harvard university phd in political science

• Public Policy
• Introduction

Harvard Griffin GSAS strives to provide students with timely, accurate, and clear information. If you need help understanding a specific policy, please contact the office that administers that policy.

• Application for Degree
• Credit for Completed Graduate Work
• Ad Hoc Degree Programs
• Dissertations
• English Language Proficiency
• African and African American Studies
• American Studies
• Anthropology
• Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning
• Molecular and Cellular Biology
• Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
• Biological Sciences in Public Health
• Biostatistics
• Business Administration
• Business Economics
• Byzantine Studies
• Celtic Languages and Literatures
• Chemical Biology
• Chemical Physics
• Chemistry and Chemical Biology
• Comparative Literature
• Division of Medical Sciences
• Earth and Planetary Sciences
• East Asian Languages and Civilizations
• Engineering and Applied Sciences
• Film and Visual Studies
• Germanic Languages and Literatures
• Health Policy
• History of Art and Architecture
• History of Science
• Human Evolutionary Biology
• Inner Asian and Altaic Studies
• Linguistics
• Mathematics
• Middle Eastern Studies
• Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
• Organizational Behavior
• Political Economy and Government
• Population Health Sciences
• Quantum Science and Engineering
• Religion, The Study of
• Romance Languages and Literatures
• Slavic Languages and Literatures
• Social Policy
• South Asian Studies
• Systems, Synthetic, and Quantitative Biology
• Secondary Fields
• Year of Graduate Study (G-Year)
• Master's Degrees
• Grade and Examination Requirements
• Conduct and Safety
• Financial Aid
• Non-Resident Students
• Registration
• Residence Halls
• Student Groups

Questions about these requirements? See the contact info at the bottom of the page. 

The Public Policy PhD is awarded by the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS) but is administered by the Higher Committee on Public Policy.  Students enroll in one of four tracks: Economics, Judgment and Decision Making, Politics and Institutions, or Science, Technology and Policy.

The economics track in the PhD program in public policy provides a curriculum for doctoral students seeking rigorous disciplinary training, with a focus on applying the tools of economics to the study of major public policy issues.  Graduates will be prepared for academic teaching and research positions in schools of public policy, economics and other disciplinary departments, as well as policy positions in national governments and international institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and in some cases, various roles in the private sector. HKS has a strong core of faculty specializing in a diverse range of subfields of economics including labor, public and applied microeconomics topics, behavioral economics and decision sciences, environmental economics, international trade, economic development, and other subjects. The program embeds formal economics training within a unique interdisciplinary atmosphere of scholars and practitioners who are working on problems of practice in a wide range of settings. In addition, the PhD program offers teaching and research opportunities for students with leading scholars at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) and elsewhere at Harvard.

Judgment and Decision Making

The judgment and decision making track in the PhD program in public policy provides a curriculum for doctoral students seeking rigorous interdisciplinary training in psychological science, behavioral economics, and decision science, with a focus on understanding and improving public policy.  A typical program of study includes emphasis on descriptive and normative approaches as well as prescriptive interventions. Graduates will be prepared for academic teaching and research positions in public policy schools, interdisciplinary programs (e.g., management, decision science), and traditional behavioral science departments (e.g., psychology) as well as for analytic positions in industry, think tanks, government, and international institutions.  HKS has a strong core of faculty specializing in judgment and decision making research as well as faculty specializing in applied policy domains where students may wish to focus.  Intrinsic to the program are teaching and research opportunities with leading scholars at HKS and elsewhere at Harvard.

Politics and Institutions

The politics and institutions track provides a curriculum for students interested in a rigorous program of study and research on international or domestic politics and institutions as these issues relate to major public policy issues in the US and around the world.   Graduates will be prepared for academic research and teaching positions in schools of public policy and disciplinary departments such as, but not limited to, political science and history, as well as policy positions in national governments, research centers, and international institutions.  HKS offers a strong cadre of faculty across multiple social science disciplines specializing in politics and institutions, renowned and dynamic research centers, and a unique interdisciplinary atmosphere of scholars and practitioners with expertise in diverse fields. In addition to research opportunities with leading scholars, the PhD program offers training in teaching as well as in public policy writing and communication.

Science, Technology and Policy Studies

The science, technology and policy studies track provides rigorous interdisciplinary training, drawing on methodological tools from science and technology policy, science and technology studies, policy analysis, political theory, law, and economics. At HKS, students have access to leading scholars from across Harvard in the social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering, with specialties in areas such as security studies, energy policy, innovation and development, environment and climate, biotechnology, data science, and information. The HKS faculty includes practitioners with wide experience at the highest levels of government and industry in science and technology policy. Graduates are qualified for academic teaching and research in public policy schools, interdisciplinary programs, and traditional social science departments, as well as for leadership positions in national and international science and technology policy in both the public and private sectors.

The First Two Years

Students are expected to complete required coursework and sit for the oral general examination. Approval to take the oral examination is predicated on successful completion of the required courses with requisite grades.

Credit for coursework done elsewhere is not granted. There is no language requirement.  Each track has specific course requirements, outlined below: 

Economics 

• Two courses in microeconomics theory (Economics 2020a and Economics 2020b) 
• One course in political theory 
• One course in analytical methods, or completion of a qualifying exam 
• Two courses in empirical methods 
• Two doctoral research seminars (API 901 and API 902)

Judgment and Decision Making   

Please see the Public Policy Web site for updates course requirements    

• Two courses in economic theory 
• One course in normative theory 
• Three courses in empirical methods 

Politics and Institutions 

• Two courses in political theory 
• One course in analytical methods 

Science, Technology and Policy 

• Two courses in analytical methods 
• One course in empirical methods 
• Two doctoral research seminars (API 901 and API 902) 

Incompletes

In order to convert a grade of incomplete to a letter grade, the student must complete the requisite coursework by the end of the term following that in which the course was taken. No grade of incomplete can be used to satisfy any program requirement.

Teaching is not required. A maximum of sixteen term-fifths over a period of five years is permitted. During the third year, a combination of teaching and research, not to exceed three-fifths TIME, is recommended.

First Two Years

Students are assigned an advisor, taking into account each student’s stated research interests at the time of admission. If the research focus changes, students are encouraged to seek out new advisors on their own; however, the director of graduate studies will intervene as needed to facilitate new links to different faculty.

The major effort expended during the first two years is on coursework. By the end of the second year, students are expected to affiliate with a research center either at HKS or the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Research assistantships and, in some cases, teaching fellowships often lead to a close relationship with a faculty member that will develop into an official advisor/advisee role.

