boston college
morrissey college of arts and sciences
graduate program
political
science
1
welcome to the political science
department at boston college
W
e are an unusual department, a
department that has resisted the
trend pushing political science
research away from questions that are relevant
to citizens and political actors. Though we
are particularly strong in the humanistic and
qualitative approaches to politics, we celebrate
methodological diversity. Twenty-five full time
faculty members (both senior and junior) teach
in the department. We are also fortunate to have
colleagues in a variety of other research and
practice positions. This results in a considerable
range in subject matter and academic approach.
What unites our nationally renowned faculty
is the recognition of the primacy of political
problems and the conviction that these problems
should determine the methodology that is
appropriate in each case.
The master’s and doctoral programs are flexible
as to fields of study and courses. In addition to
the wide range of courses offered within the
department, students have the opportunity to
take courses in other fields at Boston College as
well as at the other institutions that make up the
contents
1
Program Overview
2
Faculty
4
Courses
9
Academic Resources
10
Outcomes
11
Student Life &
Campus Resources
12
Admission & Financial
Information
14
Boston Area Consortium. Students are invited to
study any of the four traditional fields of political
science: American Politics, Comparative Politics,
International Politics and Political Theory.
The small size of the program—about five to
six students are admitted to the doctoral program each year—allows for personal attention
and close contacts with the faculty. Informal
colloquia and more formal presentations supplement the regular order of scholarly exchange;
advanced students have an opportunity to teach
under faculty supervision. While our primary
focus is on the education of our students, we pay
a great deal of attention to their professional
development, preparing them for the academic
and non-academic job markets. Most of our
students are given the opportunity to teach their
own classes, and all receive advice and instruction on publishing their work.
Many of the graduate courses are seminars in
which a considerable amount of responsibility
is placed upon the student to analyze readings,
prepare written and oral presentations, and
guide class discussions. These are experiences
we encourage generally in our courses, but
the seminar, with 15 or so students, is ideally
suited to this purpose. The classes are small,
which fosters not only conversation, but also
close associations among students and faculty.
The atmosphere is informal and collegial: both
graduate students and faculty display an unusual
blend of practical and philosophical concerns
within a tradition of friendly but serious debate
and scholarly exchange.
For more information about the Boston College
Political Science Department, please visit us at
bc.edu/politicalscience.
program overview
programs of study
Comparative Politics
 Comparative Politics and the Comparative Method
Ph.D. Program
RequiRements
Coursework
Students entering the program with no previous
graduate work are required to complete 16 courses
(48-49 credits). Students entering the program with an
applicable master’s degree are required to complete at
least nine courses (27 credits). The precise number of
courses required of master’s degree holders will depend
mainly on how well their previous work corresponds to
our requirements.
The department’s course offerings are organized into
four fields: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Politics and Political Theory. These fields are
organized into sub-fields (listed below). Students choose
one field as their major area of concentration along with
two minor fields. A major consists of eight courses within a particular field, with preparation in at least three
sub-fields. A first minor consists of four courses, and a
second minor consists of two courses in fields other than
the major field.
Students are required to take two additional courses;
these may be distributed however the student chooses,
and may even be taken in another department or an
interdepartmental program.
American Politics
 National Political Institutions
 Parties and Elections, Interest Groups, Social
Movements
 Political Economy, Public Policy and Administration
 American Foreign Policy
 Themes in Comparative Politics (the state, political
economy, religion and politics, regime types and regime
change, social movements)
 Comparative Area Studies
Students may choose to specialize in a particular region
or to focus on a thematic approach. They are expected,
however, to demonstrate some substantial competence in
both approaches to Comparative Politics.
International Politics
 The International System
 International Political Economy
 Comparative Foreign Policy
 Theories of International Politics
 International Security
Political Theory
 Ancient and Medieval Theory
 Early Modern Theory: Machiavelli to Montesquieu
 Late Modern Theory: Rousseau to Nietzsche
 Contemporary Theory
 American Political Thought
In both the major and minor fields, considerable discretion will be left to students as to the choice of courses,
but students may be held accountable on comprehensive
exams for a core body of knowledge in the field as well as
for their own individual coursework.
FiRst-YeaR Review
Each student’s performance is reviewed by the Graduate Committee during the second semester of their first
year. The department requires a minimum GPA of 3.5 for
Ph.D. students.
 Constitutional Law
second-YeaR Review
 American Political Thought
After three semesters of coursework each Ph.D. student
submits a “Statement of Academic Interests,” which
assists in assessing the student’s suitability for continued
pursuit of the doctorate. Since this assessment involves
a comprehensive review of the student’s performance in
the program, the student will also be asked to meet with
the faculty members of the department’s Graduate
Committee to review his or her progress.
