PhD - Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science PHD Programme By Washington State University |TopUniversities
Main Subject Area

PoliticsMain Subject Area

Programme overview

Main Subject

Politics

Study Level

PHD

There are several features of our Ph.D. program that make it distinct from many of the others you might be considering: A commitment to problem-driven research - The School is focused on “problem-driven research” that involves the analysis of national and international policy issues. At the heart of this approach are interdisciplinary research efforts to pursue scholarly activity that will solve the complex and “wicked” problems that democratic societies face. It is research that “speaks” to scholars, policy-makers and citizens. Our school’s research has focused on a variety of pressing problems: bio-ethics in medicine, political civility, environmental justice, gender equality, legal justice, democratic participation and representation, elite problem solving, terrorism, civil unrest, WMD proliferation, and disability policy, among others. A commitment to methodological diversity - We promote, sustain and teach a multi-methods approach in order to contribute to large-scale problem solving through scientific inquiry. In a multi-methods approach, researchers marshal the full range of methodological tools, often in conjunction with one another, that cut across traditional boundaries, e.g. qualitative (process tracing, qualitative comparative analysis, case studies, discourse analysis) and quantitative tools (survey research, statistical analysis, experiments, etc.). We pursue projects that adapt our methods to our research agendas rather than being driven by a specific methodology. Our graduate and undergraduate training emphasize this methodological diversity. Because our faculty numbers are relatively small, we cannot offer training or faculty expertise in every field of political science. There are, however, several areas in which we specialize, including: Political Psychology; Peace, Conflict and Security Studies; Gender Policy; Law and Courts; Political Communication; Environmental Ethics and Policy.

Programme overview

Main Subject

Politics

Study Level

PHD

There are several features of our Ph.D. program that make it distinct from many of the others you might be considering: A commitment to problem-driven research - The School is focused on “problem-driven research” that involves the analysis of national and international policy issues. At the heart of this approach are interdisciplinary research efforts to pursue scholarly activity that will solve the complex and “wicked” problems that democratic societies face. It is research that “speaks” to scholars, policy-makers and citizens. Our school’s research has focused on a variety of pressing problems: bio-ethics in medicine, political civility, environmental justice, gender equality, legal justice, democratic participation and representation, elite problem solving, terrorism, civil unrest, WMD proliferation, and disability policy, among others. A commitment to methodological diversity - We promote, sustain and teach a multi-methods approach in order to contribute to large-scale problem solving through scientific inquiry. In a multi-methods approach, researchers marshal the full range of methodological tools, often in conjunction with one another, that cut across traditional boundaries, e.g. qualitative (process tracing, qualitative comparative analysis, case studies, discourse analysis) and quantitative tools (survey research, statistical analysis, experiments, etc.). We pursue projects that adapt our methods to our research agendas rather than being driven by a specific methodology. Our graduate and undergraduate training emphasize this methodological diversity. Because our faculty numbers are relatively small, we cannot offer training or faculty expertise in every field of political science. There are, however, several areas in which we specialize, including: Political Psychology; Peace, Conflict and Security Studies; Gender Policy; Law and Courts; Political Communication; Environmental Ethics and Policy.

Admission Requirements

7+

Scholarships

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