About the Program

In the Charles and Louise Travers Department of Political Science, over fifty faculty and lecturers teach and conduct research in each of our eleven subfields on a variety of special topics. Additionally, our faculty and students work with over twenty specialized and interdisciplinary institutes and centers around campus on issues important to political science and our world today.

The Department at Berkeley admits graduate students only for the PhD degree.

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Admissions

Admission to the University

Uniform minimum requirements for admission

The following minimum requirements apply to all programs and will be verified by the Graduate Division:

1. A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;
2. A minimum grade-point average of B or better (3.0);
3. If the applicant comes from a country or political entity (e.g. Quebec) where English is not the official language, adequate proficiency in English to do graduate work, as evidenced by a TOEFL score of at least 570 on the paper-and-pencil test, 230 on the computer-based test, 90 on the iBT test, or an IELTS Band score of at least 7 (note that individual programs may set higher levels for any of these); and
4. Enough undergraduate training to do graduate work in the given field.

Applicants who already hold a graduate degree

The Graduate Council views academic degrees as evidence of broad research training, not as vocational training certificates; therefore, applicants who already have academic graduate degrees should be able to take up new subject matter on a serious level without undertaking a graduate program, unless the fields are completely dissimilar.

Programs may consider students for an additional academic master’s or professional master’s degree if the additional degree is in a distinctly different field.

Applicants admitted to a doctoral program that requires a master’s degree to be earned at Berkeley as a prerequisite (even though the applicant already has a master’s degree from another institution in the same or a closely allied field of study) will be permitted to undertake the second master’s degree, despite the overlap in field.

The Graduate Division will admit students for a second doctoral degree only if they meet the following guidelines:

1. Applicants with doctoral degrees may be admitted for an additional doctoral degree only if that degree program is in a general area of knowledge distinctly different from the field in which they earned their original degree. For example, a physics PhD could be admitted to a doctoral degree program in music or history; however, a student with a doctoral degree in mathematics would not be permitted to add a PhD in statistics.
2. Applicants who hold the PhD degree may be admitted to a professional doctorate or professional master’s degree program if there is no duplication of training involved.

Applicants may only apply to one single degree program or one concurrent degree program per admission cycle.

Any applicant who was previously registered at Berkeley as a graduate student, no matter how briefly, must apply for readmission, not admission, even if the new application is to a different program.

Required documents for admissions applications

1. Transcripts:  Upload unofficial transcripts with the application for the departmental initial review. Official transcripts of all college-level work will be required if admitted. Official transcripts must be in sealed envelopes as issued by the school(s) you have attended. Request a current transcript from every post-secondary school that you have attended, including community colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs.
   If you have attended Berkeley, upload unofficial transcript with the application for the departmental initial review. Official transcript with evidence of degree conferral will not be required if admitted.
2. Letters of recommendation: Applicants can request online letters of recommendation through the online application system. Hard copies of recommendation letters must be sent directly to the program, not the Graduate Division.
3. Evidence of English language proficiency: All applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency. This requirement applies to applicants from Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and most European countries. However, applicants who, at the time of application, have already completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better at a U.S. university may submit an official transcript from the U.S. university to fulfill this requirement. The following courses will not fulfill this requirement: 1) courses in English as a Second Language, 2) courses conducted in a language other than English, 3) courses that will be completed after the application is submitted, and 4) courses of a non-academic nature. If applicants have previously been denied admission to Berkeley on the basis of their English language proficiency, they must submit new test scores that meet the current minimum from one of the standardized tests.

Doctoral Degree Requirements

Normative Time Requirements

The Political Science department at Berkeley admits students only for the PhD degree. The PhD program has two major phases: coursework and examinations, and dissertation research and writing. The two phases typically take approximately six to seven years (three years to candidacy and three to four for dissertation research and writing).

Time to Advancement

Curriculum

The coursework and examination phase requires 40 units (typically 10 classes) of graduate-level coursework and competence in three of nine subfields . Subfield competence is demonstrated through written exams offered each semester. The preliminary field exams are typically taken in the student's second and third years of the program. All students must pass one exam in a major subfield (Comparative, American, International Relations, or History of Political Theory) and a second exam in any subfield. Competency in the third subfield may be demonstrated by a third written exam or by taking a prescribed series of three courses in that field with a combined GPA of 3.5.