 State and Urban Politics
2
program overview
GRaduate assistantships
The graduate program director monitors and evaluates
each student’s teaching/research performance and
forwards any cases of sub-standard performance for
review by the Graduate Committee. Sub-standard performance may result in the loss of a student’s stipend.
LanGuaGe RequiRement
All Ph.D. students must demonstrate proficiency in one
foreign language. The language requirement must be
satisfied prior to the comprehensive examination. The
language examination is arranged by the department.
compRehensive examinations
After completing their course and language requirements, Ph.D. students take written comprehensive
examinations in their major and minor fields. The
comprehensive examinations are followed by an oral
examination.
Students who enter the doctoral program with a master’s
degree must take the comprehensive exams by the end
of their fifth semester; those entering without a master’s
degree must do so by the end of their sixth semester.
doctoRaL disseRtation
Dissertation Committee
After completing the comprehensive examinations, the
student is expected to assemble a committee of faculty
to direct his or her dissertation, with one of these facutly
members agreeing to chair the committee and thus take
on principal responsibility for directing the dissertation.
Dissertation Proposal
The doctoral student is expected to submit a dissertation
proposal to the committee within six months of
passing the comprehensive examinations. Proposals
vary in length according to the nature of the study. The
proposal should state the purpose of the research, its
relation to major work done on the subject, the approach
or methods that will be used, sources of information or
data and any hypotheses to be tested. The proposal must
be approved by the dissertation committee before a
student may proceed with work on the dissertation.
3
Dissertation Seminar
Students in the writing stage, and in residence, are
expected to participate in the Dissertation Seminar I
and II. The seminars provide students with an opportunity to present work at various stages of completion.
Dissertation Defense
After the dissertation has been completed and approved
by the dissertation committee for presentation, the candidate will present a public defense. This consists of a
lecture, not to exceed one half-hour in length, in which
the candidate states the chief findings of the dissertation. This is followed by questions from the dissertation
committee and from other members of the University
community who are present.
M.A. Program
RequiRements
The M.A. in political science is a two-year program.
Students are required to take 10 courses (30 credits),
with at least one course taken in three of the four fields
of political science: American Politics, Comparative
Politics, International Politics and Political Theory. If a
student chooses to write a thesis, eight subfield courses
and two semesters of Thesis Seminar are required, and
the written comprehensive examination is waived. A
student is allowed to take two or, with permission, three
courses in other departments. The passing of a comprehensive examination completes the requirements of the
program. In lieu of a thesis or a comprehensive exam,
students also have the option of taking Advanced Directive Study (ADS) with a supervising faculty member.
ADS is a focused final paper project that is based on a
paper that a student has already written in a seminar.
faculty profiles
kathleen bailey
nasser behnegar
Associate Professor of the Practice
Associate Professor
Ph.D., Boston College
Ph.D., University of Chicago
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Central Asian politics
Russian politics
Balkans
Politics in the Middle East
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Early modern and contemporary political theory
American political thought
Politics and literature
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 Politics and Clan: The Case of Uzbekistan. Frank Cass
Publishers, LTD, forthcoming.
 Ed., “Central Asia and Afghanistan,” The Oxford Encyclopedia
of Islam. oxford University Press, 2015.
 “The Plight of Women in the USSR.” Journal of Women’s
Studies (Spring 1989).
ali banuazizi
Professor
Ph.D., Yale University
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Middle Eastern politics
Political culture
Religion and politics
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 “Forty Years on: A Note by the Founding Editor.” Iranian
Studies 40(1) (2007): 1-4.
 “Middle Eastern Studies and the Politics of Intimidation.”
Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East
25(3) (2005): 519-21.
robert bartlett
Behrakis Professor of Hellenic Political Studies
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 Leo Strauss, Max Weber, and the Scientific Study of Politics.
University of Chicago Press, 2003.
 “John Locke and the Sober Spirit of Capitalism.” Society 1 (2012).
 “Locke, Capitalism, and the Bible.” In Enlightenment and Secularism. Lexington, 2013.
paul christensen
Associate Professor of the Practice
Ph.D., Princeton University
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Russian politics
Social movements
Globalization
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 Verraten in Gorki: Die Tragodie der auslandischen Arbeiter in den
sowjetischen Autowerken in Gorki. By Victor G. Reuther. Introduction and Notes, P. Christensen. Verlag J.h.W. Dietz Nachf., 2002.
 Russia’s Workers in Transition: Labor, Management, and the State
Under Gorbachev and Yeltsin. Northern Illinois University Press,
1999.
 Ed., Commitment and Betrayal: Foreigners at the Gorky Auto
Works, by Victor G. Reuther. Weurz Publications, 2001.
 “The Noncommunist Left, Social Constituencies, and Political
Strategies in Russia.” Demokratizatsiya 7(1)(Winter 1999): 135-46.
