Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science

We seek Ph.D. students with a clear sense of intellectual purpose whose academic profiles and promise are outstanding and whose interests fit well with the academic strengths of our Department.

One of the hallmarks of our Ph.D. program is the frequent interaction between graduate students and faculty. We seek to recruit a class of nine to eleven Ph.D. students each year, which is large enough to ensure a diversity of backgrounds and interests, and small enough to ensure that each student receives sustained attention from individual faculty members.

We also work to involve our graduate students with the broader community of professional political scientists. The Dauer Lecture Series brings prominent political scientists from around the country to Gainesville to present their latest work and meet with our faculty and graduate students. We also encourage students to submit their best research to regional and national political science conferences, and provide funding for conference travel from the Department, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the Graduate School.

Our Professional Development Program helps PhD students develop their professional profiles, and includes workshops on strategies for success in graduate school, conference participation, grant writing, and placement strategies.

The Political Science Graduate Student Council works with the Department to address student concerns, as well as providing a buddy system to help advise new PhD students in navigating the first year in the PhD program.

The Department of Political Science believes that professionalism is best pursued in an educational environment that places value on both academic merit and social diversity. We evaluate each application as a whole, using all of the information we have to assess whether each applicant is both a good fit with our department and has the capacity to succeed in a rigorous graduate program. No one factor is deterministic, but a weakness in one component should be offset by strengths in other parts of the application. The application process is competitive, and some fields and programs are more competitive than others. A complete application will include

Undergraduate and Graduate Transcripts that demonstrate a high level of academic achievement as an undergraduate or in previous graduate studies. The Political Science Department considers all applicants regardless of undergraduate major, but some work in political science, or another social science, is preferred.

We may begin our assessment with unofficial transcripts, which applicants upload with other application materials.
Applicants who receive an offer of admission will need to arrange to have official transcripts sent to the UF Office of Admissions from each postsecondary institution attended. Official transcripts may be sent electronically or by mail.
Three letters of recommendation from faculty members attesting to the academic abilities of the applicant.

Students who are applying to the MA program in Political Campaigning may (but are not required to) substitute one academic letter with a letter that speaks to the applicant's relevant experience in an internship, public service, professional work environment, or a political campaign.
Applicants who have been out of academic settings for many years and have difficulties finding three academic references should explain that in the statement of purpose, and provide letters that speak to work habits and the potential to succeed in a rigorous graduate program.
A statement of purpose, which should be a concise, sharply focused and well-crafted essay of a page or more that conveys intellectual ambitions, indicates how the program of study satisfies the student's interests, and how the student would contribute to the program.

Ph.D. applicants are also required to submit a Writing Sample, which should be an academic research paper or scholarly essay that demonstrates the applicant's capacity to do doctoral level work.

Applicants with a bachelor's degree only, a minimum grade point average of B (3.0), calculated from all grades and credits after the semester where the applicant reached 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours is required.

For applicants from countries where English is not the ofcial language, a minimum score on one of these English Language Skills tests, IELTS - 6.0,TOEFL IBT- 80, PBT- 550.