PhD in Political Science in Pullman United States | Washington State University

Twenty-one faculty members teach and research across the discipline's core areas: American politics, comparative politics, international relations, public policy and administration, political theory, and political methodology. Their expertise extends to specialized fields including public law, political communication, political psychology, French and European politics, U.S. foreign policy, gender studies, environmental policy, and qualitative methods.
Our Ph.D. program stands out from others through several unique aspects: The iconic WSU concrete letters illuminated at night before the Brelsford Visitor Center. A dedication to research addressing real-world challenges. Our School prioritizes policy-relevant research examining both domestic and global issues, employing interdisciplinary approaches to tackle society's most complex problems. This work engages scholars, policymakers, and the public alike. Current research initiatives address critical issues such as medical ethics, political discourse, environmental equity, gender parity, judicial fairness, democratic engagement, elite decision-making, terrorism, social movements, weapons proliferation, and disability rights. An embrace of diverse methodologies. We champion a multi-method framework that combines qualitative techniques (like process tracing, comparative case studies, and discourse analysis) with quantitative approaches (including surveys, statistical modeling, and experiments) to address significant challenges. Our philosophy adapts methods to research questions rather than limiting inquiries to specific techniques. Both graduate and undergraduate programs emphasize this methodological flexibility.