Graduate Studies

The graduate program in Political Science at Rice is of the highest quality. Oriented toward the Ph.D., the program offers concentrations in a variety of areas, with specialties matching the expertise of our faculty. Class sizes are small, allowing faculty to give students individualized attention. Graduate students may participate in research beginning in their first year of study, allowing them to make presentations at academic conferences during their second year. The program is designed primarily to prepare students for academic careers, although some graduates pursue careers outside academia.

The department offers Ph.D. degrees in American Politics, with concentrations in political institutions (including the U.S. Congress, the presidency, state legislatures, and state courts), voting and electoral behavior, public policy, political parties and interest groups, or state and urban politics; Comparative Politics, with emphasis on the cross-national, quantitative study of political institutions and electoral behavior; and International Relations, with emphasis on the quantitative study of international conflict and cooperation. Graduate students will be exposed to a number of approaches to the study of political science. In addition, the department offers a variety of methodology courses, including advanced statistical techniques, formal and mathematical modeling, and computer simulation.

Download our Graduate Studies Brochure here .

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