Ph.D., Boston College
timothy w. crawford
RESEARCh INTEREST
Classical political philosophy
Associate Professor
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 Socrates and the Challenge of Relativism: On Plato’s Protagoras
and Theaetetus. University of Chicago Press, forthcoming.
 Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. A New Translation, with an Interpretive Essay, Notes, and Glossary (with S. Collins). University
of Chicago Press, 2011.
 “Stendhal and the Promise of happiness: An Introduction
to the Charterhouse of Parma.” In Recovering Reason: Essays in
Honor of Thomas L. Pangle, ed. T. Burns. Lexington Books, 2010.
Ph.D., Columbia University
RESEARCh INTERESTS
International relations theory
International security
U.S. foreign policy
United Nations
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 “Wedge Strategies in Power Politics.” International Security
(Spring 2011).
 “Intelligence Cooperation.” In International Studies Encyclopedia,
6, ed. R.. Denemark, 3784-804. Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.
 “The Endurance of Extended Deterrence: Continuity, Change,
and Complexity in Theory and Policy.” In Complex Deterrence:
Theory and Practice in a New Era, eds. T.V. Paul, J. Wirtz and
P. Morgan. University of Chicago Press, 2009.
4
faculty profiles
david a. deese
Professor
Ph.D., Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy , Tufts University
RESEARCh INTERESTS
International political economy
International institutions, public and private
U.S. foreign policy
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 The Handbook of the International Political Economy of Trade.
Edward Elger, 2014.
 Globalization: Cases and Effects. Ashgate Publishing, 2012.
 World Trade Politics: Power, Principles, and Leadership.
Routledge (Taylor & Francis), 2008.
david m. dipasquale
Visiting Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Harvard University
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Islamic political thought
Medieval Islamic, Jewish and Christian philosophy
Alfarabi
The transmission of Greek science to the Muslim world
Islam and the West
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 “The End of Aristotle’s Topics and the Beginning of Islamic
Philosophy.” In La lumière de l’intellect: La pensée scientifique et
philosophique d’Averroès dans son temps, ed. A. hasnawi. Peeters,
2011.
 “Averroes: Abu al-Walid Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Rushd.” In The Encyclopedia of Political Thought,
ed. M. Gibbons. Wiley-Blackwell, 2014.
 Alfarabi’s Book of Dialectic (Kit b al-Jadal): On the Foundations
of Islamic Philosophy. Under consideration at Cambridge
University Press.
gerald m. easter
Professor
Ph.D., Columbia University
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Russian politics
Eastern Europe
Modern state
Ethnonationalism
Post-communist transitions
5
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 Reconstructing the State: Personal Networks and Elite Identity in
Soviet Russia. Cambridge Series in Comparative Politics.
Cambridge University Press, 2000.
 Co-ed., Shaping the Economic Space in Russia: Policy-making,
Institutions, Actors. Ashgate Publishers, 2000.
 “The Russian State in the Time of Putin.” Post-Soviet Affairs
(September 2008).
jennifer l. erickson
White Family Sesquicentennial Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Cornell University
RESEARCh INTERESTS
International relations theory
Global governance
International security and arms control
EU foreign affairs
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 Dangerous Trade: Conventional Arms Exports, Human Rights,
and the Politics of Social Reputation. Columbia University Press,
2015.
 “Market Imperative Meets Normative Power: human Rights
and European Arms Transfer Policy.” European Journal of
International Relations 19(2) (2013).
 “Stopping the Legal Flow of Weapons: Compliance with Arms
Embargoes, 1981-2004.” Journal of Peace Research 50(2) (2013):
159-74.
 “The Arms Trade Treaty: Prospects and Pitfalls.” World Politics
Review (March 6, 2012).
robert k. faulkner
Research Professor
Ph.D., University of Chicago
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Early modern political philosophy
American political and legal thought
Liberalism
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 The Case for Greatness: Honorable Ambition and Its Critics. Yale
University Press, 2007.
 Co-ed., America at Risk: The Dangers Ahead. University of
Michigan Press, 2007.
dennis hale
Associate Professor
Ph.D., City University of New York
RESEARCh INTERESTS
American political thought
Law and politics
State and local politics
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 “Worrying About the Jury System.” Society 42(2005): 69-76.
 “Communitarianism, The highest State of Progressivism.”
In The Active Society Revisited, ed. W.C. McWilliams, 117-36.
Rowman & Littlefield, 2005.
 “Welfare and Amenity in the Work of Bertrand de Jouvenel.”
Political Science Reviewer XXXII (2003): 38-57.
 Introduction, “Boss” Tweed: The Story of a Grim Generation, by
Denis Tilden Lynch [1927]. Transaction Books, 2002.