The particular sequence of courses that a student takes in preparation for the comprehensive exams is not prescribed. Rather, the faculty assist students with selection of courses that best meet their intellectual and academic interests. There are no formal foreign language or statistics requirements although many students will find that their program of study and dissertation research will require the engagement of particular foreign language or methodology coursework.

When the coursework and preliminary examination requirements have been met, the student prepares a prospectus for dissertation research. The student convenes a committee known as the qualifying exam committee. The qualifying exam committee advises on the prospectus and examines the student on specific research plans. Berkeley is highly committed to interdisciplinary scholarly engagement and this is codified in the requirement that both the qualifying exam committee and the dissertation committee include a faculty member from another department at Berkeley. Engagement with members of the faculty from other departments should commence during the coursework stage so that the advisement and input of the "outside member" is represented in the prospectus.

When sufficient preparation for the proposed research has been demonstrated to the qualifying exam committee, the student is advanced to doctoral candidacy. It is expected (and for most funding packages, required) that the student advance to doctoral candidacy within three years of beginning graduate study.

Dissertation Research and Writing

Doctoral candidacy initiates the second phase of the program during which the student normally devotes full attention to the research and writing of the dissertation. The student's dissertation committee is typically comprised of the members of the qualifying exam committee although there are sometimes changes in committee membership as the research evolves. The doctorate is awarded when the student submits a satisfactory dissertation to the dissertation committee. A reasonable estimate of the research and writing phase of the program is three years although students whose dissertations require more extensive research may take longer to earn their degree.

General Curriculum Guidelines

First Year

Students are required to complete 24 units of coursework in their first year of study. At least 12 of these units must be in political science graduate courses; the remainder may be in graduate or upper-division undergraduate courses in other departments. The first year is designed to allow the student the opportunity to engage in foreign language study, area specialization, and to meet and study with faculty from other departments who may become members of the Qualifying Exam or Dissertation Committees. The other major component of the first year curriculum is the First Year Essay. Students are evaluated at the completion of the first year on their overall academic performance. This overall evaluation will include GPA, successful completion of all 24 units, quality of the first-year essay, and evaluations of instructors. The Graduate Studies Committee weighs these factors to determine whether to invite the student to continue in the Ph.D. program.

Second Year

The second year is used to further narrow down one's interests and to continue exploring ideas and potential advisors for a dissertation topic. Coursework continues as students begin preparation for both preliminary field exams as well as to write the dissertation prospectus. In addition to the coursework, ongoing foreign-language or area study, and preparation for exams, students in their second year usually serve as a Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) which are 20-hour per week positions.

Third Year

During the third year, most students continue to GSI and complete their coursework in addition to taking their preliminary field exams. Political Science graduate students must show competency in three subfield specialties to be eligible to sit for the oral prospectus defense (known formally as the Qualifying Exam). Instead of sitting for three field exams, students have the option to "course out" of one field specialty by taking a prescribed set of three courses in the subfield.

Students may sit for the field exams as early as the begining of the second year, but if desired, students may sit for an exam in their second year and again in the third year. Field Exams are offered at the beginining of the Fall and Spring semesters. Students may also opt to take two exams in the same semester although leaving both exams for the spring of the third year is not recommended. All students are expected to have completed their two field exams, to have coursed out of a third field, and to have written and defended their dissertation prospectus by the end of the third year. All student funding packages include the Dean's Completion Fellowship (DCF), commonly known as the fourth year of funding in such packages. Successful defense of the research plan and submission of the necessary candidacy paperwork by June 30 of the third year confers the DCFF which, while known as the "fourth year," is redeemable any time (and does not need to be used in consecutive semesters) over the following three years.

Fourth Year

In the fourth year, many students choose to stay in Berkeley and serve as a GSI as they prepare for an extended research trip. Since the DCF is deferrable until the sixth year, students often find that saving that fellowship and teaching in the fourth year helps them conduct library and other research in Berkeley before embarking on extended trips away. The fourth year is also when some students begin to apply for extramural fellowships to support their dissertation research.

