USC Catalogue 2023-2024 [ARCHIVED CATALOGUE]
Political Science and International Relations
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Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow Center for International and Public Affairs, DMC 327
(213) 740-1695
FAX: (213) 740-0281
Email: cgrose@usc.edu
dornsife.usc.edu/poir
Chair: Sally Pratt, PhD
Faculty
University Professor and Wallis Annenberg Chair of Communication Technology and Society and Professor of Communication, Sociology, Planning and International Relations: Manuel Castells, PhD (Communication)
Blue Cross of California Chair in Health Care Finance and Professor of Policy, Planning and Development and Political Science: Glenn Melnick, PhD (Public Policy)
Robert R. and Katheryn A. Dockson Chair in Economics and International Relations and Professor of International Relations and Economics: Joshua Aizenman, PhD
Carl Mason Franklin Chair in Law and Professor of Law and Political Science: Andrew Guzman, PhD (Law)
J. Thomas McCarthy Trustee Chair in Law and Political Science: Robert K. Rassmussen, PhD (Law)
John A. McCone Chair in International Relations and Professor of International Relations and Law: Wayne Sandholtz, PhD
Jeffrey J. Miller Chair in Government, Business and the Economy and Professor of Public Policy and Political Science: Elizabeth Graddy, PhD (Public Policy)
Emery Evans Olson Chair in Non-Profit Entrepreneurship and Public Policy and Professor of Public Policy and Political Science: James Ferris, PhD (Public Policy)
Robert C. Packard Trustee Chair in Law and Professor of Law, Political Science and Economics: Edward McCaffery, JD (Law)
Charles F. Sexton Chair in American Enterprise and Professor of Finance and Business Economics, Business and Law, and Political Science: John Matsusaka, PhD (Finance and Business Economics)
USC Associates Chair in Social Sciences and Professor of Political Science and Gender Studies: Jane Junn, PhD
Carmen H. and Louis Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics and Professor of the Practice of Political Science: Robert M. Shrum, PhD
Dean’s Professor of International Relations: Patrick James, PhD*
Maria B. Crutcher Professor of Citizenship and Democratic Values and Professor of Public Policy and Political Science: Terry L. Cooper, PhD (Public Policy)
Maria Crutcher Professor in International Relations, Business and East Asian Languages and Cultures: David C. Kang, PhD
C. Erwin and Ione L. Piper Professor of Policy, Planning and Development and Political Science: Jack H. Knott, PhD (Public Policy)
Robert Kingsley Professor in Law and Professor of Law and Political Science: Susan Estrich, JD (Law)
Professors: Jonathan D. Aronson, PhD* (Communication); John E. Barnes, PhD*; Dennis Chong, PhD; Ann Crigler, PhD*; Nicholas Cull, PhD (Communication); Philip Ethington, PhD (History); Christian Grose, PhD; Thomas Hollihan, PhD (Communication); Jeffery Jenkins, PhD (Public Policy); Saori Katada, PhD; Nancy Lutkehaus, PhD (Anthropology); Gerardo Munck, PhD (International Relations); Daniel A. Mazmanian, PhD (Public Policy); Najmedin Meshkati, PhD (Civil and Environmental Engineering); Gerardo Munck, PhD; Michael Parks (Journalism); Brian Rathbun, PhD; Alison D. Renteln, PhD*; Stanley Rosen, PhD*; Eliz Sanasarian, PhD*; Jefferey M. Sellers, PhD; Shui Yan Tang, PhD (Public Policy); Ernest J. Wilson III, PhD (Communication); Carol Wise, PhD
Associate Professors: Robert English, PhD; Benjamin Graham, PhD; Jacques Hymans, PhD; Jonathan Markowitz, PhD; Juliet Musso, PhD (Public Policy)
Assistant Professors: Pablo Barbera, PhD; Erin Baggott Carter, PhD; Brett Carter, PhD; Allison Hartnett, PhD; Morris Levy, PhD; Christian Phillips, PhD; Stephanie Schwartz, PhD; Audrye Wong, PhD, Sherry Zaks, PhD
Professors of the Practice: Lord John Eatwell, PhD; Pamela K. Starr, PhD; Gregory Treverton, PhD; Yael Wolinsky-Nahmias, PhD (Environmental Studies)
Professors (Teaching): Arthur Auerbach, PhD; Nina Rathbun, PhD
Associate Professors of the Practice: Jeffrey R. Fields, PhD; Steve Swerdlow, JD
Associate Professors (Teaching): Douglas Becker, PhD; Iva Bozovic, PhD; Anthony Kammas, PhD
Assistant Professor (Teaching): Megan Becker, PhD
Emeritus: Peter A. Berton, PhD*; Laurie A. Brand, PhD*; Richard H. Dekmejian, PhD; Michael G. Fry, PhD; Gary W. Glass, PhD; Nora Hamilton, PhD; Steven Lamy, PhD; Abraham F. Lowenthal, PhD; Joseph L. Nyomarkay, PhD*; John S. Odell, PhD; Ron Steel, MA; Rodger Swearingen, PhD; J. Ann Tickner, PhD
*Recipient of university-wide or college teaching award.