The primary hurdle of the third year is completion of the dissertation prospectus (which may be a paper or a slide deck) and an oral presentation of either one chapter (or one paper and an executive summary of the second and third papers, in the case of a three-paper dissertation) to two members of the dissertation committee. A copy of the prospectus, with written approval from both advisors, is then submitted to the program office by the beginning of the fourth year. In addition, students must complete the PhD Research Seminar (API 902) where work in progress on the dissertation is presented.

Fourth Year

By the beginning of the fourth year, all students must have chosen two members of the dissertation committee. The dissertation committee will include at least three faculty members. Affiliations of these faculty members will include one member of the PhD Standing Committee, one HKS-appointed faculty member, and one Harvard Griffin GSAS-appointed faculty member.

Field Requirements and Qualifying Examinations

In order to advance to PhD candidacy, a student must demonstrate PhD-level proficiency in the required track areas covering analytic methods, economics, politics and management and normative theory, quantitative empirical methods, advanced methodology, and a special field of the student’s election. Students must complete at least two PhD-level courses in a primary field and the secondary field.

The purpose of the primary and secondary field requirement is to establish a solid foundation for future research. Students should seek PhD-level courses that broaden and deepen their knowledge in a special field. Since many HKS courses and seminars are targeted toward practitioners rather than scholars, at least part of the special field work will normally be done at Harvard Griffin GSAS (in courses at the 2000-level) or at other graduate units outside the HKS. A plan of study that includes the syllabus for each proposed course in the special field must be submitted to the program office for approval. Only in exceptional circumstances (where, for example, the field of one’s research is not well developed) will the PhD committee grant a petition to substitute a reading and research course for a normal course.

General Oral Examination

The general oral examination determines whether the student has sufficient grounding in the literatures of the primary and secondary fields. More broadly, the exam provides an assessment of the student’s academic preparation and aptitude as well as the student’s interest in and prospects for a successful career after completion of the PhD.

For students matriculating in fall 2025 or later: Students are required to take at least one of their oral fields within their track, and it is strongly recommended that both of the fields are within the student’s track.  An approved list will be posted in the student handbook. 

In the middle of the second year, the student identifies a primary and secondary field critical to the dissertation research and works with two faculty examiners confirmed by the director of graduate study. The student meets with the examiners to agree on the nature and scope of the fields and develops a reading list that provides adequate coverage of the fields. The exam is scheduled before the beginning of the third year.

Dissertation

The candidate is required to demonstrate their ability to perform original research in an area of public policy by writing a dissertation that represents a significant contribution to knowledge in that field. Three faculty members supervise the writing of the dissertation. One member of the committee must come from the HKS. The other two must come from a combination of the Harvard Griffin GSAS and the PhD committee.

Note: A member of the Committee on Higher Degrees in Public Policy may represent the Harvard Griffin GSAS at a dissertation defense.

A prospective fifth year, or a more advanced student, must have produced at least one acceptable chapter of the dissertation each year beginning in the fifth year. This chapter must be submitted to the dissertation committee for its approval. Evidence of satisfactory progress may also include manuscripts submitted for publication, or abstracts of papers delivered at professional meetings, or other evidence as specified by the dissertation committee chair.

A dissertation may be written in book form or it may take the form of three publishable papers. Each track will provide guidance of the norms/expectations regarding dissertation authorship including any limits or other requirements regarding coauthorship.  It will be left to the dissertation committee chair to determine the number of coauthored papers allowed in the dissertation.

Details on the format of the PhD dissertation are published in the Policies . 

Dissertation Defense

After the candidate has met all other degree requirements, they must pass an oral examination focused on the dissertation. This examination is given when the final draft of the dissertation has been completed. Dissertation examiners will normally include the three supervisors of the dissertation. The purpose of this examination is to assure the committee that the methodology and basic approach of the dissertation are sound and that the student has received critical advice at the most appropriate stage of their advanced research. The dissertation must be accepted before the formal application for the degree can be activated. The dissertation defense is ordinarily open to the public.

Length of Time to Degree

Average time to completion of the PhD is five years. Except by special vote of the committee, all work for the PhD degree must be completed within five years of completion of the general written and oral examinations.

AM in Passing 

The Public Policy PhD program in coordination with Harvard Griffin GSAS will award an AM (Masters of Arts) degree in passing or terminal AM to students who have satisfactorily completed two years of course work and completed the oral general examination.  Students must also fulfill the Harvard Griffin GSAS requirements for an AM degree in passing. 

Contact Info 

Public Policy Website

Explore Events

Politics and Institutions Track

In this section.

• Degree Requirements
• What We Look For

The Politics and Institutions track provides a curriculum for students interested in a rigorous program of study and research on international or domestic politics and institutions as these issues relate to major public policy issues in the U.S. and around the world.  

Graduates will be prepared for academic research and teaching positions in schools of public policy and disciplinary departments such as, but not limited to, political science and history, as well as policy positions in national governments, research centers, and international institutions.  

HKS offers a strong cadre of faculty across multiple social science disciplines specializing in politics and institutions, renowned and dynamic research centers, and a unique interdisciplinary atmosphere of scholars and practitioners with expertise in diverse fields. In addition to research opportunities with leading scholars, the PhD program offers training in teaching as well as in public policy writing and communication.

Undergraduate

The concentration in Government introduces students to the discipline of political science: the study of power in all of its many forms and consequences. The program aims both to prepare students to lead engaged civic lives and to introduce them to the ways in which political scientists explain and analyze the social and political world around them.

The Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree is designed for industry professionals with years of work experience who wish to complete their degrees part time, both on campus and online, without disruption to their employment. Our typical student is over 30, has previously completed one or two years of college, and works full time.

Harvard University’s Department of Government is dedicated to excellence in all fields of political science and encourages diverse approaches to scholarship. Students in the Department of Government pursue a wide variety of approaches to the study of politics and have the opportunity to define and explore their own questions about politics and government.

Students enrolled in the Master of Liberal Arts program in Government will explore the institutions of government, politics, policy, and the systems used to govern communities and nation-states. In this graduate degree program, students gain a deeper understanding of the complex role of governmental organizations within society.