 “The Natural history of Citizenship.” In Friends and Citizens:
Essays in Honor of Wilson Carey McWilliams, eds. D. Bathory and
N. Schwartz, 151-70. Roman & Littlefield, 2000.
kenji hayao
Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Japanese politics
Political leadership
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 The Japanese Prime Minister and Public Policy. University of
Pittsburgh Press, 1993.
 “Nihon no Shusho to Judoteki Ridashippu.” [Japanese prime
minister and reactive leadership]. Fukuoka UNESCO 30 (1994):
59-70.
 Co-curator, “Imaging Meiji: Emperor and Era, 1868-1912;
Japanese Woodblock Prints from the Collection of Jean S. and
Frederic A. Sharf.” october 4-December 6, 1998.
david hopkins
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Political parties and elections
U.S. Congress
Political behavior
Research methods
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 Presidential Elections: Strategies and Structures of American Politics (with N.W. Polsby, A. Wildavsky and S.E. Schier). Rowman
& Littlefield, 2011.
 “The 2008 Election and the Political Geography of the New
Democratic Majority.” Polity (July 2009).
 “The Empirical Implications of Electoral College Reform”
(with D.J. Goux). American Politics Research (November 2008).
christopher j. kelly
Professor
Ph.D., University of Toronto
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Rousseau
18th-century political philosophy
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 Ed., Rousseau on Philosophy, Morality, and Religion. University
Press of New England, 2007
 Rousseau’s Exemplary Life: The “Confessions” as Political Philosophy. Cornell University Press, 1987. Portions reprinted in
Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Critical Assessments of Leading Political
Philosophers, ed. J.T. Scott, 462-504. Routledge, 2006.
 Rousseau as Author: Consecrating One’s Life to the Truth.
University of Chicago Press, 2003.
 Co-ed., The Challenge of Rousseau (with E. Grace). Cambridge
University Press, 2003.
ken i. kersch
Professor
J.D., Northwestern University; Ph.D., Cornell University
RESEARCh INTERESTS
American political and constitutional development
American political thought
Politics of courts
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 “Constitutional Conservatives Remember The Progressive
Era.” In The Progressives’ Century: Democratic Reform and Constitutional Government in the United States, eds. B. Ackerman,
S. Engel and S. Skowronek. Yale University Press, forthcoming.
 “Constitutive Stories About the Common Law in Modern
American Conservatism.” In NOMOS: American Conservatism,
eds. S. Levinson and J, Parker. New York University Press,
forthcoming.
 “The Gilded Age and the Progressive Era.” In Oxford Handbook of the United States Constitution, eds. M. Graber,
S. Levinson and M. Tushnet. oxford University Press, 2015.
 “The Talking Cure: how Constitutional Argument Drives
Constitutional Development.” Boston University Law Review 94
(April 2014).
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faculty profiles
peter krause
jonathan laurence
Assistant Professor
Associate Professor
Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ph.D., Harvard University
RESEARCh INTERESTS
International security
Middle East politics
Political violence
National movements
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Western European politics
North African politics
Turkish politics
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 “The Structure of Success: how the Internal Distribution of
Power Drives Armed Group Behavior and National Movement
Effectiveness.” International Security 38(3) (Winter 2013/2014):
72-116.
 “The Political Effectiveness of Non-State Violence: A TwoLevel Framework to Transform a Deceptive Debate.” Security
Studies, 22(2), (Summer 2013): 259-94.
 “Intervention in Syria: Reconciling Moral Premises and Realistic outcomes” (with E. Bellin). Middle East Brief (64), Crown
Center for Middle East Studies, June 2012.
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 The Emancipation of Europe’s Muslims: The State’s Role in
Minority Integration. Princeton University Press, 2012.
 Integrating Islam: Political and Religious Challenges in Contemporary France (with J. Vaisse). Brookings Press, 2006.
 “Muslims and Social Democrats.” Dissent (Fall 2013).
 “The 21st Century Impact of European Muslim Minorities on
‘official Islam’ in the Muslim-majority World.” Philosophy and
Social Criticism (Summer 2014).
r. shep melnick
Thomas P. O'Neill Professor of American Politics
gabrielle kruks-wisner
Ph.D., Harvard University
Assistant Professor
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Courts
Public policy
Civil rights
Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Political economy of development
Political participation
Citizenship
Local governance
Social welfare and public service delivery
South Asian and Indian politics
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 “Unequal opportunities.” Indian Express (February 2015).
 “A Not So Distant State.” Indian Express (January 2014).
 “Citizen Action in Rural India.” India in Transition (July
2012).
marc landy
Professor
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 “The odd Evolution of the Civil Rights State.” Harvard
Journal on Law and Public Policy 37(1) (2014).
 “The Gridlock Illusion.” The Wilson Quarterly (Winter 2013).
 “Politics as a Vocation: An Appreciation of the Life and Work
of James Q. Wilson.” The Forum 10(1) (May 2012).
