Political Science and International Relations (PhD)
The Ph.D Program
The Department of Political Science and International Relations currently offers a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) degree, which consists of coursework during the first six semesters followed by dissertation research and writing. Students earn an M.A. as part of their Ph.D. studies. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) at the time of matriculation to be eligible to apply to the Ph.D. program. The department does not currently offer a terminal M.A. degree.
Graduate study in the department is organized around four major subfields within the discipline of Political Science: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory. Ph.D. students are required to pick one of these major subfields within the discipline as their primary field and a second subfield as their secondary field. In addition to the four major subfields, students can choose Methods as their secondary field.
Field Descriptions
The American politics field broadly encompasses institutions (including Congress, the presidency, and the courts), mass behavior (including public opinion and political participation) and political organizations (like parties and interest groups). Our research program and courses are theoretically driven, but also offer opportunities for students and faculty alike to engage in applied politics. We have particular strengths in the study of political psychology, gender and politics, and race and ethnic politics.
Comparative Politics as a sub-field is a wide and diverse area of study that deals with politics beyond the U.S. It embraces a range of methodological and theoretical approaches. At the University of Delaware, our comparative politics faculty conduct research in gender and politics in Africa, governance in Africa, comparative political economy with a focus on Europe, populism in Latin America, regionalism in Asia, religion and politics in the Middle East, and ethnic conflict.
International Relations (IR) is the study of international and transnational politics broadly understood. Work in the IR subfield is attentive to exchanges and processes among states, peoples, corporations and other economic activity, organizations, transnational actors and movements, as well among the global, regional, and local levels of politics. The IR faculty at the University of Delaware conduct research in areas of historical IR and the historical evolution of the international system; normative IR theory; conflict and peace-building; international security; security studies; political economy; gender and IR; human rights and human security; and global, regional, and transnational governance.
The subfield of Political Theory consists of offerings in political theory and law. The political theory subfield focuses on the conceptual frameworks we use to understand, explain, and evaluate our political world. Our faculty includes specialists in both theory and law, many of whom overlap with other subfields in the discipline and who have interdisciplinary ties with fields including Legal Studies, Women and Gender Studies, Sexuality and Gender Studies, and Islamic Studies. Our department includes the study of both the history of ideas and contemporary political and social theory, with strengths in critical theory, modern and postmodern political theory, feminist and queer theory, democratic theory, and Islamic political thought.
