GUIDELINES FOR NEW PHD STUDENTS
Department of Political Science, Graduate Program
ADVISING
In your first semester of study, you will be assigned a faculty advisor, who specializes in one of the fields in which
you have an interest. The faculty advisor will discuss course options with you and serve as a source of information
about the substantive part of your program until you formally constitute your advisory committee.
FIELDS OF STUDY
You should choose your examining fields as soon as possible. Knowing your fields of study will aid you with course
selection and identification of potential members for your advisory committee.
DOCTORAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
You are strongly encouraged to select your five-member advisory committee by the end of your second semester in
the program. You must have at least one faculty member from each of your three fields of study, plus one faculty
member from outside the political science department.
(a) You should consider selecting the person who will serve as the chair of your Advisory Committee first.
Students frequently select a chair from the field they consider to be their primary area of interest. This person
can advise you on other possible members who are appropriate given your particular interests. However, it is
your responsibility to contact prospective members and secure their consent to serve. The outside member
does not have to be knowledgeable about any of your areas of examination. The Graduate College imposes the
requirement for an outside member primarily to ensure that proper procedures are followed.
(b) The chair of your Advisory Committee is responsible for the general oversight of your program of study and
will coordinate the preparation of the general examination. The faculty member representing each field bears
primary responsibility for preparing and grading the general examination in that field, but other faculty
members may be involved as described in the Guidelines for the General Examination.
(c) You are responsible for arranging your Advisory Committee to meet and consider your proposed course of
study. The Ph.D. Advisory Worksheet, available in the Forms section of this site, provides information to the
Advisory Committee regarding the courses you have taken and those you propose to take. After your Advisory
Committee has approved your program of study, submit the completed form and the completed Advisory
Conference Report to the Director of Graduate Programs in Political Science for submission to the Graduate
College.
(d) You may alter your Advisory Conference Report or change the membership of your Advisory Committee at
any time with the consent of your committee and the Director of Graduate Programs in Political Science. All
members must sign the Request for Change in Doctoral Advisory Conference Report, available on the
Graduate College website.
ENTERING DOCTORAL PROGRAM WITH MASTER’S DEGREE
Students who enter the program may have already taken graduate courses that overlap with the degree
requirements. To avoid redundancy and to ensure steady progress toward degree completion, these students are
urged to work with their advisory committee and the Director of Graduate Program in Political Science to
determine which classes will be accepted as credit for existing OU courses, and which courses will count as credit
toward the 90-hour requirement but may not satisfy specific course requirements. The student should be prepared
to submit course syllabi for any courses he/she wishes to petition for equivalency.
The Graduate College allows up to a maximum of 44 graduate hours of transfer credit from a masters degree
applied to the doctoral degree with the approval of the student’s advisory committee, the Director of Graduate
Programs in Political Science and the Dean of the Graduate College.
A student entering the doctoral program with a masters degree is expected to take general examinations
within four years of entrance into the graduate program.
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Department of Political Science
PhD Student Guide
REQUIRED COURSES
Doctoral students must take four required courses:
 P SC 5913 Introduction to Analysis of Political and Administrative Data
 P SC 5933 Intermediate Analysis of Political Data
 P SC 5950 Research Problems
 P SC 6003 Political Science: Survey of a Discipline
P SC 5913 and P SC 5933 are offered as accelerated courses in the fall semester. The department typically schedules
P SC 6003 in the spring semester. P SC 5950 Research Problems is offered during the fall and spring semesters and
should be completed one semester before students take the General Examination.
PROGRESS TOWARD THE DEGREE
The department normally expects full-time doctoral students to enroll in at least nine hours of course work during
each of the fall and spring semesters. If a student carries a lesser load, it becomes difficult to complete the degree
within a reasonable period of time. Attention to these guidelines is particularly important for students who desire or
are receiving departmental assistantship support.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The department encourages graduate students to participate in a variety of professional development and career
placement opportunities. Each fall and spring semester, there are monthly student Lunch-N-Learn sessions in
which faculty and students meet to discuss special topics. Recent examples include preparing for the general
examination, research expectations, job opportunities, networking, and placement. In addition, the department
hosts research presentation for faculty and graduate students who are presenting conference papers to “test-drive”
their talk. Presenting research at conferences is important for students, and information regarding student travel is
available in the Forms/Travel Funding section of this site. [NOTE: A presentation prior to conference attendance
and research paper presentation is required as a condition to receive departmental travel funding.]
There are many special events with guest speakers such as the biennial Rothbaum Lectures, the annual Bellmon
Lecture and job talks for prospective faculty members. Graduate students are encouraged to attend these as well.
Finally, when a doctoral student is entering the job market, they should consult with the Director of Graduate
Programs in Political Science.
ANNUAL EVALUATION
The department annually evaluates graduate student progress. The period covered includes fall, spring and summer
semesters, if applicable. Guidelines for the annual evaluation of graduate students are included in the annual
evaluation section of this site. Doctoral students are required to consult with faculty advisors and submit a minicurriculum vitae in preparation for the written review in June. This form is available in the Forms/Travel Funding
section of this site.
RESEARCH
Any student conducting human subjects research must first receive approval of the project from the IRB. Prior to
IRB approval, online training must be completed. For further information, review the IRB Outline of Policies
and Procedures website.
2015-2016
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