Fifth Year

Like the fourth year, the fifth is variable according to an individual's research schedule. Often this is a good year to use the DCF while in the field conducting research. This is also the time, if research is complete and writing has begun, to apply for finishing fellowships and extramural dissertation awards.

Sixth Year and Beyond

In the sixth year, students who do not have extramural or remaining campus or departmental fellowship support will return to the classroom to teach while completing the dissertation and entering the job market. Others teach as adjunct faculty at the many colleges and universities in the area, and some find research assistantships to fund the final year(s).

Subfields

American Politics

Subfield Coordinator: Eric Schickler

The study of American politics at Berkeley brings together faculty and graduate students who seek to tackle the most important questions confronting the field using diverse methodological approaches.

Among other topics, the faculty’s research agenda encompasses the quality and meaning of representation in contemporary American politics, the political implications of rising economic inequality, the politics of immigration and of minority group representation, the meaning of American national identity, the sources and implications of party polarization, the development of American bureaucratic government and of the American welfare state, and the balance of power among Congress, the Presidency, and the Courts. Our program strives to train students to have a diverse methodological toolkit, including quantitative, historical/developmental, game theoretic, behavioral, and institutional approaches.

The Institute of Governmental Studies and Survey Research Center support several workshops and colloquia that foster this diverse intellectual community, including the American Politics Research Workshop, the Positive Political Theory seminar series, the Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration Colloquium, the American Political Development working group, and the Quantitative Methods Workshop. These research units also provide funding for graduate student research projects and for faculty-student collaboration. Faculty work closely with students to help each student carve out a research agenda that fits his or her interests, while addressing a substantively important problem.

Comparative Politics

Subfield Coordinator: M. Steven Fish

Berkeley has a longstanding tradition of distinction in comparative politics. Members of the department’s comparative politics faculty are widely recognized as national and international leaders, and the department’s strengths have grown in recent years.

Coverage of substantive themes, methodological approaches, and geographic expertise is extremely broad. Comparative political economy, political regimes and regime change, political parties and organizations, and social mobilization are the subject of great interest among faculty and graduate students. Some comparative faculty and graduate students rely largely upon formal theory in their work. Some are highly proficient in quantitative methods, while others use case studies and qualitative methods. Many faculty and graduate students use multi-method approaches. The faculty emphasizes rigor of method—whether applied in formal, statistical, or qualitative work. All graduate students in comparative politics are expected to achieve proficiency in all methods prevalent in the field.

The faculty and graduate student population is diverse; no single theoretical orientation or methodology enjoys status as orthodoxy. Generally speaking, Berkeley comparativists pursue “big” questions that have broad implications for political life and public policy as well as social science. Such questions include when and why Chinese peasants resist unjust authority; why the Chinese economy has grown so rapidly and what other countries can learn from it; how transformations in the global economy are reshaping the welfare state in advanced industrialized countries; how economic structures and resource flows mold state and market institutions in the Middle East; why economic liberalization has proved difficult in Japan and how it may yet come about; why democracy is failing in Russia while working in Indonesia; why opposition forces succeed in forging electoral alliances in some African polities but not others; how party systems influence the provision of public goods across the Indian states; and how labor organizations are responding to transformations in economic policy in Latin America.

International Relations

Subfield Coordinator: Vinod Aggarwal

International Relations at Berkeley focuses on the study of contemporary and historical problems in world politics. Our faculty and graduate students work on an eclectic set of substantive issues that frequently cross over between international relations theory, security studies, and international political economy.

Current research interests pursued by our group include the causes and consequences of peace and war, the political economy of trade and finance, American foreign and national security policy, emerging issues in security, geopolitical order and change, the impact of technology and geography on world politics, the role of ideas and identities shaping international affairs, the link between business and politics, and the interaction between religion and global politics. In addition to resources in the political science department, our work is reflected and supported by various centers across campus:  the Institute for International Studies (IIS), the Berkeley Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Study Center (BASC), the Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy (BRIE), the Religion, Politics and Globalization Program (RPGP), and others. In addition, the journal Business and Politics is edited by one of our faculty members.