Information for prospective graduate students

Like all of my colleagues, I receive a large number of email queries from prospective students about the application process to Harvard's Government Department. In case it's helpful, then, a couple of pieces of advice specific to the graduate program here at Harvard, before some more general advice about graduate school applications, including some thoughts from friends and colleagues in the discipline:

You may wish to consult the information posted on the Government department website , which has more details about the program and admissions process, as well as descriptions of research interests of current graduate students and faculty members. Unlike PhD programs in other disciplines/countries, our admissions process does not rely on faculty sponsors: that is, if you’re admitted, you’re admitted to the program more generally, rather than to work with a specific faculty member. In this sense, because the admissions process is centralized, and there aren't particular slots reserved for particular supervisors, you don’t need to go through the hassle of contacting individual faculty members to tell them that you're applying, ask them if they're taking graduate students (we are!), or ask them to sign off on your application or research interests. (There is a misperception that contacting faculty of interest increases your odds of getting in; it does not. The application website at Harvard includes a box where applicants can indicate which faculty they've been in touch with, but to my knowledge, no one looks at this.) Similarly, the sheer number of applications we receive (in a 1993 PS article, King, Bruce and Gilligan report the Government department was receiving ~700 applications a year) means that it's logistically impossible for us to meet with all of the prospective applicants who might wish to do so. The good news is that because the admissions process is centralized, this isn't something you need to do anyway! If you're admitted to the program, we'll fly you in to meet with us, so you'll have ample chance to meet with us then, figure out if the program is a good fit, and so on.

General advice about graduate school applications in political science

One of the challenges about offering more general advice about applying to PhD programs in political science is that the process is so idiosyncratic, both across subfields (a competitive file in political theory might look very different than in American politics), across institutions (some schools care a lot about subfield divisions, and others don't believe in subfields altogether), across time (who happens to be on the admissions committee that year often determines which files make it to the top), and across space (the information below is probably the most useful for applications to schools in the United States). Moreover, given structural changes in post-secondary education that have shrunk the size of the academic job market, there are plenty of good arguments against doing a PhD! The advice below, then, is focused less on the question of whether you should apply to PhD programs (though some of the advice from colleagues below speaks to this point), and more on demystifying the admissions process itself. In general you can think of graduate school applications as a signaling problem. Admissions committees are looking through hundreds upon hundreds of applications spanning thousands upon thousands of pages, trying to predict from your file whether you'll be able to succeed in their graduate program. At many of the top PhD programs, then, it's not about trying to figure out whether you're smart, but about trying to figure out if you're ready. So, committees are going to be looking for signals to help gauge how ready you are, both in your materials, and in letters from your letter writers. Here are a couple of things I wish I knew about this process when I was applying to graduate school.

Signaling you understand the field

Sometimes advisors will tell you about the importance of asking an interesting question in your research statement, but this isn't very actionable advice, because few of us deliberately study things we think are boring — and how do you know if your question will count as interesting to admissions committees? A better way to think about this is as an encouragement to do some reading. Academic disciplines are collective enterprises, in which scholarship is produced in conversation with others. Your research statement is a chance to show that you understand where the conversation is going. If you take a look at the recent books published in your subfield of interest at Princeton University Press or Cambridge University Press , for example, and read the first chapters of the ones that interest you (often times the first chapters are available free online!), what sorts of questions are they about? Take a look at articles published recently in the journals where the faculty you want to work have published. If some of them seems interesting to you, read them, along with some of the other articles they cite. Read pieces written by the faculty you want to work with too. The more you read, the better the sense you'll have of the landscape of the field, and the better sense you'll have about how to "sell" your interests. This is also helpful because sometimes the way we're exposed to the field in the introductory undergraduate classes that first hook us on the topic may not represent the state of the discipline. Similarly, when I was applying to PhD programs, the field looked very different in Canada, where I was from, than in the United States. You should ask one of your advisers to take a look at your research statement to solicit their feedback before you send off your application. Signaling you understand the field also matters in other ways: in your statement of purpose, if all of the faculty members you indicate you're interested in working with are outside of your subfield of interest, or who do work of a very different style (e.g. you want to do game theory, and they do critical theory, or vice versa), or are all in a different department, that can be a sign to admissions committees that you haven't done your homework.

Signaling you understand how to do research

If being a successful undergraduate student is typically about being a skilled consumer of research, being a successful graduate student is typically about being a skilled producer of research. Having previous research experience is valuable not only because it will teach you whether you really want to apply for grad school in the first place, but also because it will help you better understand the field , help you produce a strong writing sample , and help you get stronger letters . Not everyone gets the chance to do a lot of research in college, but research experience can take a variety of forms, from writing a senior or master's thesis, to working as a research assistant, either in college or afterwards. The kind of research experience you'd want to have is likely is going to vary based on the kind of work you're interested in doing (e.g. in parts of comparative politics, many applicants often have spent a year working as an RA or predoctoral associate running studies and analyzing data, which isn't necessarily the norm in quadrants of the field that don't rely as heavily on field experiments), but more experience is usually better than less. There are also a number of programs that offer research opportunities to college graduates from historically underrepresented groups. If this applies to you, you should speak to one of your advisers.

What makes an informative writing sample?

Some writing samples are more informative than others. If possible, your writing sample should be a solo-authored piece (i.e., isn't coauthored with one of your advisors, whereupon admissions committees might be unsure about how much of the work you did, even if you did the whole thing!), written in the subfield you're interested in studying (i.e. if you want to study American politics, your writing sample should ideally be about American politics, not IR). Ideally, it should also be consistent with the norms of academic research in whatever subfield you're studying (for most subfields, it shouldn't just be a literature review, political commentary, or a book report, say).

What makes a useful letter of reference?

The most helpful letters come from faculty members who can speak to your ability to conduct academic research in the discipline you want to study. Letters from celebrities, politicians, your boss in a non-research-based job, and so on, are going to be less useful to you, since they can't credibly speak to what you need your letters to speak to. This is another reason why having research experience before applying to graduate school is useful, since letter writers who you work as a research assistant for are well positioned to speak to your abilities in this front. Similarly, although it's not at all the case that you need to be a political science major in college in order to get into political science PhD programs, you do want to have at least one of your letters come from a political scientist, ideally in the subfield you want to study. (Chemists and comparative literature professors, say, can speak to your ability to do research, but not necessarily your ability to conduct research in political science).

Strong GRE scores

When I was applying to graduate school, I assumed that everyone understood that standardized tests were noisy and imperfect measures and that admissions committees wouldn't place much weight on them. Suffice it to say, the admissions committees at the schools I applied to disagreed! Regardless of how much weight committees should place on the GRE (although many critiques of the diagnostic value of the GRE suffer from some methodological flaws ), however, many do take them into account (although some departments have made them optional in recent cycles). For those programs that do require GREs, these scores are useful because they provide one of the few metrics in common across files that typically differ from one another along a large number of dimensions. (When I'm on admissions, I might not know how to compare a 3.9 GPA at school X with a 3.7 GPA in a different program of study at school Y, but I know how to compare a 168 GRE with a 160). You're unlikely to get into a graduate program just because of your GRE score (we reject applicants with 170/170 GREs all the time!), but doing well on the GRE (especially the quantitative score, since that's the part of the test that applicants tend to perform the most poorly on in relative terms) will be helpful. What counts as doing well will depend on the program to which you're applying (see some of the suggestions below for details).