 “Taking Remedies Seriously: Can Courts Control Public
Schools?” In From Schoolhouse to Courthouse: The Judiciary’s Role
in American Education, eds. J. Dunn and M. West. Brookings,
2009.
lindsey a. o’rourke
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., University of Chicago
Ph.D., Harvard University
RESEARCh INTERESTS
U.S. presidency
Federalism
Comparative federalism
Environmental regulation
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 Presidential Greatness. Kansas University Press, 2000.
 Creating Competitive Markets: The Politics and Economics
of Regulatory Reform. Brookings, 2007.
 The New Politics of Public Policy. Johns hopkins Press, 1995.
7
RESEARCh INTERESTS
American foreign policy
International security
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 “What’s Special About Female Suicide Terrorism?” Security
Studies (2009).
 “What Makes Chechen Women so Dangerous?” New York
Times, March 30, 2010.
jennie purnell
Associate Professor
susan shell
Professor
Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ph.D., Harvard University
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Social movements
State formation
Latin American politics
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Modern political theory and German idealism
Kant
hegel
Nietzsche
heidegger
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 “Patriotism in the Pueblo: The Local Politics of State and Nation in the Sierra Norte of oaxaca, 1855-1912.” Book manuscript
in progress.
 “The Cristero Rebellion.” In Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern
World. oxford University Press, 2008.
 “People, Religion, and Nation in Mexico from Independence
through the Revolution.” Latin American Research Review 41(1)
(2006): 222-33.
robert s. ross
Professor
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 Kant and the Limits of Autonomy. harvard University Press,
2009.
 The Embodiment of Reason: Kant on Spirit, Generation and
Community. University of Chicago Press, 1996.
 The Rights of Reason: A Study of Kant’s Philosophy and Politics,
University of Toronto Press, 1980.
peter skerry
Professor
Ph.D., Columbia University
Ph.D., Harvard University
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Sino-American relations
Chinese politics
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Racial and ethnic politics
Immigration policy
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 Co-ed., Emerging Naval Powers: Cooperation and Conflict at Sea
(with P. Dutton and Ø. Tunsjø). Forthcoming.
 Co-ed., US-China-EU Relations, Managing the New World
Order (with Ø. Tunsjø and Z. Tuosheng). Routledge, 2010.
 Chinese Security Policy: Structure, Power, and Politics.
Routledge, 2009.
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 “Give Undocumented Permanent Non-Citizen Resident Status.” Orange County Register, october 10, 2013.
 “No Kidding: Republicans, Democrats, and Illegal Immigrants.” The Weekly Standard, August 12, 2013.
 “Problems of the Second-Generation: To Be Young, Muslim,
and American.” The Weekly Standard 18, June 24, 2013.
kay l. schlozman
emily a. thorson
J. Joseph Moakley Professor
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., University of Chicago
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Citizen politics
Political parties and elections
Interest groups
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Information effects in politics
Political psychology
Media coverage of elections
Campaign dynamics
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 The Unheavenly Chorus: Unequal Political Voice and the Broken
Promise of American Democracy (with S. Verba and h. Brady).
Princeton University Press, 2012.
 Co-ed., The Future of Political Science: 100 Perspectives
(with G. King and N. h. Nie). Routledge, 2009.
 The Private Roots of Public Action: Gender, Equality and Political
Participation. harvard University Press, 2001.
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 “Beyond opinion Leaders: how Attempts to Persuade Foster
Awareness and Campaign Learning.” Communications Research
(2014).
 “The Economy and the Dynamics of the 2008 Presidential
Campaign” (with R. Johnston and A. Gooch). Journal of Elections,
Public Opinion, and Parties (2010).
 “Changing Patterns of News Consumption and Participation.” Information, Communication, and Society (2008).
8
faculty profiles
courses
alan wolfe
T
Professor and Director of The Boisi Center for Religion
and American Public Life
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
RESEARCh INTERESTS
Religion and politics
SELECTED PUBLICATIoNS
 Political Evil: What It Is and How To Combat It. Alfred A.
Knopf, 2011.
 The Future of Liberalism. Alfred A. Knopf, 2009.
 Co-ed., Gambling: Mapping the American Moral Landscape
(with E. owens). Baylor University Press, 2009.
he combined and varied interests of the faculty,
as indicated in the faculty profiles, ensure that
the department offers a wide range of graduate
course electives. While the number and content
of the graduate electives varies from year to year,
the following courses are illustrative of the
range offered.