Our methodologies are equally eclectic, ranging from socio-historical analysis to quantitative empirics and formal modeling. Much of our research is interdisciplinary, drawing from fields as disparate as economics, psychology, ecology, theology or history. We take theory seriously but not to the exclusion of interesting and important global problems. Our overarching goal is to contribute to an understanding of how international politics is organized and how it functions around substantive issues that matter to political actors and human beings.

Methodology & Formal Theory

Subfield Coordinator: Jasjeet Sekhon

The Berkeley program in empirical methodology and formal theory offers rigorous training that is carefully integrated with major sub­stantive agendas in political science.

The program builds centrally on innovative faculty research, which encompasses new methods for causal inference and pro­gram evaluation, as well as statistical computing and survey analysis. The work on surveys has included path-breaking contri­butions to developing and refining ex­periments embedded in surveys and computer-assisted telephone inter­view­ing; and innovations in measuring issue orientations and in multi-level modeling of political behavior. In formal theory, faculty have contributed to opening new lines of inquiry into strategic interactions where formal institutions are weak, and to modeling information and incentives in organiza­tions—as they affect both the dynamics of institutions within the United States and those in authoritarian and democratizing regimes. Faculty in both tradi­tions play a promi­nent role in developing empirical tests of formal theory, based on both laboratory experiments and obser­va­tional data. The faculty has also done influential work on qua­litative meth­odology, compa­rative-historical methods, and linking qualitative methods with both quantitative tools and with formal analysis.

The methods/formal faculty makes important institutional contributions on the Berkeley campus. They convene the Positive Political Theory Seminar, which draws together a national consti­tuency of leading modelers for its biweekly meetings. They have led the campus Survey Research Center and helped to sustain its innovative research on survey methodo­logy; and they were central to launching the Berkeley’s NSF/IGERT training program in Politics, Economics, Psychology, and Public Policy (PEPPP). Berkeley’s Institute of Govern­mental Studies, as well as the Survey Research Center, are important venues for convening scholars and graduate students, and they provide support for graduate students pursuing methodological and formal training.

Faculty members also play leading roles in the national political science profession. Their contri­butions have included serving as Chair of the Board of the American National Elections Studies (ANES); providing crucial leadership in launching the NSF program on the Empirical Implications of Theoretical Models (EITM); co-editing the new Oxford Handbook of Political Methodology; serving as President of the Political Methodology Society; and founding APSA’s Organized Section for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research. The political science department maintains close ties with the national Institute for Qualitative/Multi-Method Research, and many graduate students attend the institute. Three of the methods/formal faculty are Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Political Theory & Philosophy

Subfield Coordinator: Shannon Stimson

Berkeley’s department offers a full range of courses in political theory, including classical, modern, and contemporary political philosophy (both European and American).

In the history of political thought, faculty have particular strengths in ancient moral and political thought, renaissance and early modern political thought, Enlightenment social and political thought, and nineteenth and twentieth century Marxism, British and Continental theory, and critical theory. In contemporary political theory, their areas of expertise include liberal and democratic thought, sovereignty and multiculturalism, and postfoundational approaches to subjectivity and social inquiry.

The core curriculum for graduate study in the department involves those courses recommended in preparation for the qualifying exam in the history of political thought (such courses include POL SCI 212A History of Political Thought: Ancient and Medieval POL SCI 212B History of Political Thought: Early Modern (Renaissance to French Revolution), POL SCI 212C History of Political Thought: Modern (French Revolution through World War II), POL SCI 213 Methodological Topics in the History of Political Thought, and POL SCI 214 Symposium in the History of Political Thought); and courses of special relevance to the qualifying exam in contemporary political theory (including POL SCI 215A Approaches to Contemporary Political Theory, POL SCI 215B Topics to Contemporary Political Theory, and POL SCI 216 Symposium in Contemporary Political Theory). The history of political thought exam has two parts. Part I queries students about the nature of the history of Western political thought as a field of knowledge, and/or about debates focused on particular periods or problems.  Part II of the exam asks students to respond to questions about particular theorists or texts in each of three major time periods (ancient and medieval; early modern; modern).  The contemporary political thought exam approaches twentieth and twenty-first century political theory from three angles: subfields of theory, theorists and approaches, and topics.