Graduate Degrees
Director: Gerardo Munck, PhD
Email: munck@usc.edu
dornsife.usc.edu/poir
Political Science and International Relations (MA)
The POIR program does not accept applicants for a Master of Arts degree in POIR. If a student admitted in the POIR doctoral program does not have a master’s degree, the department strongly recommends that the student completes the requirements for the MA in POIR in his or her course of work toward the PhD degree. A student admitted to the doctoral program may also, at the recommendation of the department, earn a terminal MA degree.
A student may obtain an MA in POIR by fulfilling the following requirements: a minimum of 28 units in the POIR program, including POIR 600 , POIR 610 and POIR 611 , and the approval of a substantive paper.
Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science and International Relations/Juris Doctor (PhD/JD)
Application deadline (for PhD): December 1
The Political Science and International Relations program and the USC Gould School of Law jointly offer a dual degree program leading to the PhD/JD degree. Applicants must apply to the Political Science and International Relations program and the law school and meet the requirements for admission to both. In addition to the LSAT, students interested in this program are required to take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE).
In the first year, students take their course work in the law school exclusively. To earn the JD, all students (including dual degree students) must complete 35 numerically graded law units at USC after the first year. The associate dean may make exceptions to this rule for students enrolled in law honors programs. The second and third years include a total of 40 units of courses in political science and international relations and 40 units of law. Students must complete a five-course core theory and methodology sequence. They must include a classics-oriented, two-semester political, social, comparative and international theory sequence (currently POIR 600 ), a multivariate statistics course (such as POIR 611 ) and a philosophies/methodologies in social inquiry course (POIR 610 ). Finally in their second, third or fourth year, they must take an approved advanced research methods course.
To obtain a PhD in Political Science and International Relations, students must pass the screening process. After the completion of required field course work with a grade of B or better, a substantive paper or USC MA thesis relevant to the program, students must take a PhD qualifying examination in two of their three fields of concentration. The third field will be completed by taking at least three courses and passing each with a grade of B or better. The final requirement, following successful completion of the qualifying examination, is a doctoral dissertation.
Political Science and International Relations (PhD)
USC Graduate School Requirements
The PhD degree is awarded to students who have demonstrated in-depth knowledge of the disciplines of political science and international relations and the ability to make an original research contribution. The PhD in Political Science and International Relations requirements are fulfilled by successfully completing a minimum of 70 units beyond the BA, the PhD screening process, three fields of concentration, a substantive paper, a foreign language requirement (if applicable), qualifying examinations, a dissertation proposal, and a written dissertation and its oral defense.
Admission
The faculty of the Department of Political Science and the School of International Relations welcome talented candidates from a variety of backgrounds. Although a prior degree in political science or international relations is not necessary, it is strongly recommended that applicants have completed at least some course work in related fields, including political theory, statistics and social science research methods.
Admission decisions are based on a holistic review of applications. This review includes, but is not limited to, consideration of applicants’ prior academic performance, as reflected in course grades, the results of the Graduate Record Examinations, letters of recommendation, a statement of intent that demonstrates a seriousness of purpose, a high level of motivation and a desire to benefit from our faculty’s areas of expertise or interest. Applicants also are required to submit a sample of their written work in English, preferably a research-oriented paper. Business, government and other practical experiences may also be taken into account. Applicants whose native language is not English must take the TOEFL or IELTS examination.
Screening Process
Before completion of 24 units, students will be reviewed by a screening committee made up of the Director of Graduate Studies and the faculty who taught the core courses. This committee will review the student’s progress, including grades and written faculty evaluations of course work.
The committee will be responsible for deciding, at an early stage in the student’s career, if the student is likely to finish the PhD program. After reviewing the student’s record, the committee may decide to (1) continue the student, (2) not continue the student and admit the student into a terminal MA degree program, or (3) fail the student’s performance in the screening process, i.e., not continue the student in either the MA or PhD programs.
Course Requirements
All doctoral candidates must complete an approved sequence of four courses in core theory and methodology, including a classics-oriented course in political theory (POIR 600 ), a multivariate statistics course (POIR 611 ), a social inquiry and research design course (POIR 610 ), and an approved course in advanced research methods.