Skills relevant to your proposed program of study

To some extent, your GPA matters less than the courses you've taken, or skills you've acquired. Admissions committees want to know whether you have the skills you need to do the research you're interested in. If you're interested in doing political economy-style work, a 4.0 GPA without any economics or math classes will be less helpful than a lower GPA that includes more technical coursework. Similarly, it's hard to study East Asian politics if you don't speak or have never studied any East Asian languages.

Additional resources

Finally, a number of friends and colleagues in the discipline have put together some helpful resources with advice about applying to PhD programs in political science in general, and in international relations in particular: "Should I Get a PhD?" is an interview-based site run by Tim Hopper that isn't specific to political science, but offers lots of helpful suggestions more generally about the more fundamental question of whether you should apply for a PhD in the first place. Dan Nexon has helpful advice at the Duck of Minerva on applying for a PhD in political science, and how to make your application more competitive. Nuno Monteiro has great advice both on how to decide whether to go to graduate school, and the tradeoffs between PhD programs (like those offered by the Government department) and MA programs (which the Government department doesn't currently offer as a standalone degree). Erica Chenoweth has similarly helpful advice; her discussion of the difference between policy-oriented degrees (like those offered at the Harvard Kennedy School ) versus academic degrees (like those offered in the Government department) is especially valuable. Steven Wilkinson has useful advice especially relevant for international applicants. Terri E. Givens has a series of helpful articles at Inside Higher Education on her graduate school experiences, especially relevant for first-generation students, and students of color. Duke's Sociology Department has a helpful FAQ page that's technically about applying to sociology PhD programs, but many of its suggestions apply to social science PhD programs more generally. Dan Drezner has a series of helpful posts at Foreign Policy on PhD programs in political science: see here for advice for undergraduates , here for advice for students who have already graduated , and here for advice on PhD applications for aspiring policymakers . Erin Simpson and Andrew Exum have helpful advice on the CNAS blog from the perspective of policymakers. Bradley Potter, Nathaniel Allen, and Torrey Taussig have helpful advice at War on the Rocks about good and not-so-good reasons to pursue a policy-oriented PhD. Chris Blattman has extensive advice on many of the above topics from a political economy perspective. Cyrus Samii has helpful advice on much of the above; his advice about applying to "boutique" departments is also particularly helpful. Justin Esarey has a helpful post on The Political Methodologist about how to know whether to apply to grad school in the first place, and if so, how to choose where to apply. Austin Carson has helpful advice on whether to go to grad school, along with what to do when you get there. Once you've been admitted to a PhD program, Chris Kennedy has useful advice about how to prepare for your first semester. Finally, here's some advice for early career researchers I was asked to put together by International Society of Political Psychology's Early Career Committee .

Political Science Courses

• Social Sciences

Nonprofit Financial Stewardship Webinar: Introduction to Accounting and Financial Statements

The Introduction to Nonprofit Accounting and Financial Statements webinars provide a great opportunity to learn the basic principles of nonprofit accounting.

Public Leadership Credential

Developed by Harvard Kennedy School faculty, this professional credential program equips you with the skills necessary to advance the public good.

Systematic Approaches to Policy Design

This free online course from Harvard Kennedy School introduces approaches to analytical decision-making for policy design.

New Ideas for Nonprofit Leaders Webinar

Professor Arthur Brooks discusses cutting-edge concepts that tie tactics of the most effective nonprofit leaders back to the basics of human connection in this free webinar.

4P Model for Strategic Leadership Podcasts

A Free Podcast Series

The Science of Corresponding with Busy People Webinar

This free webinar from HKS professor Todd Rogers is his take on the five principles for effective communication and how to implement them in your writing.

Global News & Technology Leadership in Challenging Times

Join HKS Shorenstein Center Director and former TIME Editor in Chief Nancy Gibbs and colleagues for a panel discussion on the challenges facing global news-industry leaders.

Our Information Emergency: Navigating the Media Environment in 2021

Led by Nancy Gibbs, this video explores the underlying forces that are shaping today’s media environment.

Prescription Drug Regulation, Cost, and Access: Current Controversies in Context

Understand how the FDA regulates pharmaceuticals and explore debates on prescription drug costs, marketing, and testing.

Leadership: Creating Public Value

Learn how to face and meet today’s challenges and design a public value proposition that is both actionable and value creating.

A Darkening Horizon: Nuclear Dangers Around the World with Matthew Bunn

This free webinar from HKS Professor Matthew Bunn tours the horizon of nuclear dangers.

2024 Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education Program Guide

Explore the world’s top executive programs and make a difference in your career today.

CitiesX: The Past, Present and Future of Urban Life

Explore what makes cities energizing, amazing, challenging, and perhaps humanity’s greatest invention.

We the People: Civic Engagement in a Constitutional Democracy

Gain a foundational knowledge of American constitutional democracy while crafting your own civic voice and identity.

United States Health Policy

Learn the essentials of U.S. health care policy from some of the nation's top experts.

Join our list to learn more

• Harvard University
• Provost's Office
• Vice Provost for International Affairs
• One Harvard, One World
• Worldwide Week at Harvard
• Administrative Support
• The World at Harvard
• Harvard in the World
• Join Us at Harvard

Harvard Worldwide

Phd in political economy & government.

The PhD in Political Economy and Government is designed for students interested in the impact of politics on economic processes and outcomes, and the reciprocal influence of economic conditions on political life. It is appropriate for students whose academic interests are not served by doctoral studies in Economics or Political Science alone.

Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs

Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center

1350 Massachusetts Avenue

Cambridge, Massachusetts 01238 USA

• Accessibility  

• Utility Menu

Elizabeth J. Perry

Henry rosovsky professor of government.

Danielle Allen

Feyaad Allie

Stephen Ansolabehere

Eric Beerbohm

Matthew Blackwell

Peter Buisseret

Melani Cammett

Daniel Carpenter

Stephen Chaudoin

Timothy Colton

Christina Davis

Nara Dillon

Grzegorz Ekiert

Ryan D. Enos

Katrina Forrester

Shterna S. Friedman

Claudine Gay

Frances Hagopian

Peter A. Hall

Chase H. Harrison

Michael J. Hiscox

Jennifer Hochschild

Alisha C. Holland

Kosuke Imai

Torben Iversen

Alastair Iain Johnston

Joshua D. Kertzer

Steven Levitsky

Mashail Malik

Christoph Mikulaschek

Eric Nelson

Elizabeth J. Perry

Paul E. Peterson

Pia Raffler

Marcel Roman

Michael Rosen

Stephen Peter Rosen

Michael Sandel

Theda Skocpol

James M. Snyder, Jr.

