Political Science

The Department of Political Science offers diversified and flexible programs of graduate study leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree. Our aim is to provide the highest quality graduate training for students who go on to academic teaching and research positions, and to non-academic careers in the public and private sectors. Our graduate students benefit from an active, engaged faculty, extensive methodological training, a focus in the department on inter-disciplinary approaches, and close work with a faculty mentor under our apprenticeship model of faculty-student relationships. Doctoral students are trained in primary and secondary fields, in addition to methods. The primary field is chosen from the department's four traditional sub-fields (American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory) and is completed via coursework and a written comprehensive exam. The second field may be chosen from the four main sub-fields, or from the department's two research foci (Politics of Identity and Politics of the Environment), or may be defined by the student and approved according to departmental policy. The second field is completed via coursework and by either a written comprehensive exam or a field paper.

Coursework

Complete a minimum of twelve courses with a grade of B or better (or thirteen if selecting a non-exam qualifying option), subject to additional requirements as outlined in the Department’s graduate student handbook.

Qualifying Requirements

Students must qualify in two fields. The first field is chosen from among American Politics, International Relations, Comparative Politics, and Political Theory.  A student must take at least three seminars in the examination field (some fields also have additional requirements). A student may take no more than one quarter of PS 596 (Directed Reading and Research) as part of exam preparation. The second field is chosen from among American Politics, International Relations, Comparative Politics, Political Theory, Environmental Politics, and Identity Politics, or the second field may be self-defined, by petition.

Here are the Requirements for the Political Science Subfields.Please consult the department’s graduate student handbook for options for qualifying in the second field.

Reading Lists for Qualifying Exams

Our faculty have prepared reading lists for each of the exam fields that are intended as starting points for students’ exam preparation. Students preparing for exams should consult carefully with faculty in their field for recent literature and how best to use these lists.

American Politics Reading List

Comparative Poltics Core Reading List
International Relations Reading List

Language Skills Requirement

A student can satisfy this requirement through demonstration of proficiency in a foreign language or competence in statistics and quantitative data analysis or competence in a qualitative or other research method appropriate to a well-defined research program in Political Science.  

Professional Skills Requirement

In each academic year, a student must attend at least five departmental guest presentations, for a cumulative total of fifteen presentations over three years.
Over three years of enrollment, a student must attend each of the department’s professional skills forums at least once for a cumulative total of six.

Prospectus Research

Complete at least one quarter of Dissertation Prospectus Workshop (PS 503).  This course is required for all subfields, and emphasizes preparation of the dissertation prospectus, but it is also designed to assist students during the dissertation research and writing phases.

Prospectus Defense

Pass an oral qualifying examination, which will focus on the dissertation prospectus.  This must be completed within four years of beginning graduate studies at UCSB. After the defense, each student must pay the “Advancement to Candidacy” fee to the Cashier’s Office and take the receipt to the Graduate Division. 

Public Presentation

Make one formal public presentation.  This requirement may be fulfilled by a practice job talk, a works-in-progress presentation of one’s research before the department, or a paper presentation at a major conference.

Doctoral Dissertation

Write a doctoral dissertation that is acceptable to the department. It is essential that the doctoral student maintain close contact with members of his/her dissertation committee to inform them of progress in writing the dissertation. The dissertation must be filed within seven years after the date of the student’s entrance into a graduate program in the department.

Requirements

• Online application: https://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/eapp
• Statement of Purpose, Personal Achievements/Contributions, and Resume or CV (Submitted in the online application)
• Three Letters of Recommendation (Submitted online)
• Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended (Submitted online)
• GRE General test scores
• TOEFL scores 600 Paper-Based Test (PBT), 80 Internet-Based Test (IBT) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Overall Band score of 7 or higher (if applicable)
• Writing Sample (submitted in the online application)
• Final/Official transcripts will be required for all applicants who are admitted and have indicated their intent to enroll at UC Santa Barbara by submitting a Statement of Intent to Register (SIR). UC Santa Barbara reserves the right to require official transcripts at any time during the admissions process, and rescind any offer of admission made if discrepancies between uploaded and official transcript(s) are found.