The selection of additional courses should be guided by the distribution requirements of the PhD program. The student will choose three fields of concentration, of which two will be examined fields. Each examined field of concentration requires completion of four graduate-level courses, including the core course in standard fields, with an average grade consistent with university and program requirements. The third non-examined field of concentration requires the completion of a minimum of three graduate-level courses with an average grade consistent with university and program requirements. Students are also advised to take an independent study course to work toward their substantive paper requirement. Additional courses necessary to complete the 70 units required by the Guidelines for Graduate Study in Political Science and International Relations should be taken in consultation with faculty advisers.
Fields of Concentration
All students must complete two examined fields of concentration and one non-examined field of concentration. The standing fields of concentration include: American politics (AP); comparative politics (CP); international relations (IR) and methods and research tools (MRT). Students may also select a customized field of concentration as their non-examined field with the approval of their faculty adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies.
For the American politics, comparative politics and international relations fields, students must complete four courses and pass a written and oral field qualifying examination. For the methods and research tools field, students must complete a total of four approved advanced methods courses. Students must also write and orally defend a methods paper as part of the qualifying exam utilizing the skills they have learned in their course work. Students should consult the methods and research tools field coordinator(s) and the POIR Guidelines for a list of approved courses and overall field requirements and exam.
The student may satisfy the third non-examined field by completing one of the following set of requirements: (a) complete at least three courses in the AP, CP or IR fields, (b) complete three methods courses in the MRT field; and/or (c) complete at least three courses in a proposed customized field of study to be approved by relevant faculty and the Director of Graduate Studies. For example, students can design a third field that cuts across disciplinary boundaries or focuses on specific areas of political science and international relations beyond the standing fields. The guidelines and the Director of Graduate Studies can provide illustrations of this type of third field.
Foreign Language
The student is required to demonstrate intermediate proficiency in a language other than English if the student’s primary field and/or dissertation research requires it. Students should consult the guidelines and the Director of Graduate Studies.
Substantive Paper
To show evidence of the capacity to conduct original research and before taking the qualifying exam, each student will submit a substantive paper. The student will submit the draft of his or her substantive paper to the chair of the qualifying exam committee one month prior to the qualifying examinations. After consultation with the chair and necessary revisions, the student is to distribute the paper to all members of the qualifying exam committee at least 14 days prior to the oral defense. The substantive paper should be presented and defended in the oral component of the qualifying examination as a viable journal submission to a peer-reviewed professional journal. It is strongly encouraged that the paper should be submitted to a professional journal approved by the student’s adviser within one year of the defense.
Qualifying Examinations
Ordinarily, students will take the qualifying exams no later than the fifth semester in the PhD program. Students will be examined in two of their three fields of concentration. The qualifying exam committee will evaluate the quality of the two written field exams as evidence of the capacity to define and complete a PhD dissertation.
The written examinations will be administered over two days at least once per academic year. Examination questions will be written by the field coordinators in consultation with the tenured and tenure track faculty in each field. Students who select the methods and research tools as one of their examined fields of concentration must complete a methods paper.
The oral portion of the student’s qualifying examination will be administered by his or her qualifying exam committee. The oral examination will be based on the student’s written field exams and/or methods paper; and the substantive paper. The qualifying exam committee will be made up of five members. In consultation with his or her principal adviser, the student will select two members, one from each standing field in which he or she will be examined, and the other two field examiners and the outside member of the qualifying exam committee. Final approval of the qualifying exam committee requires the signature of the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dornsife Vice Dean of Academic Programs.
Students will pass the qualifying examinations if no more than one member of the qualifying exam committee dissents after reviewing the student’s record at USC and performance on the written and oral parts of the qualifying exams. At the discretion of the qualifying exam committee, students who do not pass the exams may be allowed to retake the qualifying exams the next time they are offered. Students are admitted to candidacy for the PhD when they have completed the university residency requirement, passed the written and oral portions of the PhD qualifying examinations, and defended their dissertation proposal.
Dissertation
Upon completion of the qualifying examinations, the student, in consultation with the principal adviser, selects a dissertation committee in accordance with university rules. Within six months of completing the qualifying examinations, students should have a formal defense of the dissertation proposal before their dissertation committee. The PhD is earned upon the submission of the written dissertation and its successful defense before the dissertation committee.
Consult the Requirements for Graduation section and The Graduate School section of this catalogue regarding time limitations for completion of the degree and other Graduate School requirements.
All graduate students considering an academic career should generally have research, teaching and advisement experiences as part of their program of study.
Master’s Degree
Dual Degree
Doctoral Degree
Political Science and International Relations
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