The research, writing, and pedagogical interests of faculty within political theory are impressively varied. Greater details about the work and interests of each faculty member may be found on their faculty web pages.

Models & Politics

Formal models are used in political science as abstract representations of political institutions and choices in order to focus attention on key logics and causal mechanisms in a political process. Good modeling requires fluency in technical fields such as game theory and social choice theory, as well as the substantive knowledge to craft an appropriate and insightful model for a specific application.

The Models & Politics subfield, instituted by the faculty in 2007, connects advanced training in formal modeling techniques (also commonly referred to as formal theory, positive political theory, or political economy) with innovative substantive research in political science. It is designed for students who plan to make significant use of formal modeling in their own research in American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, or Political Theory. This subfield is appropriate for students who wish to use formal models to structure and inform their empirical research, as well as those who wish to become “pure” modelers.

Political Behavior

Political behavior at UC Berkeley serves as a bridge between political science on the one side and political psychology and political sociology on the other. Its focus is on the social and psychological processes by which individuals (and groups) engage in political life. Although the actual studies of these matters may occur within a particular geographical or institutional context and data are most often drawn from the American experience, the purpose is to generalize to a class of political phenomena or behavior beyond specific countries or specific institutions. Attention is also paid to problems of survey design and analysis, the development of scales, indices, and other measurement devices, questionnaire construction, interviewing, sampling, and other elements of systematic research that aim to yield data susceptible to statistical analysis. Among the substantive topics covered in the field are: public opinion; political leadership; political participation and protest and personality and politics.

Public Law & Jurisprudence

Public Law is concerned with the analysis of the actual behavior of legal decision-makers and the law-related behavior of citizens, as well as with the study of legal and constitutional doctrine. It seeks to develop an understanding of the role of law, legal theory and legal practice in the governmental process. Courses and faculty research focus primarily on how the actions of legal decision-makers (judges, police, regulatory officials, bureaucrats, etc.) are shaped both by legal doctrine and philosophy and by political, organizational, economic, and social variables. Students are also expected to develop a knowledge of American Constitutional Law, its political ramifications, and its relation to public theory. Joint work with the UC Berkeley School of Law and its program in Jurisprudence and Social Policy is encouraged.

Public Policy & Organization

Public policy studies explore political responses to specific public problems, like environmental degradation, poverty, or disease. Faculty in this subfield are interested in the political dynamics of policy-making and policy implementation, including such topics as agenda-setting, regulatory decision-making, and federalism. Since public problems often ignore jurisdictions, a policy-oriented approach to political science is often concerned about the interplay between different levels of government (local, regional, national, and international). The Public Policy & Organization subfield therefore draws on, and contributes to, scholarship in urban politics, American politics, comparative politics, and international relations.

Policy outcomes are typically mediated by organizations that mobilize stakeholders, make authoritative decisions, administer programs, and enforce laws. These organizations range from complex government bureaucracies to professional associations and social movement organizations. The organizational and inter-organizational aspects of policy-making and policy implementation are a particular concern of this subfield. Important debates in this field often focus on understanding how specific institutional arrangements are created to govern policy arenas and on whether these institutions produce effective, efficient, and equitable governance.

Sophisticated explanations of policy-making and implementation call for specific analytical tools and intellectual frameworks. This subfield draws on theories of policy-making and implementation, governance, public administration, public law, institutionalism, and organization theory as a framework of analysis.

Courses

Political Science

Faculty

Professors

Vinod K. Aggarwal, Professor. Political science, negotiations, trade policy, international organizations, international debt rescheduling.
Research Profile

Christopher Ansell, Professor. Political science, social movements, political sociology, network analysis, organization theory, public administration, political parties, Western Europe.
Research Profile

Mark Bevir, Professor. Public policy, political theory, democratic theory, governance, Britain.
Research Profile

Wendy L. Brown, Professor. Feminist theory, critical theory, theories of neoliberalism, public higher education, nineteenth and twentieth century political theory.
Research Profile

Pradeep K Chhibber, PhD, Professor. Political parties, politics of India.
Research Profile

Jack Citrin, PhD, Professor. Immigration, multiculturalism, taxation, survey research, political psychology, public opinion, political identity, alienation.
Research Profile

Lowell Dittmer, Professor. Comparative politics, Chinese politics, informal politics, East Asian international relations.
Research Profile

Thad Dunning, Professor.

