Since departmental programs are designed to train professionals, graduate study is qualitatively different from undergraduate work. In our graduate program, the emphasis is on the acquisition of tools, skills, and knowledge that will qualify the student to carry on research, to teach, or to fill active political and administrative positions. We offer our students small classes, individual attention, and an extensive array of courses and seminars.

We seek to train political scientists with a competence in the discipline as a whole as well as expertise in a special field. All candidates for graduate degrees are expected to achieve broad mastery at the professional level of  the academic fields and subfields offered. Our students also gain experience in teaching and research as part of the graduate program. Such a combination of skills and experience is essential to success in careers in college teaching and scholarly research.

The application of political science to practical problems is another major emphasis reflected in the research and teaching interests of a number of our faculty members. As a result, students are able to plan programs that will prepare them for the increasingly important avenue of employment in nonacademic work, including administrative, staff, and research positions at various levels of government and in private organizations, as well as for positions in academia.

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Information about fields of study, required coursework, advising and other topics related to our graduate program is currently available as a pdf file for easy printing and review. For students entering during Fall 2008 semester or later click here; for students entering during Fall 2007 semester or later click here; and for student entering prior to that semester, please click here.

You will need to have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to view the file. You can download a free copy of the latest version from Adobe's Web site.

You can also view the HTML version of our Graduate Program Policies & Regulations. For students entering during Fall 2008 semester or later click here; for students entering during Fall 2007 semester or later click here; and for students entering prior to that semester, please click here.

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The general prerequisite for admission to graduate study is a Bachelor of Arts degree or equivalent. A student is not required to have an undergraduate major in political science but normally will have had at least nine semester hours of course work in political science. Ordinarily, we do not accept terminal Master students. Applicants who do not wish to continue to the Ph.D. may want to explore the Masters in Public Administration and the Trans-Atlantic Master's program.

All applicants for admission to graduate study are required to take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Applicants from non-English-speaking countries also must submit results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) unless they have a degree from a university in the US. Students should take these tests early enough to enable them to submit official reports of scores with their applications. Decisions on admission of applicants may be withheld until test scores are provided. (The subject test is not required). In considering applicants for fellowship awards, we give GRE scores heavy emphasis.Please note that students are admitted only for the fall.

Requests for applications should be directed to the UNC Graduate School Web site. The online application is faster and easier than the traditional process and provides for the prompt receipt and distribution of application information.

The application, application fee, and transcripts should be sent directly to the Graduate School. In addition to the application, prospective students are required to submit the following items directly to the department:

1. A list of other schools the applicant is applying to is most helpful to the department, although it is not required.
2. Transcripts of all schools attended.

This material should be sent to: Department of Political Science, University of North Carolina, CB #3265, Hamilton Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3265, Attn: Coordinator of Graduate Studies

The following information should be submitted online:

1. A personal statement, of approximately 400-500 words, highlighting information (such as training, areas of particular interest in graduate study, and career objectives) that will help provide the Admissions Committee with a descriptive picture of the total student.
2. A writing sample of approximately 10-20 pages demonstrating the candidate's writing skills and powers of analysis; it can be on any subject, although preferable it will relate to political science or to an allied discipline, such as economics, history, sociology, or philosophy.
3. Three letters of recommendation.

We understand that waiting for admissions decisions can be an anxious process. However, contacting the department regarding your application status only slows the admission process. You will be contacted as soon files are processed, and any missing material will be requested.

If you have additional questions about admissions procedures that are not answered on this Web site or the Graduate School's Web site, please contact Chris Reynolds at ckreynolds@unc.edu or (919) 962-0437.

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Job Placement

The department acts aggressively to place its doctoral students in professional positions throughout the United States, primarily as faculty members at universities and colleges. A senior faculty member serves as placement director, and a professional staff member serves as placement coordinator; both work closely with each doctoral candidate and his or her dissertation advisor to identify open positions and otherwise to assist with the placement process. Professor Donald Searing, placement director, welcomes inquiries about past performance and recent trends in professional placement. Chris Reynolds, placement coordinator, can provide prospective graduate students with the comprehensive placement record of recent graduate students.

To view the2005-2006 Placement Record, please click here. To view thePlacement History from 1997-2006, click here.

Fellowships & Assistantships

A sizable number of fellowships and assistantships are available for graduate students in the Department of Political Science. The number of these awarded directly by the department varies somewhat from year to year, but recently funds have been sufficient to provide support for the vast majority of graduate students. These departmental awards require service duties that range from ten to fifteen hours per week during the nine-month academic year. Such duties may be teaching in an elementary course, conducting recitation sections, or assisting a faculty member in research/teaching. After the first year, graduate students must demonstrate the ability to teach in English in order to be eligible for further financial support.

Graduate students in political science are eligible for a variety of competitive, university-wide fellowships and scholarships. These fellowships and scholarships normally do not require a service commitment. Some special and minority fellowships are also awarded by the Graduate School. For example, the Fulbright program for students is designed to give master's and doctoral candidates opportunities for personal development and international experience. Most grantees plan their own programs. For more information on the Fulbright Program, please contact Tessa Dean and consult the Fulbright web site. Foreign Language study grants are also available, both for summer support and yearlong fellowships designed to support advanced dissertation research in a foreign language.

There is also the Q. Whitfield Ayres Graduate Fellowship for the Study of Liberty and Markets in the Department of Politcal Science. This fellowship is provided to an exceptionally talented doctoral student in the Department whose research and teaching interests focus on understanding the role of libery and markets in contemporary America.