior to the granting of
the degree and usually during the enrollment for the session in which
requirements for the degree are to be completed.
Final Submission of the Dissertation
General Information : When the final oral examination
has been passed and the dissertation has been signed by the members
of the dissertation advisory committee, the dissertation must be submitted electronically to the Graduate School so that completion of degree requirements may be officially certified.
A paper copy of the signed dissertation must be bound and be given to the Director of Graduate Studies for deposit in the Political Science Department within one semester of graduation. The department's copy must be bound in cloth with the title and author's name on the front cover. The year, title and last name of author should be on the spine. If the student is unable to provide a copy of the dissertation within one semester, an extension can be granted by the Director of Graduate Studies.
Some students also prepare a bound copy for the dissertation advisor, but this is not required.
Dissertation Format: The form of the table of contents, the organization of the bibliography, the stylistic practices represented in the footnotes, and the placement of the footnotes -- these are the matters that are ordinarily decided by doctoral candidates in conference with their committees, particularly the director of the dissertation. For further information on writing a dissertation, please please refer to the various style books available in the University library.
Students must consult with the Graduate School for the exact format for the electronic copy of the dissertation to be submitted to them. Before the final copies of the dissertation are submitted, it is best to present the final manuscript the the Graduate School for approval of format.
Maximum Tenure : A student who enters the Ph.D. program
must complete all work for the Ph.D. degree within eight (8) years
of the time of initial enrollment.
l. A student may petition the Graduate School for a one-year extension of the time limit, but only if the student's dissertation advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies approve the petition. In no case will an extension be recommended if the student has not passed the oral comprehensive examination.
2. A student may petition the Graduate School through the department for a leave-of-absence to pursue full-time professional goals. A leave-of-absence may also be granted because of a serious illness or other emergency. Originally, a leave-of-absence is granted for one, or at the most, two years, with the possibility of an extension upon request. After an absence of five years, however, a doctoral student must apply for readmission to the program and to the Graduate School.
3. Any student who has not completed the dissertation and passed the final oral examination for the Ph.D. degree within five years of successful completion of the comprehensive oral examination must take a second comprehensive oral examination in order to regain candidate status. Failure to pass this examination will result in the termination from the graduate program. A maximum of two attempts will be allowed.
General : The Political Science Department follows the university policy on academic misconduct as cited below. The maximum penalty for academic misconduct is termination from the program.
Rules and Regulations of the University Senate (Article 2, sec. 5): Section 6. Academic Misconduct:
2.6.l. Academic misconduct by the student shall include giving or receiving of unauthorized aid on examinations or in the preparation of notebooks, themes, reports or other assignments, or knowingly misrepresenting the source of any academic work . . .
2.6.2. An instructor may, with due notice to the student, treat as unsatisfactory any student work which is the product of academic misconduct . . .
Plagiarism : Any attempt to pass off work copied or paraphrased from elsewhere as if it were original is plagiarism and is viewed as a serious breach of academic integrity. Plagiarism may be unintentional. It is therefore advisable to note and adhere to the following rules.
Academic Documentation . Acknowledgment of sources by footnotes, endnotes or textnotes is mandatory in the following two cases:
l. Any direct quotation from another author, whether an entire paragraph or a single but unusual word from a passage, must be acknowledged both with quotation marks and a note.
2. Any citation, paraphrase, or restatement of another author's works or ideas, even if such are not repeated verbatim, must be acknowledged. In this case, only a footnote is used to refer the reader to the original source or sources.
Those cases in which footnoting is not needed :
Everything must be noted with only two exceptions:
First, writing need not be noted when it is one's own interpretation of the research materials; or, second, information may be included without a note when it meets all four of the following conditions.
--The information is available from several sources.
--The information is restated completely in the researcher's own words.
--The restatement does not come from any particular source.
--The subject is considered common knowledge (e.g., the three branches of the federal government).
Any student wishing to make a complaint involving either a Department of Political Science faculty or staff member and concerning Departmental policies or decisions may seek redress of his or her grievances in the following manner:
l. Present grievances to the Director of Graduate Studies.
2. Refer to Article IV of the Department of Political Science Bylaws.
I. Major Field Requirements
Two major fields. Each Field: Four courses at the 600-level or above, at least three of which must be at the 700-level or above. At least two 700-level (or higher) courses (excluding directed readings) must be taken at KU. One graduate level directed readings course is allowed.
II. Minor Field Requirement
Twelve hours of coursework at the same levels as in the major fields. The four courses may be in a subfield in the Division (beyond the major fields) or may be taken in a special field.
III. Foreign Language or Research Skills (FLORS) Requirement
Complete POLS 706 and 707 (Research Methods) and a) one additional research methods course or b) attain or demonstrate reading knowledge in a foreign language.
IV. Examinations
Written preliminary examinations must be passed in the two major fields. At the discretion of the special field committee, an examination may be held in the minor field.
A comprehensive oral examination.
V. Dissertation
A dissertation must be approved by the student's Ph.D. committee and defended successfully in a final oral examination. The dissertation must be submitted to the Graduate School, and the Department.