Program Requirements

Program requirements and timeline

The Ph.D. program is structured so that students can focus on classes and research in their first two years in the program, complete their dissertation prospectus and begin dissertation research in year three (usually while gaining teaching experience), and continue to conduct and write-up dissertation research in later years. To assist students in planning their time in the program, the Department has produced these checklists, which focus attention on meeting formal Department requirements and making the best use of time in graduate school.

The formal requirements of the Ph.D. program are described in the following paragraphs. More detailed policies and procedures concerning the Prospectus and Dissertation and Teaching appear below. Additionally, when students first arrive on campus, they will be assigned an advisor from the faculty of the Department. The advisor assists the student in planning his or her course work, preparing for field exams, and laying the groundwork for the dissertation. As such, students should meet regularly (at least once per semester) with their advisor. Students may later work with this advisor on their dissertation, but there is no requirement that they do so. Students may change advisors as they wish, but they are expected to alert both the faculty and the DGS/Program Registrar to any changes in their advisor. The DGS can assist students in choosing an advisor.

(Program requirements are reprinted from the Graduate Bulletin.)

Overall program requirements:

Students are required to pass fourteen term courses by the end of their fourth term in the program, to receive a grade of Honors in at least two Political Science courses, and to maintain an overall High Pass or above average (for purposes of calculating this average, Honors=3, High Pass=2, Pass=1, and Fail=0). The High Pass average must also be met for graduate courses listed in the Political Science department.

The department regularly offers about sixty term courses for graduate students each year. Courses are conducted as seminars and typically have small enrollments. Four of the courses required for the degree may be in departments other than Political Science (two of these can be advanced language courses with the approval of the director of graduate studies [DGS]). At most three graduate courses can be transferred for work done outside of Yale, or six for work done at Yale. For more information on transferring credit, see here. (Program Requirements FAQs)

Each student must demonstrate elementary reading competence in one foreign language. Such competence is usually demonstrated by taking, or having completed, two years of undergraduate course work or by examination. Alternatively, the language requirement can be satisfied by successfully completing either two terms of formal theory or two terms of statistical methods at the graduate level in addition to the PLSC 5000 introductory course in statistical methods offered in the department. For more information on fulfilling the language requirement, see here. (Program Requirements FAQs)

Courses are offered in five substantive fields—political theory, international relations, comparative politics, American politics, and political economy—and two methods fields: quantitative empirical methods and qualitative and archival methods. Courses taken must include one each in at least two of the department’s substantive fields. Courses cannot be counted in more than one field. Each student must demonstrate competence in two subfields before the start of the fifth term. At least one of those subfields must be a substantive subfield. To certify in a subfield a student must take at least three courses in the subfield. Certification in the primary subfield requires passing the comprehensive exam in that field. Certification in the nonprimary subfield can be in any route allowed by the subfield. Students who do not pass an exam on the second try cannot certify in that subfield. Students must be certified in two subfields by September 30 of Year 3 (permitting students to take exams in August before Year 3 begins). A committee of faculty within the field grades the comprehensive exams as Distinguished, Satisfactory, or Unsatisfactory. Students who fail a comprehensive exam may retake the failed exam or take an exam in a new field. Students who have not demonstrated competence in two subfields by September 30 of Year 4 will not be permitted to continue in the program

Students who successfully complete the Ph.D. in Political Science will often join the faculties of colleges and universities. For that reason, learning what is involved in teaching and gaining teaching experience are also essential components of graduate education. The department expects students to devote themselves exclusively to course work and comprehensive examinations in their first two years in the Ph.D. program. Students in Political Science typically teach in their third and fourth years.

During each year in residence, graduate students are expected to participate actively and regularly in one or more of the many research workshops run by the department. Students beyond their fourth term are required to enroll in at least one of the workshops for credit, and all workshops are graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis. All students are expected to present a research paper of their own at one of these workshops before the end of their fourth year. Workshop participation does not count toward the requirement of fourteen term courses.

Prior to registration for the second year:

(1) Students must have taken and passed at least six courses and maintained an overall High Pass average. At least five of these courses must be graduate courses in Political Science. While only six courses are required, students are normally expected to complete seven courses in the first year to be on track to complete fourteen courses by the end of the second year. (2) Students are strongly encouraged to complete at least one field certification prior to the beginning of their second year. (3) Students are strongly encouraged to regularly attend one of the subfield weekly workshops.