Fall 2015
quantitative methods in political science
hopkins
Kant on Religion and politics
shell
security studies
crawford
political philosophy of Locke
Behnegar
muslims and american institutions
skerry
modern state
easter
Spring 2016
american political development i
9
Landy
politics and society in the middle east
Banuazizi
political philosophy of alfarabi
dipasquale
Religion in international politics
Laurence
political philosophy of plato
Bartlett
american national institutions
melnick
use of Force
Ross
Russian politics
easter
political philosophy of Rousseau
Kelly
morrissey college of arts & sciences
T
he oldest and largest of the University’s eight
schools and colleges, the Morrissey College
of Arts and Sciences offers graduate programs
in the humanities, social sciences and natural
sciences, leading to the degrees of Doctor of
Philosophy, Master of Arts and Master of Science.
In addition, numerous dual-degree options are
offered in cooperation with the Carroll School
of Management, the Boston College Law School,
the Lynch School of Education and the Graduate
School of Social Work.
With approximately 1,000 students and 400 fulltime faculty, the Graduate School is small enough
to know you as a person, but large enough to
serve you and prepare you for a rewarding life
and satisfying career.
Academic Resources
Boston aRea consoRtium
The Boston Area Consortium allows graduate students
to cross-register for courses at Boston University,
Brandeis University and Tufts University.
Boston coLLeGe LiBRaRies
The University is home to eight libraries, containing
2.87 million volumes; more than 700 manuscript
collections, including music, photos, art and artifacts;
440,000 e-books; and more than 600 electronic databases. o’Neill Library, Boston College’s main library,
offers subject-specialist librarians to help with research,
to set up alerts to publications in areas of interest and to
answer any research- and library-related questions.
the Boston LiBRaRY consoRtium
The Boston Library Consortium allows Boston College
students access to millions of volumes and other
services at 19 area institutions in addition to the worldclass resources available through the Boston College
Library System.
pLacement pRoGRam
the GRaduate consoRtium in women’s studies
The Political Science Department takes an active role
in helping students find attractive academic positions.
The department’s placement program is directed by
Professor Robert C. Bartlett. A key component of the
program is the annual employment seminar, in which
young faculty discuss their searches and distribute
written suggestions and hints. In addition, the director
and other faculty review each student’s resume and other
documents pertaining to the job application process.
Finally, the faculty who have worked most closely with
a student have a responsibility for writing and calling
on his or her behalf.
The Graduate Consortium in Women’s Studies (GCWS)
brings together scholars and teachers at nine degreegranting institutions in the Boston area: Boston College,
Boston University, Brandeis University, harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern
University, Simmons College, Tufts University and
the University of Massachusetts Boston. The GCWS is
devoted to graduate teaching and research in Women’s
Studies and to advancing interdisciplinary Women’s
Studies scholarship. Students can engage in the community and cross-disciplinary study promoted by the GCWS
in myriad ways. Through courses, attending events and
organizing conferences, these initiatives provide a
learning environment unlike any other.
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outcomes
Recent Dissertations
Recent Placements
Dustin Sebell, “the Foundations and methods of
classical political science”
he department makes vigorous efforts to
find suitable positions for its graduate students. happily, we have been quite successful.
Recent Ph.D. students from the department
have received tenured or tenure-track jobs at the
following institutions:
Kimberley Burns, “the moral Foundations of the
social contract in the thought of Jean-Jacques
Rousseau”
Christopher Lauriello, “church and state in dante
aliguieri’s monarchia”
Kerem Ibrahim Oge, “transparency promotion in
Resource-Rich countries: external Remedies to
Reverse the curse in the caspian”
Shilo Shadid Brooks, “the cultural crisis of
modernity and its Remedy according to nietzsche”
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college of the holy cross
emory university
Kenyon college
marquette university
Nicholas Starr, “From self-interest to virtue: on the
moral imagination in Rousseau’s emile”
michigan state university
Daniel E. Burns, “st. augustine on the nature and
Limits of human Law”
st. John’s college, annapolis
Alexander Chance, “motives Beyond Fear:
thucydides on honor, vengeance, and Liberty”
university of dallas
st. John’s college, santa Fe
u.s. naval academy
Rebecca Clark, “montesquieu on the Geography
and history of political Liberty”
university of houston
Jonathan W. Pidluzny, “why the Bush doctrine
Failed and how an inadequate understanding of
Liberal democracy and the islamic Resurgence
continues to cripple u.s. Foreign policy”
university of texas, austin
Brenna R. Strauss, “aristotle and plato on the
education of women and the spartan Regime”
Postdoctoral Placements
university of notre dame
university of virginia
Stephen Eide, “Locke, tocqueville, Liberalism and
Restlessness”
Recent graduates have received postdoctoral
fellowships at the following institutions:
David Levy, “socrates’ praise and Blame of eros”
Boston college
Kazutaka Kondo, “socrates’ understanding of his
trial: the political presentation of philosophy”
emory university
Paul Nolette, “advancing national policy in the
courts: the use of multistate Litigation by state
attorneys General”
Heitor Gouvea, “an iridescent dream: money,
politics, and the american Republic 1865-1976”
Alexander Provencher Gravel, “the ambiguities of
Rousseau’s conception of happiness”
Wing Kwan ‘Anselm’ Lam, “the natural Good of
man in Rousseau’s confessions: a Reply to st.
