PhD in Political Science - American Politics in Chestnut Hill United States | Boston College

The department structures its curriculum around four primary disciplines: Political Theory, American Politics, International Politics, and Comparative Politics. These disciplines are further divided into specialized subfields, detailed below. Students select one discipline as their primary focus (major) and another as their secondary focus (minor). A major requires completion of eight courses within a chosen discipline, covering at least three subfields (or four if Political Theory is the major). A minor consists of four courses. Additionally, students must complete two elective courses that can be distributed freely, including options outside the department. These electives may also count toward an optional second minor, which requires just two courses.

Students beginning the program without prior graduate work or a master's degree must complete fourteen courses (42-43 credits). The standard course load is three classes per semester. Of these fourteen courses, three may involve independent study, while two (with a maximum of one per semester) can be undergraduate-level courses. Graduate students enrolled in undergraduate courses typically need to fulfill additional academic requirements.

Those entering with a master's degree must complete a minimum of ten courses (30 credits), with two allowed for independent study and two at the undergraduate level. The exact course requirements for master's degree holders will primarily depend on how closely their previous studies align with our program's expectations.