Latanya Sweeney

Stephanie Ternullo

Dustin Tingley

Daniel Ziblatt

Harvard University Theses, Dissertations, and Prize Papers

The Harvard University Archives ’ collection of theses, dissertations, and prize papers document the wide range of academic research undertaken by Harvard students over the course of the University’s history.

Beyond their value as pieces of original research, these collections document the history of American higher education, chronicling both the growth of Harvard as a major research institution as well as the development of numerous academic fields. They are also an important source of biographical information, offering insight into the academic careers of the authors.

Spanning from the ‘theses and quaestiones’ of the 17th and 18th centuries to the current yearly output of student research, they include both the first Harvard Ph.D. dissertation (by William Byerly, Ph.D . 1873) and the dissertation of the first woman to earn a doctorate from Harvard ( Lorna Myrtle Hodgkinson , Ed.D. 1922).

Other highlights include:

• The collection of Mathematical theses, 1782-1839
• The 1895 Ph.D. dissertation of W.E.B. Du Bois, The suppression of the African slave trade in the United States, 1638-1871
• Ph.D. dissertations of astronomer Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (Ph.D. 1925) and physicist John Hasbrouck Van Vleck (Ph.D. 1922)
• Undergraduate honors theses of novelist John Updike (A.B. 1954), filmmaker Terrence Malick (A.B. 1966),  and U.S. poet laureate Tracy Smith (A.B. 1994)
• Undergraduate prize papers and dissertations of philosophers Ralph Waldo Emerson (A.B. 1821), George Santayana (Ph.D. 1889), and W.V. Quine (Ph.D. 1932)
• Undergraduate honors theses of U.S. President John F. Kennedy (A.B. 1940) and Chief Justice John Roberts (A.B. 1976)

What does a prize-winning thesis look like?

If you're a Harvard undergraduate writing your own thesis, it can be helpful to review recent prize-winning theses. The Harvard University Archives has made available for digital lending all of the Thomas Hoopes Prize winners from the 2019-2021 academic years.

Accessing These Materials

How to access materials at the Harvard University Archives

How to find and request dissertations, in person or virtually

How to find and request undergraduate honors theses

How to find and request Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize papers

How to find and request Bowdoin Prize papers

• email: Email
• Phone number 617-495-2461

Related Collections

Harvard faculty personal and professional archives, harvard student life collections: arts, sports, politics and social life, access materials at the harvard university archives.

Harvard University Master’s in Political Science

Featured programs, how much does a master’s in poly sci from harvard cost, harvard graduate tuition and fees.

Does Harvard Offer an Online Master’s in Poly Sci?

Harvard master’s student diversity for poly sci, male-to-female ratio.

Women made up around 47.2% of the poly sci students who took home a master’s degree in 2019-2020. This is higher than the nationwide number of 44.8%.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

Around 30.6% of poly sci master’s degree recipients at Harvard in 2019-2020 were awarded to racial-ethnic minorities*. This is higher than the nationwide number of 25%.

Popular Reports

Compare your school options.

Harvard’s Institute of Politics Announces Fall 2024 Resident Fellows

Introduction

CAMBRIDGE, MA - The Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School today announced the appointment of six Resident Fellows who will join the IOP for the Fall 2024 semester. The fellows bring diverse experience in politics, elected office, polling, journalism, and economic development to address the challenges facing our country and world today.

"We are thrilled to welcome this Fall's cohort of Resident Fellows to Harvard to engage and collaborate with our students and community, and to get their thoughts and insight in the final few months of this year's historic election. Their diverse experiences will no doubt inspire our students to consider careers in public service and prepare them to provide essential political leadership in the months and years ahead," said IOP Director Setti Warren .

"We are excited to have such a remarkable group of Fellows at the IOP this Fall. They bring varied perspectives on how to best approach some of our country's most consequential challenges, and I am confident our students will gain important insight into the fields of politics, civic engagement, journalism, and more," said Michael Nutter , Chair of the Institute of Politics' Senior Advisory Committee, and former Mayor of Philadelphia.

"We are thrilled to welcome the incredibly accomplished members of the 2024 Fall Fellows Cohort as we begin the fall semester prior to the incredibly important U.S. election. As we close out the 'biggest election year in history,' our world remains in the throes of a major period of democratic backsliding. American voters, including many Harvard students, will once again face the possibility of reactionary backsliding and threats to fundamental rights. Closer to home, we are keenly aware of the threats to free speech on campus. While this semester will bring renewed challenges to and debates concerning those fundamental rights, we are hopeful that study groups will remain a source of vibrant, productive, and gratifying discussions on Harvard's campus. In that spirit, this semester's cohort of Fellows will bring in critical perspectives from the varied worlds of governing, policymaking, polling, reporting, and campaigning to equip students with the tools necessary to create a better tomorrow. We are confident that this cohort of Fellows will help this program to remain a bastion of freedom of speech and civil discourse on Harvard's campus," said Éamon ÓCearúil ‘25 and Summer Tan ‘26 , Co-Chairs of the Fellows and Study Groups Program at the Institute of Politics.

IOP Resident Fellows are fully engaged with the Harvard community. They reside on campus, mentor a cohort of undergraduate students, hold weekly office hours, and lead an eight-week, not-for-credit study group based on their experience and expertise.

Fall 2024 Resident Fellows:

• Betsy Ankney: Former Campaign Manager, Nikki Haley for President
• John Anzalone: One of the nation's top pollsters and strategists, and founder of Impact Research, a public opinion research and consulting firm
• Alejandra Y. Castillo: Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development
• Asa Hutchinson: Former Governor of Arkansas and 2024 Presidential Candidate
• Brett Rosenberg: Former Director for Strategic Planning, National Security Council and Deputy Special Coordinator for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, Department of State
• Eugene Scott: Host at Axios Live, and former reporter who has spent two decades covering politics at the local, national and international level, including at the Washington Post and CNN

Brief bios and quotes can be found below. Headshots are available upon request.