Prior to registration for the third year:

(1) Students must have taken at least fourteen term courses and have received a grade of at least Pass in each of them, including PLSC 5410, the required Research and Writing course for second-year students. Research and Writing is devoted to the preparation of a manuscript based on original research on a topic of the student’s choice and will count as one of the fourteen credits needed to advance to candidacy. (2) Students must have received a grade of Honors in at least two Political Science courses and maintained an overall High Pass average. (3) Students who have not yet completed certification in two fields by the end of their second year must do so by September 30 of Year 3 (see Comprehensive Exam requirements above). Students registered for the August exams who pass those exams will have satisfied the certification requirement. (4) Students are strongly encouraged to attend one of the required subfield weekly workshops.

Second-Year Review

The DGS will appoint a Second-Year Review Committee, which will conduct a formal review of all second-year students by May 31 of Year 2. Prior to meeting, the Committee will elicit feedback from the department on the second-year cohort. The review will assess: (a) grade records and maintenance of the High Pass average; (b) evaluations from comprehensive exams; (c) progress toward 14-course completion; (d) reviews of the Research and Writing manuscript; and (e) workshop participation.

Each student will receive one of three outcomes:

“Encouraged to proceed” = Good Standing: student is making strong progress
“Eligible to proceed” = Satisfactory Standing: student is meeting basic requirements with minor concerns
“Placed on Probation” = significant concerns requiring a specific remediation plan to remain in the program

Academic Standing System

Beginning in Year 3, students are assigned to one of three academic standing levels:

1. Good Standing
Making good and timely progress toward degree completion; meeting all milestone deadlines. Students in Good Standing receive highest priority in Teaching Fellow assignments.

2. Satisfactory Standing
Minor delay in meeting a milestone (less than one semester). Implications: DGS notification, required meeting with advisor to develop a remediation plan, documented in the student’s file.

3. Probation
Significant deficiencies. Triggered by, for example: failing more than one comprehensive exam; GPA below High Pass; missing the prospectus deadline; or an unsatisfactory annual progress review. Implications: written notification to the student specifying (a) the grounds for probation, (b) the specific requirements to return to Good Standing with deadlines, and (c) the consequences of non-remediation, which may include dismissal from the program.

Admission to candidacy:

Students must advance to candidacy no later than December 1 of their fourth year of study. Students are recommended to the Graduate School for admission to candidacy by the Department of Political Science after having completed departmental requirements listed above and the Graduate School’s prospectus requirement. As part of admission to candidacy, a student must have a prospectus approved by the faculty. The following timeline governs prospectus approval:

By December 1 of Year 3 (recommended): Students should select a primary subfield and a prospectus committee, and submit a one-page memo to the relevant subfield coordinator describing the proposed topic and intended committee members.
By May 31 of Year 3 (Good Standing deadline): Students must have an approved prospectus to remain in Good Standing.
By September 1 of Year 4: Students who missed the May 31 deadline are on Satisfactory Standing; failure to have an approved prospectus by September 1 of Year 4 results in placement on Probation.
By December 1 of Year 4 (final deadline): Students must advance to candidacy (all departmental requirements completed and prospectus approved). Failure to advance to candidacy by December 1 of Year 4 results in dismissal from the program.
Committee changes: Any changes in committee membership require approval by the relevant subfield coordinator and do not extend the December 1 of Year 4 deadline.

Annual Progress Review (Years 4+)

Dissertation advisors must submit annual progress reviews by June 1 of each year for all advisees in Years 4 and beyond, certifying “satisfactory progress toward completion.” Satisfactory progress includes: regular advisor meetings, submission of written work, participation in departmental workshops, and a reasonable timeline to completion.

Students whose advisors cannot certify satisfactory progress by June 1 are placed on Probation. Students on Probation who cannot find at least two advisors (including the dissertation committee chair) willing to provide certification by December 1 will not be permitted to continue in the program.

If a student switches advisors, the student must re-submit to the relevant subfield coordinator a memo describing the intended dissertation topic and the list of faculty members who have agreed to serve on the dissertation committee. The relevant subfield coordinator must certify this new committee as part of the annual progress review.

