Our graduate program in Political Science has been
transforming, reflecting changes in the discipline, shifts in the political
landscape, and the addition new faculty who have expanded the depth and breadth
of our offerings. We now offer degrees
specializing in four of the major subfields which you may explore in greater
depth by looking at the faculty listing for each subfield: International
Relations, Comparative Politics, American Politics, and Political Theory. Within each of
these fields we offer coursework as well as faculty mentorship, encouraging
students to get grounding in the traditional subfields as well as designing a
research program drawing from our different faculty strengths. Within and
across subfields we have clusters of faculty specializing in Global Governance,
Political Psychology, Political Behavior, Quantitative and Qualitative
Methodology, Security Studies, Critical Theory, Constructivism, and Gender and
Politics. Our department complements training inside the department with
interdisciplinary ties with Gender and Women Studies, Communications,
Psychology, Africana Studies, Global and Area Studies, and others.
In addition to expanding our footprint in Political Science,
we have been revising, expanding, and improving our methodology training to
provide students with access to a variety of methodological skills through
coursework inside and outside the department in addition to off-campus
opportunities such as attending the ICPSR at the University of Michigan and the
Consortium for Qualitative and Multi-method research at Syracuse
University.
While ours is primarily a
PhD program, a limited number of MA students may be admitted. To help students
navigate the discipline our students select a concentration among the subfields
in consultation with faculty. PhD students pursue two fields, while MA
students pursue one. Each subfield offers students opportunities to explore in
depth complex theoretical, conceptual, and practical questions related to
particular issues, and to develop specific research interests under the
guidance of distinguished faculty.
Approximately 50 graduate
students from all over the USA and the world are currently enrolled in our
graduate program. Our faculty provide close advising and mentoring to our
graduate students who find a collegial atmosphere in the Department. Through
colloquia, seminars, and an annual spring speaker series, we offer a
stimulating intellectual environment. In addition, we provide our advanced
graduate students with opportunities to teach their own courses. Finally, we
encourage our advanced graduate students to present their research at
conferences and to publish their scholarship in peer-reviewed journals.
We are excited about the growth and new directions in
graduate education in our department and at our University, and we encourage
you to explore our website to learn more about our program. Should you have
additional questions, please contact Professor Claire Rasmussen (cerasmus@udel.edu), Director of Graduate Studies.