Betsy Ankney Ankney is a political strategist with over 15 years of experience on tough campaigns. She has been involved in campaigns and Super PACs at the national and state level and played a role in some of the biggest upsets in Republican politics. She has been an advisor to Ambassador Nikki Haley since 2021, serving as Executive Director for Stand for America PAC and most recently as Campaign Manager for Nikki Haley for President. After starting with zero dollars in the bank and 2% in the polls, the campaign defied the odds, raised $80 million, and Nikki Haley emerged as the strongest challenger to Donald Trump. Ankney served as the Political Director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 2020 cycle. She advised senate campaigns across the country, working directly with candidates and their campaigns on budgets, messaging, and fundraising. Prior to her work at the NRSC, Ankney managed multiple statewide campaigns, including Bruce Rauner for Governor in Illinois and Ron Johnson for Senate in Wisconsin. For her work on Ron Johnson’s race, she was named “Campaign Manager of the Year” by the American Association of Political Consultants for 2016. Ankney got her start in politics at the 2008 Republican National Convention and served in various roles at the Republican National Committee as well as on multiple campaigns and outside efforts. She serves on the boards of The Campaign School at Yale and The American Association of Political Consultants. She is from Toledo, Ohio and attended Vanderbilt University.

"I am honored to be a part of the fantastic program at the Harvard Institute of Politics. As we enter the final stretch of one of the wildest and most unpredictable election cycles in modern history, I look forward to having conversations in real time about our political process, what to look for, and why it matters." – Betsy Ankney

John Anzalone Anzalone is one of the nation’s top pollsters and messaging strategists. He has spent decades working on some of the toughest political campaigns in modern history and helping private-sector clients navigate complex challenges. He has polled for the past four presidential races, most recently serving as chief pollster for President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign. In that role, he helped develop the messaging and strategy that drove paid communications, major policy rollouts, speeches, and convention thematics. He has also polled for the campaigns of President Obama and Hillary Clinton, and has helped elect U.S. senators, governors, and dozens of members of Congress. Anzalone works with governors across the country, including current Governors Gretchen Whitmer (MI) and Roy Cooper (NC). He polls regularly for the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Senate Majority PAC, and AARP. With more than 30 years of experience in message development and strategic execution, he has been called on by key decision-makers, executives, and CEOs to provide counsel in a changing world and marketplace. He has extensive experience using research and data to break down complex subjects into digestible messages that resonate with target audiences. He grew up in St. Joseph, Michigan, and graduated from Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He is married and has four children, two dogs, and lives in Watercolor, Florida.

"After a 40-year career in politics I am so excited to give back by sharing and mentoring politically active and curious students, but also to have an opportunity to learn from them myself. During the next three months we will be living the 2024 elections together in real time. There is nothing more exciting than that regardless of your political identity." – John Anzalone

Alejandra Y. Castillo The Honorable Alejandra Y. Castillo was nominated by President Biden and sworn in as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development on August 13, 2021, becoming the first women of color to hold this position. Ms. Castillo led the Economic Development Administration (EDA) between August 2021-2024 through an unprecedented moment of growth and opportunity. As the only federal agency focused exclusively on economic development, she guided EDA’s the implementation of over $6.8 billion dollars in federal funding, powering EDA and its mission to make transformational placed-based investments to support inclusive and equitable economic growth across America. Spanning over two decades of public service and non-profit work, she has served in three Presidential administrations --Biden, Obama and Clinton. Her career has also included a drive to shattering glass ceilings and providing inspiration to multiple generations of diverse leaders. Castillo is an active member in various civic and professional organizations, including the Hispanic National Bar Association, the American Constitution Society, as well as the Council on Foreign Relations. Castillo holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook; a M.A. in Public Policy from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin; and a J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law. A native of Queens, NY., the daughter of immigrants from the Dominican Republic.

"I am excited to join this Fall semester IOP Fellowship class and have the opportunity to engage with students and faculty members across the University. The IOP fellowship presents a great forum to discuss and evaluate the future of U.S. industrial strategy and economic growth in light of the historic federal investments in place-based economic development during the last three years. I am honored to join my colleagues in making this an exciting and informative semester for students." – Alejandra Y. Castillo

Asa Hutchinson Governor Asa Hutchinson is a former Republican candidate for President of the United States. He served as the 46th Governor of the State of Arkansas and in his last election, he was re-elected with 65 percent of the vote, having received more votes than any other Republican candidate for governor in the State’s history. As a candidate for President, Hutchinson distinguished himself as an advocate for balancing the federal budget, energy production and enhanced border security. He also was a clear voice for the GOP to move away from the leadership of Donald Trump. Hutchinson’s time as governor is distinguished by his success in securing over $700 million per year in tax cuts, safeguarding the retirement pay of veterans from state income tax, shrinking the size of state government, creating over 100,000 new jobs and leading a national initiative to increase computer science education. The Governor’s career in public service began when President Ronald Reagan appointed him as the youngest U.S. Attorney in the nation for the Western District of Arkansas. In 1996, he won the first of three consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. During his third term in Congress, President George W. Bush appointed Governor Hutchinson to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration and later as the nation’s first Undersecretary of Homeland Security for Border Protection. He is a former Chairman of the National Governors. He grew up on a small farm near Gravette. He and his wife, Susan, have four children and seven grandchildren. Governor Hutchinson is currently CEO of Hutchinson Group LLC, a security consulting firm.

"After 8 years as Governor it is time to teach and mentor. I am honored to have the opportunity this fall to share my experiences and perspective but to also learn from the students and my colleagues who will also be resident fellows at the IOP. The timing is historic with our democracy facing a critical choice this fall as to the direction of our country." – Asa Hutchinson

Brett Rosenberg Rosenberg is a foreign policy expert who has served in the White House, Department of State, and Senate. During the Biden Administration, Rosenberg was the inaugural Deputy Special Coordinator for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, President Biden’s and the G7’s flagship program designed to meet infrastructure needs in low- and middle-income countries. At the White House, Rosenberg served on the National Security Council as Director for Strategic Planning, working on shaping and realizing approaches to issues spanning from international economics to Western Hemisphere engagement, as well as helping to write the National Security Strategy. Prior to her service in the Biden administration, Rosenberg was Associate Director of Policy for National Security Action, where she remains a senior advisor. Rosenberg began her career in Washington as a legislative aide to then-Senator Kamala Harris, where she advised the senator on a range of domestic and economic policy issues. Rosenberg is a Nonresident Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and her writing has appeared in outlets including Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The New Republic, and McSweeneys. She received her A.B. in History from Harvard College and her PhD (DPhil) in International Relations from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.