Time Limits

PhD Students are expected to complete the dissertation within a maximum of six years of study. Students who have not submitted the dissertation by the end of the sixth year of study may do so subsequently, at the discretion of the department, without being registered. Students have a maximum of eight years from first enrollment to complete the Ph.D. degree, excluding approved leaves of absence (medical, parental, or military service). This time limit is independent of the duration of guaranteed funding.

Extensions: Students may petition for a one-year extension in extraordinary circumstances, requiring: (a) a detailed timeline to completion; (b) an advisor letter of support; and (c) DGS approval. Students will not be approved for extended registration unless they are making adequate progress toward completion of the dissertation and demonstrate a need for access to resources that can only be provided through continued registration. Extensions are granted only once. The expectation is that extensions will be rare and only reserved for truly extraordinary circumstances.

Leaves of Absence

Under GSAS policy, students may take leaves of absence for personal, medical, or parental reasons. The GSAS determines whether a leave request is granted. When a student returns from a leave of absence, they are required to meet with the DGS to discuss an appropriate timeline for meeting program requirements. The DGS may also determine whether the student should return in Good Standing, Satisfactory Standing, or on Probation.

Dismissal Procedures and Due Process

The following procedures apply whenever a student faces dismissal from the program:

Notice: Students must receive written notification that dismissal is being considered at least 30 days before any final dismissal decision.

Right to meet with DGS: Students have the right to meet with the DGS to present their case against dismissal before any final decision is made. Following this meeting, the DGS may, at their discretion, extend the probationary period for up to two additional months — but only once, and only where there is a clear and credible plan to remediate the issue and avoid dismissal. The DGS may also encourage the student to seek a GSAS leave of absence.

Appeal: If unsatisfied with the DGS’s decision, a student may appeal:

Appeals must be submitted in writing to the DGS within 15 days of dismissal notification; failure to submit within this timeframe constitutes acceptance of the dismissal decision.
The DGS will convene an appeal committee of three faculty members.
The committee will review the student’s record and written appeal, and decide by majority vote whether to uphold or reverse the dismissal.
The committee will render a decision within 10 days of receiving the written appeal. If the appeal is denied, the Graduate School will be notified to process an administrative withdrawal from the program, of which there is no further appeal possible.

M.Phil. eligibility: Students dismissed from the program after completing candidacy requirements are eligible for the M.Phil. degree.

Submitting the dissertation:

A student’s dissertation research is guided by a committee of no fewer than three faculty members, at least two of whom must be primary ladder faculty of the Yale Department of Political Science. One of the committee members is designated as chair, and the chair of the committee must be a full member of the department with voting rights. When a dissertation is completed, the student will select two members to write written reports on the final dissertation, at least one of whom must be a member of the Yale Department of Political Science. The DGS will also appoint one additional member of the department to write an additional evaluation.

Master’s Degrees:

M.A. - Students who withdraw from the Ph.D. program may be eligible to receive the M.A. degree if they have met the requirements and have not already received the M.Phil. degree. For the M.A., students must successfully complete a full year of course work in the program (at least seven term courses) with an average of High Pass. The courses must include at least five listed in the Political Science Department and one each in at least two of the department’s substantive fields.

Language requirements are the same as for the Ph.D. degree.

M.Phil. - The academic requirements for the M.Phil. degree are the same as for the Ph.D. degree except for the completion of the prospectus and dissertation. Students dismissed from the program after completing candidacy requirements are also eligible for the M.Phil. degree. See Dismissal Procedures above.

The Prospectus and Dissertation

In order to receive the Ph.D., students must complete all program requirements, including a dissertation that is evaluated favorably by the Department as a whole in a faculty vote. Once a student has completed all program requirements apart from the dissertation, he or she submits a prospectus and if that prospectus is approved, the student “advances to candidacy” for the Ph.D. degree. Students must advance to candidacy no later than December 1 of their fourth year of study. See Admission to Candidacy section above for the specific timeline and consequences.

The Prospectus

Students should take the time to become familiar with the Graduate School’s rules and procedures governing the prospectus.

As the Graduate School’s rules make clear, a prospectus is a proposed plan for a dissertation. Like all plans, few will survive fully intact. Nonetheless, the key task for the student in producing the prospectus is to develop a topic fully enough that the faculty members reviewing it can assess the desirability and feasibility of the proposed topic. As such, a prospectus should: (1) Identify the topic and provide an explanation of its importance; (2) Specify a proposed scholarly contribution (empirical or theoretical), which will involve explaining how the dissertation relates to prior work; (3) Discuss the method and plan of inquiry (a research design and proposed plan of empirical or theoretical inquiry); and (4) Outline both chapter/paper divisions and a timeline for completion.