augustine’s confessions”
Rapael Arteu McNeil, “an approach to the Laws:
the problem of the harmony of the Goods in
plato’s political philosophy”
Charles M. Robinson, “martin heidegger’s critique
of Freedom”
Phillip D. Wodzinsky, “Kant’s doctrine of Religion
as political philosophy”
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harvard university
mcGill university
university of hong Kong
university of virginia
student life & campus resources
B
oston College is located on the edge of one
of the world’s most vibrant cities. Just six
miles from downtown Boston—an exciting and
dynamic place to live and learn—Boston College
is an easy car or “T” ride away from a booming
center for trade, finance, research and education.
home to some of New England’s most
prestigious cultural landmarks, including the
Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart
Gardner Museum, Boston Symphony hall
and the Freedom Trail, Boston provides a rich
environment for those passionate about art,
music and history. For sports fans, Boston
hosts a number of the country’s greatest sports
teams: the Celtics, Patriots, Bruins and, of
course, Fenway Park’s beloved Red Sox. Found
within a short drive from Boston are some of
New England’s best recreational sites, from
the excellent skiing in New hampshire to the
pristine beaches of Cape Cod.
Boston also offers a wide range of family-friendly
attractions, including the Children’s Museum,
New England Aquarium, Franklin Park Zoo
and the Museum of Science. There are roughly
50 universities located in the Boston area, and
the large student population adds to the city’s
intellectually rich and diverse community.
Events, lectures and reading groups hosted
by world-renowned scholars abound on area
campuses, providing abundant opportunities to
meet and network with other graduate students
and faculty throughout the Boston area.
The University
Boston College is a Jesuit university with more than
14,000 students, 758 full-time faculty and more than
165,000 active alumni. Since its founding in 1863, the
University has known extraordinary growth and change.
From its beginnings as a small Jesuit college intended to
provide higher education for Boston’s largely immigrant
Catholic population, Boston College has grown into a
national institution of higher learning that is consistently
ranked among the top universities in the nation: Boston
College is ranked 31st among national universities by
U.S. News & World Report.
Today, Boston College attracts scholars from all 50 states
and over 80 countries, and confers more than 4,000
degrees annually in more than 50 fields through its eight
schools and colleges. Its faculty members are committed
to both teaching and research and have set new marks
for research grants in each of the last 10 years. The
University is committed to academic excellence. As part
of its most recent strategic plan, Boston College is in the
process of adding 100 new faculty positions, expanding faculty and graduate research, increasing student
financial aid and widening opportunities in key undergraduate and graduate programs.
The University is comprised of the following colleges
and schools: Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences,
Carroll School of Management, Connell School of
Nursing, Lynch School of Education, Woods College of
Advancing Studies, Boston College Law School,
Graduate School of Social Work and School of Theology
and Ministry.
General Resources
housinG
While on-campus housing is not available for graduate students, most choose to live in nearby apartments.
The office of Residential Life maintains an extensive
database with available rental listings, roommates and
helpful local real estate agents. The best time to look for
fall semester housing is June through the end of August. For spring semester housing, the best time to look
is late November through the beginning of the second
semester. Additionally, some graduate students may live
on campus as resident assistants. Interested students
should contact the office of Residential Life.
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student life & campus resources
John couRtneY muRRaY, s.J., GRaduate
student centeR
one of only a handful of graduate student centers
around the country, the Murray Graduate Student Center
is dedicated to the support and enrichment of graduate
student life at Boston College. Its primary purpose is to
build a sense of community among the entire graduate
student population and cultivate a sense of belonging to
the University as a whole. Its amenities include study
rooms, a computer lab, two smart televisions, kitchen,
deck and patio space, complimentary coffee and tea, and
more. Throughout the year, the center hosts programs
organized by the office of Graduate Student Life and
graduate student groups. The Murray Graduate Student
Center also maintains an active job board (available
electronically), listing academic and non-academic
opportunities for employment both on and off campus.
mcmuLLen museum oF aRt
Serving as a dynamic educational resource for the
national and international community, the McMullen
Museum of Art showcases interdisciplinary exhibitions
that ask innovative questions and break new ground in
the display and scholarship of the works on view. The
McMullen regularly offers exhibition-related programs,
including musical and theatrical performances, films,
gallery talks, symposia, lectures, readings and receptions
that draw students, faculty, alumni and friends together
for stimulating dialogue. Located on the main campus,
the McMullen Museum is free to all visitors.
connoRs FamiLY LeaRninG centeR
Working closely with the Graduate School, the Connors
Family Learning Center sponsors seminars, workshops
and discussions for graduate teaching assistants and
teaching fellows on strategies for improving teaching effectiveness and student learning. Each fall, the Learning
Center and the Graduate School hold a one-and-a-half
day “Fall Teaching orientation” workshop designed to
help students prepare for teaching. The center also hosts
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ongoing seminars on college teaching, higher learning
and academic life; assists graduate students in developing teaching portfolios; and provides class visits and
teaching consultations, upon request. Through these
and other activities, the Connors Family Learning Center
plays an important role in enhancing the quality of
academic life at Boston College.