"What a privilege it is to be part of this incredible community in this incredible moment. I can't wait to learn from the students, faculty, and other fellows as we dive in together to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing the United States and the world." – Brett Rosenberg

Eugene Scott Eugene Scott is a host at Axios Live, where he travels the country interviewing political and policy leaders. He was previously a senior political reporter for Axios covering 2024 swing voters and voting rights. An award-winning journalist, Scott has spent two decades covering politics at the local, national and international levels. He was recently a national political reporter at The Washington Post focused on identity politics and the 2022 midterm election. Following the 2020 presidential election, he hosted “The Next Four Years,” then Amazon’s top original podcast. He also contributed to “FOUR HUNDRED SOULS: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019,” which topped the New York Times’ bestseller list. In addition to writing, Scott has regularly provided political analysis on MSNBC, CBS and NPR. Scott was a Washington Correspondent for CNN Politics during the 2016 election. And he began his newspaper career at the Cape Argus in Cape Town, South Africa not long after beginning his journalism career with BET News’ “Teen Summit.” Scott received his master’s degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and his bachelor’s from the University of North Carolina Hussman School of Journalism and Media. He is a D.C. native and continues to live in the Nation’s Capital.

"Learning from and with the professionals that visited the IOP during my time on campus was one of the highlights of my time at the Kennedy School. I am eager to help lead students in understanding the press and this country as we navigate the final weeks of arguably the most consequential election of our time." – Eugene Scott

Additional information can be found here .

About the Institute of Politics Fellows Program The Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School was established in 1966 as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. The Institute’s mission is to unite and engage students, particularly undergraduates, with academics, politicians, activists, and policymakers on a non-partisan basis to inspire them to pursue pathways in politics and public service. The Institute blends the academic with practical politics and offers students the opportunity to engage in current events and to acquire skills and perspectives that will assist in their postgraduate pathways.

The Fellows Program has stood as the cornerstone of the IOP, encouraging student interest in public service and increasing the interaction between the academic and political communities. Through the Fellows Program, the Institute aims to provide students with the opportunity to learn from experienced public servants, the space to engage in civil discourse, and the chance to acquire a more holistic and pragmatic view of our political world.

For more information on the fellowship program, including a full list of former fellows, visit: iop.harvard.edu  

Press Releases

Meet Our New PhD Students!

We’ll be featuring mini-profiles of our new PhD students over the next few weeks. We look forward to welcoming them into our community!

Hi, my name is Hannah Jin, and I was born and raised in the Greater Philadelphia area. I just finished my undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). There, I was a Math major and Neuroscience minor.

As an undergraduate, I applied statistics to evaluate how social and environmental factors relate to clinical outcomes in frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), a neurodegenerative disease.

At the Penn FTD Center, I performed statistical analysis to explore how occupation, job-related environmental exposures, and genetics relate to cognitive reserve, disease progression, and survival in patients with FTD. Additionally, I applied statistics to study racial disparities in clinical presentation among individuals diagnosed with FTD, with the hope that this research will promote health equity by sparking further investigation into the social determinants underlying these disparities. I hope to continue contributing to public health through researching social and environmental determinants of health.

I also did causal inference research at the Penn Statistics and Data Science department in my junior and senior years. In one project, I researched how various types of childhood sports participation affect cognitive and emotional health in adolescents. In a methodological project, I worked on developing a novel statistical test for assessing whether covariate balance among matched quadruples has been achieved, which allows for a matched quadruple design for studying interaction effects.

I hope to contribute to biostatistical methods and public health research in causal inference, environmental health, and neurology at HSPH. Additionally, I am excited to explore other subfields of biostatistics.

Outside of school and research, I have been singing in choirs and a cappella groups for the past fourteen years, so I would love to join a choir at Harvard. I like painting and drawing, so I am excited to wander around art museums in the Boston area. I also like exercising, dancing, and singing karaoke. I am very excited to meet everyone!

Hi, my name is Ethan Lee. I’m from the Philadelphia area, but went to boarding school in New England, so I am excited to be back. I graduated from NYU in 2024 with a major in Mathematics and a minor in Computer Science.

My experience with health sciences began in high school, when I spent two summers working at a microbiology lab at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. During my undergrad, I collaborated closely with a group from the Department of Population Health at NYU medical school. We primarily focused on the topic of domain generalization/domain adaptation, which arises during a prediction task when the training set is not an unbiased sample, that is it may only include data from certain prevalent domains in a population. I felt that this issue itself is highly relevant in today’s society, where minority groups are often underrepresented during sampling.

Our approach utilized a selection-guided approach, meaning we leveraged the fact each individual’s domain selection probability depended on their individual covariates. We eventually expanded this approach to more general contexts, including a semi- supervised approach which utilized unlabeled training data.

During my PhD studies at Harvard, I am keen on exploring more of the potential methods to analyze large datasets, such as EHR. Moreover, I am also interested in the aspects of developing statistics/machine learning methods, such as reinforcement learning, to analyze complex, high-dimensional data collected from mobile and wearable devices.

In my free time, I enjoy baseball statistics and am interested in utilizing statistical methods for areas such as in-season prediction and player evaluation metrics. I also enjoy tennis and squash.

News from the School

Red meat and diabetes

How for-profit medicine is harming health care

A tradition of mentoring

Promising HIV treatment

Featured Topics

Featured series.

A series of random questions answered by Harvard experts.

Explore the Gazette

Read the latest.

Weight-loss drug linked to fewer COVID deaths

Toll of QAnon on families of followers

Billions worldwide deficient in essential micronutrients

Harvard’s institute of politics announces fall 2024 resident fellows.

Betsy Ankney (clockwise from top left), John Anzalone, Alejandra Castillo, Eugene Scott, Brett Rosenberg, and Asa Hutchinson

The Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School today announced the appointment of six Resident Fellows who will join the IOP for the fall 2024 semester. The fellows bring diverse experience in politics, elected office, polling, journalism and economic development to address the challenges facing our country and world today.

“We are thrilled to welcome this fall’s cohort of Resident Fellows to Harvard to engage and collaborate with our students and community, and to get their thoughts and insight in the final few months of this year’s historic election. Their diverse experiences will no doubt inspire our students to consider careers in public service and prepare them to provide essential political leadership in the months and years ahead.” said IOP Director Setti Warren.

“We are excited to have such a remarkable group of Fellows at the IOP this fall. They bring varied perspectives on how to best approach some of our country’s most consequential challenges, and I am confident our students will gain important insight into the inner workings into the fields of politics, civic engagement, journalism and more,” said Michael Nutter, chair of the Institute of Politics Senior Advisory Committee, and former mayor of Philadelphia.