By December 1 of Year 3, students should select a prospectus committee and submit a one-page memo to the relevant subfield coordinator describing the topic and intended committee members. Prospectus committee members must agree to serve as dissertation committee members. Before a prospectus can be approved, the relevant subfield coordinator must first approve the committee makeup, ensuring it is reasonable given the proposed topic. See Admission to Candidacy above for the full prospectus timeline and consequences.

Please note that while the faculty understand that a prospectus is a plan for research that need not address or resolve all theoretical or empirical issues in the proposed study, it is not uncommon for faculty to require to at least some preliminary direct research on a topic before approving the prospectus. For this reason, it is essential that students identify and begin working with their committee early in their third year so that they can meet the standards for a proposed line of study.

To submit a prospectus for approval, the student should send a copy of the prospectus to the three person committee and both Colleen Amaro and the DGS. Committee members convey their approval to the DGS who will consider each case in consultation with a faculty committee.

The Dissertation

The Graduate School’s policies and procedures concerning dissertations appear here.

A dissertation may be submitted for review after being approved by the dissertation advisor and committee. In consultation with the student, two members of the committee, at least one of whom is a faculty member in the Department, will be selected to write reader reports. Additionally, the DGS will appoint a third outside reader (not a member of the committee). The student and the committee may recommend third readers, but the choice remains with the DGS. If all reader reports are positive, the Department will then consider the dissertation for approval by a faculty vote. In the event that the Department does not recommend the awarding of the degree, only one reevaluation by the Department will be permitted.

Teaching (Years 3 and 4)

(For information about teaching by non-Ph.D. students, please see this page.)

Commensurate with the Department’s goal of preparing the next generation of scholars and teachers, both learning what is involved in teaching and gaining teaching experience are essential components of graduate education. For that reason, Political Science Ph.D. students are expected to devote part of their time in years three and four in the program to gaining experience as teachers. (Students who receive full outside fellowship support may be exempt from this requirement.) Students will serve as Teaching Fellows, working with a faculty member in teaching one of their courses. Depending on the course, student responsibilities will include writing and grading exams and other assignments, leading discussion and lab sections, and holding regular office hours. Details about the expectations for serving as a Teaching Fellow are availableon the Teaching Fellow Appointment Page.

The Department expects students to devote themselves exclusively to course work, research, and comprehensive examinations in their first two years in the Ph.D. program. Consequently, students may not teach prior to their third year in the Ph.D. program. Students may also not teach while receiving a University Dissertation Fellowship. Students preferences for teaching will be solicited each semester, and students in Good Standing receive highest priority in Teaching Fellow assignments, with students in their teaching years (normally years three and four) receiving preference.

In pursuit of this key mission in producing strong teachers, Yale’s Graduate Teaching Center provides workshops to support becoming an excellent teacher. One key opportunity is the Certificate of College Teaching Preparation, which includes workshops to develop teaching skills, observation of others in the practice of teaching, and being observed in the classroom. Students who receive the Certificate will have a teaching portfolio to include when going on the academic market.

Facilities and New Haven

Facilities

The Department is located in Rosenkranz Hall, which adjoins both the MacMillan Center and the Institution for Policy and Studies. Faculty have offices either in Rosenkranz or those allied research centers. Graduate students have access to shared offices and private lockers in Rosenkranz Hall, which also houses private meeting rooms and a computer lab. Nearby are the other social science departments, the School of Management, the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, and the Center for Science and Social Science Information (formerly known as the Social Sciences Library).

New Haven

The Graduate School maintains a series of webpages about student life at Yale, and the University has extensive information about the City. Most students in the Department live within walking distance of the Department, usually downtown or in the East Rock Neighborhood. Others live in nearby suburbs, usually within biking distance or a short car ride away. New Haven is also accessible via train to New York City (Metro North Railroad) and Boston (Amtrak), although most students live in New Haven during the first years in the program. Admitted students will receive a copy of “A Graduate Student’s Guide to Political Science at Yale,” which includes extensive information about where to live, finding apartments, and other key logistical issues.

Rev. 2026-02-26 (proposed — pending faculty vote) (2026-05-19)