M. Steven Fish, Professor. Political science, post-Soviet politics, democratization regime change, general comparative politics, Russian revolution, communist and post-communist studies, democracy.
Research Profile

Rodney E. Hero, Professor.

Hong Yung Lee, Professor. Political science, East Asian studies.
Research Profile

Taeku Lee, Professor. Political science, discrimination, language, social movements, political behavior, identity, racial and ethnic politics, public opinion, survey research methods, social welfare policies, partisanship, stereotypes.
Research Profile

Kevin J O'Brien, Professor. Social movements, Chinese politics, peasant politics.
Research Profile

T.J. Pempel, Professor. Political science, comparative politics, political economy, East Asian studies, contemporary Japan, Asian regionalism.
Research Profile

Paul Pierson, Professor.

Robert L. Powell, Professor. Political science, game theory, international relations, formal theory and methods, nuclear deterrence theory, credibility, international conflict.
Research Profile

Eric Schickler, Professor.

Jasjeet S. Sekhon, Professor.

J. Merrill Shanks, PhD, Professor. Political science.
Research Profile

Shannon C. Stimson, Professor. Politics in Shakespeare, history of early modern political thought, history of political and economic thought, constitutionalism and modern jurisprudence.
Research Profile

Steven Vogel, Professor. Political science, political economy or comparative political economy, the Japanese model of capitalism, Japanese politics.
Research Profile

Steven Weber, Professor. Political science, international security, international political economy, information science.
Research Profile

John Zysman, Professor. Political science, comparative politics, finance, political economy, manufacturing, European and Japanese policy, corporate strategy, Western European politics, post-industrial economy, governments, the politics of industrial change.
Research Profile

Associate Professors

Leonardo R. Arriola, Associate Professor. Ethiopia, elections, political parties, democracy, Kenya, African politics, ethnic politics, coalitions, Cameroon, Senegal, election violence.
Research Profile

Kiren A. Chaudhry, Associate Professor.

Sean P. Gailmard, Associate Professor. Bureaucratic organizations, American political institutions, rational choice game theory, statistical modeling, laboratory experimentation in social science.
Research Profile

Ron E Hassner, Associate Professor. International relations, international security, religion and conflict.
Research Profile

Kinch Hoekstra, Associate Professor.

Gabriel Lenz, Associate Professor. American politics, elections, voter behavior, democratic accountability, campaigns.
Research Profile

Jonah Levy, PhD, Associate Professor. Political science, social policy, comparative political economy, West European politics, relationship between partisanship and welfare reform in contemporary Western Europe.
Research Profile

Laura Stoker, Associate Professor. American politics, political behavior, political psychology, public opinion, voting and elections, political socialization, research design and empirical methods.
Research Profile

Robert Parks Van Houweling, Associate Professor.

Jason Wittenberg, Associate Professor. Ethnicity, statistical methods, Eastern Europe, religion and politics, voting behavior.
Research Profile

J. Nicholas Ziegler, PhD, Associate Professor. Political science, technology, corporate governance, comparative political economy, European politics, political ideologies, politics of economic reform in Germany, politics of property rights in Germany.
Research Profile

Assistant Professors

Jennifer L. Bussell, Assistant Professor.

Peter Lorentzen, Assistant Professor. Development, China, political economy, game theory, authoritarianism.
Research Profile

Aila Matanock, Assistant Professor.

Michaela Mattes, Assistant Professor.

Alison Post, Assistant Professor. Regulation, infrastructure, water and sanitation.
Research Profile

Adjunct Faculty

Helene Silverberg, Adjunct Faculty.

Lecturers

Amy Gurowitz, Lecturer.

Ted Lempert, Lecturer.

Alan David Ross, Lecturer.

Dan Schnur, Lecturer.

Darren C. Zook, Lecturer.