FLYnn RecReation compLex
The 144,000-square-foot Flynn Recreation Complex
houses a running track; tennis, basketball, volleyball,
squash and racquetball courts; an aquatics center with
pool and dive well; saunas and more. Its 10,000-squarefoot Fitness Center offers over 100 pieces of cardio
equipment, a full complement of strength training
equipment and free weights, an air-conditioned spin
studio and three air-conditioned group fitness studios.
During the academic year, BC Rec holds more than 80
group fitness classes per week in a variety of disciplines,
including Zumba, spin, yoga, strength training, Pilates
and more.
Boston coLLeGe caReeR centeR
The Boston College Career Center works with graduate
students at each step of their career development.
Services include self-assessment, career counseling,
various career development workshops, resume and
cover letter critiques, and practice interviews. In
addition to extensive workshop offerings, Career Center
staff members are available throughout the year for oneon-one advising about any aspect of the career path. The
Career Resource Library offers a wealth of resources,
including books, periodicals and online databases.
.
admission & financial information
T
he application deadline for fall admission is January 2
for the Ph.D. program and February 1 for the M.A.
program. Please visit bc.edu/gsas for detailed information
on how to apply.
coursework relative to their program. These awards are
renewable for up to five years, contingent upon satisfactory academic performance and progress toward the
degree as well as satisfactory performance in teaching as
evaluated by the faculty.
application requirements include:
Each year the department awards the Thomas P. o’Neill
Fellowship to an incoming Ph.D. student in American
Politics. This fellowship carries a competitive stipend
and a full-tuition scholarship. The award entails some
assistance to the o’Neill Professor or other activity related to the o’Neill Program. This endowed chair was
established in 1981 to honor the former Speaker of the
house of Representatives, Thomas P. o’Neill, Jr. ’36.

Application Form:
submitted online, via the Gsas
website.

Application Fee:
$75, non-refundable.

Abstract of Courses
Form:
a concise overview of background
and related courses completed in
an intended field or proposed area
of study.

Official Transcripts:
demonstrating coursework
completed/degree conferral from
all post-secondary institutions
attended.

GRE General Test:
official score report required for
all applicants.

Three Letters of
Recommendation:
From professors or supervisors.
it is highly advisable that at least
one letter be from an academic
source.

Statement of Purpose: a brief (1-2 page) discussion of
an applicant’s preparation,
motivation and goals for their
proposed course of study.

Writing Sample:
a sample of an applicant’s best
work (usually a course paper or
equivalent) related to their
proposed field of study.

Proof of English
Proficiency:
(International only)
official toeFL/ieLts reports
accepted.
Financial Assistance
depaRtment FundinG
The Political Science Department offers financial assistance to all doctoral students in good standing. Students
function as either research assistants or teaching assistants within the department and receive a competitive
stipend in exchange for their service. In addition,
doctoral students receive full-tuition scholarships for all
FedeRaL FinanciaL aid
Graduate students can apply for federal financial aid
using the FAFSA. The loans that may be available to
graduate students are the Federal Direct Unsubsidized
Stafford Loan and Perkins Loan, based on eligibility. If
additional funds are needed, student may apply for a
Grad Plus Loan. For more information, see the Graduate
Financial Aid website at bc.edu/gradaid or contact the
Graduate Financial Aid office at 617-552-3300 or
800-294-0294.
oFFice oF sponsoRed pRoGRams
The office of Sponsored Programs (oSP) assists both
faculty and graduate students in finding sources of
external funding for their projects and provides advice in
the development of proposals. oSP maintains a
reference library of publications from both the public
and private sectors listing funding sources for sponsored
projects. In the recent past, graduate students have
received research support from prominent agencies,
corporations and organizations such as the Fulbright
Commission, the Guggenheim Foundation, the National
Science Foundation, the American Political Science
Association, the American Chemical Society and the
American Association of University Women.
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header
boston college
morrissey college of arts and sciences
department of political science
mcGuinn hall 201
140 commonwealth avenue
chestnut hill, ma 02467
617-552-4161
e-mail: gsasinfo@bc.edu
bc.edu/politicalscience
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