“We are thrilled to welcome the incredibly accomplished members of the 2024 fall fellows cohort as we begin the fall semester prior to the incredibly important U.S. election …. this semester’s cohort of fellows will bring in critical perspectives from the varied worlds of governing, policymaking, polling, reporting, and campaigning to equip students with the tools necessary to create a better tomorrow. We are confident that this cohort of fellows will help this program to remain a bastion of freedom of speech and civil discourse on Harvard’s campus,” said Éamon ÓCearúil ’25 and Summer Tan ’26 , co-chairs of the Fellows and Study Groups Program at the Institute of Politics.

IOP  Resident Fellows  are fully engaged with the Harvard community. They reside on campus, mentor a cohort of undergraduate students, hold weekly office hours, and lead an eight-week, not-for-credit study group based on their experience and expertise.

Fall 2024 Resident Fellows:

Eugene Scott  – Host at Axios Live, and former reporter who has spent two decades covering politics at the local, national and international level, including at the Washington Post and CNN.

Betsy Ankney  – Former Campaign Manager, Nikki Haley for President.

John Anzalone  – One of the nation’s top pollsters and strategists, and founder of Impact Research, a public opinion research and consulting firm.

Alejandra Castillo  – Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development.

Asa Hutchinson  – Former Governor of Arkansas and 2024 Presidential Candidate.

Brett Rosenberg  – Former Director for Strategic Planning, National Security Council and Deputy Special Coordinator for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, Department of State.

Share this article

You might like.

Large-scale study finds Wegovy reduces risk of heart attack, stroke

New book by Nieman Fellow explores pain, frustration in efforts to help loved ones break free of hold of conspiracy theorists

Inadequate levels carry risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, blindness

You want to be boss. You probably won’t be good at it.

Study pinpoints two measures that predict effective managers

Your kid can’t name three branches of government? He’s not alone. 

Efforts launched to turn around plummeting student scores in U.S. history, civics, amid declining citizen engagement across nation

Good genes are nice, but joy is better

Harvard study, almost 80 years old, has proved that embracing community helps us live longer, and be happier

Master of Science in Political Science

Learn more about lu.

By submitting contact information through this form, I agree that Liberty University and its affiliates may call and/or text me about its offerings by any phone number I have provided and may provide in the future, including any wireless number, using automated technology.

Message and data rates may apply. For additional information, text HELP to 49595 or 49596. You may opt-out at any time by sending STOP to 49595 or 49596. Visit for Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy .

15 colleges and schools

350+ degrees on-campus

600+ degrees online

20 NCAA Div. 1 Sports

Master of Science (M.S.) in Political Science

Explore the true nature of politics with a master’s degree in political science online.

The realm of politics can be a complicated and intricate bureaucratic process in which leaders, who are passionate and critical thinkers, are needed for ethical interpretation and understanding. Both nationally and globally, there is a definite need for men and women to enter public service for advocating ethical policies and national direction.

This political science degree is ideal if you are interested in diplomacy and government managerial positions. Your goal to become a leader in the field will help you serve as a valuable asset to your organization and educational success.

Our M.S. in Political Science focuses on the rigorous and comprehensive study of politics, building upon various fundamental skills integral to a career as a political scientist. Skills earned throughout your political science education will aid in your ability to advance research and scholarship on the nature and impact of politics in society. Upon graduation, you can leave equipped with a theoretical and broad-based approach to studying government and politics.

What Will You Learn in Our Master’s Degree in Political Science Online

• Political history
• Political theory
• Contemporary issues in politics

Provided in a flexible and affordable 100% online degree format, your master’s degree in political science is easily customizable for your convenience. You will learn in-demand skills as well as the philosophical and biblical influences impacting politics and government for a well-rounded education. During your journey, you will be challenged to discover and recognize how domestic and international governments and political processes influence one another as well as how historical and contemporary ideas impact both. The M.S. in Political Science online degree will serve as a valuable tool in politics and give you an edge for career advancement.

Potential Careers with a Political Science Degree

• Compliance manager
• Investment fund manager
• Political scientist
• Regulatory affairs manager

Liberty’s Political Science Master’s Program Highlights

As a leader in distance education since 1985, we understand what it takes to create a flexible and affordable education for busy people. Since we have been investing in distance and online learning for decades, our experience has taught us how to streamline our degree options so you can focus on what really matters to you. While many schools offer online degrees, we believe Liberty stands out.

Here’s what sets us apart:

• We are recognized by multiple institutions for our academic quality, affordability, and accessibility . Our commitment to excellence also helped us rank in the top 10% of Niche.com’s best online schools in America . Earning your online MS in Political Science degree from a nonprofit university with this kind of recognition can help set you apart from others in your field.
• The majority of tuition for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs has not increased in 9 years. While many other online colleges have raised tuition, Liberty has been able to keep costs low as a nonprofit university.
• Students can complete this M.S. in Political Science program in as little as a year and a half.

Master’s Degree in Political Science Military Benefits

Service is important to us, so whether you’re currently serving in the Armed Forces, have served, or are married to someone who serves, we’re here to serve you. Liberty’s military benefits are available to:

• Active duty service members of the U.S. Armed Forces
• Reserve/National Guard
• Veterans/retirees
• Spouses of service members and veterans/retirees
• Current Department of Defense employees

We are proud to support you in your pursuit of a flexible and affordable online education by offering you the following benefits:

• Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for graduate courses
• Additional discount for veterans who serve in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course) .
• 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences).

Credit Hours

Available Online

100% online, 8-week courses

Transfer Credits

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Next Start Date

Sep 16, 2024

Accreditation

Liberty University is accredited by SACSCOC

Areas of Interest

Choose your area of Interest:

Training Champions for Christ

Liberty’s promise to you is an education that expertly brings knowledge and faith together. Here, education is designed around you. It connects you to people and opportunities that help you develop the skills and confidence you’re looking for. At Liberty, you’ll find the knowledge, experience, and mentorship you want to make your career — and life — a fulfilling one.

Why Liberty

Liberty University is not just another school. It is the realization of a dream, the product of thousands of prayers. It was built to invite students into a bigger, better story. Discover the Liberty difference for yourself.

Scholarships

When it comes to choosing a college, finances make a difference. That’s why at Liberty, we believe in offering you a top-notch education — that’s also affordable. Discover how Liberty can help you keep your college costs down.

For residential students

Online Discounts

At Liberty University, we believe everyone should have an equal opportunity to pursue higher education, and it's our job to keep private education affordable. Explore the many ways a Liberty education can be an affordable one.

For online students

Academic Excellence

Liberty University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and certain programs have earned additional field-specific accreditation as well.