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Pursue a Ph.D. in Political Science During your initial two years, the primary focus is preparing for the doctoral qualifying exam. You'll build a comprehensive foundation in the field by taking three graduate-level courses each quarter. Required coursework (which may extend beyond year two) consists of:
Choose two specialization areas from these five options:
Comparative Politics. Complete the foundational POSC 217 course plus three additional field-specific classes.
International Relations. Take the core POSC 216 course along with three supplementary courses.
American Politics. Fulfill the POSC 249 requirement and three extra courses in this concentration.
Mass Political Behavior. Complete either POSC 255 or 256 as your core, plus three additional electives.
Political Theory. Satisfy the POSC 212 core requirement and take three more courses in this discipline.