Scholarships

Departmental Conference Travel Grant

The Department Travel Grant is available to help defray the costs for current graduate students traveling to participate in a professional conference. Applications are accepted between September and early April.  Submissions should be sent to Professor Cohen via email with Carol Conley copied on the email. Please include "Departmental conference travel grant" in the subject line.  Decisions are made on a quarterly basis and subject to funding availability.  Each grant recipient is strongly encouraged to do a work-in-progress presentation before going to the conference.

*NOTE: If you have advanced to candidacy, you may be eligible to apply for the one-time doctoral student travel grant offered by the Academic Senate.

Louis Lancaster Scholarship

The Louis Lancaster Scholarship Fund was established as an annual award in honor of Louis Lancaster for his years of service to the greater Santa Barbara community.  The purpose of the fund is to support scholarships for graduate students whose field of study is international relations.  Graduate students are selected based on academic performance and do not apply directly for the scholarship.

Louis Lancaster Graduate Fellowship

Mr. and Mrs. Louis Lancaster established an endowed fund for graduate students in the Political Science Department.  Their wish was to promote and encourage outstanding scholarship of Ph.D students in International Relations and Comparative Politics.  Graduate students are selected based on academic performance and do not apply directly for the scholarship.

Manzer-Wesson Award

The Manzer-Wesson Award recognizes excellence in graduate student academic writing.  The award is a combination of two separate funds: the Colin Reid Manzer fund and the Robert G. Wesson Fund.  Graduate students may be nominated by faculty to receive an award for: best seminar paper, best paper presented at a conference, best dissertation prospectus, and best paper to appear in a publication.  Graduate students may only be nominated by a member of the faculty.

Broom Center Graduate Student Research and Travel Grants

The Broom Center for Demography awards funds to support graduate student attendance at training program in demographic methods and for small dissertation-related research projects on demographic topics.  

UCSB Central Continuing Student Fellowships

Continuing graduate students are able to apply for fellowship funds from UCSB.  Cover Sheets and instructions for each award application are sent out by the department's graduate adviser.

UCSB Crossroads: Integrating Interdisciplinary Research and Teaching in Graduate Education

UCSB Crossroads is a pilot program aimed at providing doctoral students with a year-long interdisciplinary research experience that is then extended into the graduate classroom through curriculum development and closely mentored teaching. 

UCSB Dissertation Fellowship in Black Studies

The Department of Black Studies at UCSB invites applications for two dissertation fellowship scholars.  The department is interested in scholars whose research focuses on intersections of race, class, gender or sexuality in African/Caribbean/African-American or Diasporic Studies.  

The Interdisciplinary Humanities Center (IHC) Pre-doctoral Fellowships

The Interdisciplinary Humanities Center offers pre-doctoral fellowships to support UCSB doctoral candidates whose research facilitates dialogue across the traditional disciplinary boundaries within the arts and humanities, and/or between the arts & humanities, sciences, and social sciences.  For more information, visit the IHC website. 

Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF)

The Mellon International Dissertation Research Felowship (IDRF) offers nine to twelve months of support to graduate students in the humanities and humanistic social sciences who are enrolled in PhD programs in the United States and conducting dissertation research on non-US topics.  Eighty fellowships are awarded annuall and the amounts vary, averaging $20,000.  

The Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships

Fellowships are designed to encourage original and significant study of ethical or religious values in all fields of the humanities and social sciences, and particularly to help Ph.D. candidates in these fields complete their dissertation work in a timely manner.  

The University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation (IGCC) Dissertation Fellowships 

Dirksen Congressional Center Congressional Research Awards

The Dirksen Congressional Center invites applications for grants to fund research on congressional leadership and the U.S. Congree.  

National Science Foundation (NSF) Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant

Social Science & Policy Forum - Summer Institute and Predissertation Fellowship on Inequality

The Penn Social Science and Policy Forum will be holding a forum for predissertation from a variety of social science disciples to explore research topics and scholarship related to the theme of inequality. 

University of Minnesota Center for German & European Studies Trans-Atlantic Summer Institute (TASI)

The Trans-Atlantic Summer Institute provides a unique forum for advanced graduate students from North America, Germany, and other European countries to explore topics relating to Germany's and Europe's history, politics, and society.  The Institute offers a diverse mix of seminar discussions of key readings, research presentations by guest faculty and fellows, and informal discussions of fellows' research projects.  All selected applicants will receive fellowships.