Ph.D. in Public and International Affairs
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The Doctor of Philosophy in Public and International Affairs provides theoretical and applied training related to the world of public affairs. The program blends political science and the study of public policy to prepare students as practitioners, researchers, and teachers. From political science, the program develops theoretical insights and research tools relevant to the study of political development and public affairs. From public policy, students study the process by which public policies are adopted and how the effective management of programs and agencies is achieved. This blend of political science and public policy is developed through a curriculum that combines international and comparative study with an analysis of U.S. politics and policy making. In addition, students complete a sequence of core courses in research methods and social science statistics.
Recent Graduates
January 2008
- Eugenia Hristova
- Dissertation: "New Regime, Old Myths: Construction of Gender Identity and Women's Political Participation in Egypt."
- Dissertation Chair: Eileen McDonough
August 2007
- Milica Golubovic
- Dissertation: "Assisting Democratization: Impact of International Organizations on Rule of Law Reform in Serbia."
- Dissertation Chair: William Crotty
May 2007
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Itir Toksoz
- Dissertation: "Security Dilemmas and Threat Perceptions: Turkey at the Crossroads."
- Dissertation Chair: Amilcar Barreto
- Current position: Dogus University, Istanbul, Turkey
May 2006
- Philip D'Agati
- Dissertation: "Nationalism on the World Stage: Cultural Performances at the Modern Olympic Games.".
- Dissertation Chair: Amilcar Barreto
- Current position: Instructor at Merrimack College, North Andover, Mass.
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Michelle Lee
- Dissertation:"The Rhetoric of Nationalism in Public Policy: Immigration and Indigenous Land Rights Policies in Australia".
- Dissertaion Chair: Amilcar Barreto
- Current position: Political Affairs Officer with the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Germany
September 2005
- Natalja Zabeida
- Dissertation: "Making Space for Rape: Identity, Nationalism and Gender in the Disintegration of the former Yugoslavia".
- Dissertation Chair: Amilcar Barreto
May 2005
- Leanne Doherty
- Dissertation: "Level Playing Field for All?: Female Political Leadership and Athletics".
- Dissertation Chair: Christopher Bosso
- Current position: Assistant Professor and Pre Law Advisor, Department of Political Science and International Affairs, Simmons College, Boston Mass.
May 2004
Paul Beran
- Dissertation: “Civil Society and Transitions to Participatory Governance: Palestinian NGOs Stuck Between Regime Control and Pragmatism.
- Dissertation Chair: Denis Sullivan
- Current position: Outreach Director, Harvard University's Center for Middle East Studies. Cambridge, Mass.
Shadrack Nasong’o
- Dissertation: “Contending Political Paradigms in Africa: Democratization vs. Authoritarianism in Kenya and Zambia.”
- Dissertation Chair: William Crotty
- Current position: Lecturer, University of Tennessee (2004-05); Lecturer, International Relations, University of Nairobi, Kenya.
Cynthia Newton
- Dissertation: “Obesity as an Emerging Policy Domain, and Strategies to Combat Youth Obesity in Massachusetts.”
- Dissertation Chair: David Rochefort
- Current Position: Norwich University, Northfield, VT.
August 2003
- Nasser A. Qaedi
- Dissertation: “The Security Motivated Cooperative Relationship and Development of the Gulf Cooperation Council.”
- Dissertation Chair: Denis Sullivan
- Current Position: National Bank, Bahrain.
May 2003
- Abdullah Al-Faqih
- Dissertation: “The Struggle for Liberalization and Democratization in Egypt, Jordan, and Yemen.”
- Dissertation Chair: Denis Sullivan
- Current Position: Assistant Professor of Political Science, Sana’a University, Yemen.
May 2002
- Rosalie B. Arcala
- Dissertation: “Democratization and the Philippine Military: A Comparison of the Approaches used by the Aquino and Ramos Administrations in Re-Imposing Civilian Supremacy.”
- Dissertation Chair: William Crotty
- Current Position: Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of the Philippines, Visayas.
Admissions
Admission into the doctoral program is highly competitive, with only eight to nine new students admitted each year, and entry is limited to the fall semester. No mid-year admissions are considered. All completed applications must be submitted by February 1. Students currently in the MA or MPA programs offered by the Department of Political Science at Northeastern also must formally apply for admission to the doctoral program, and admission is not guaranteed.
Admission materials: Applicants seeking admission to the doctoral program from another institution must submit the graduate school application form and fee, three letters of recommendation—at least two preferably from faculty at the applicant’s undergraduate institution—official copies of all transcripts, a personal essay, a current resume, a writing sample, and aptitude scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). International students must also submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam. Students currently in the MA and MPA programs offered by the Department of Political Science at Northeastern may formally apply to the doctoral program by providing the essay, a copy of a current Northeastern transcript, at least two letters of recommendation from Northeastern faculty, 5-10 page writing sample, and, if not previously supplied, aptitude scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). There is no application fee. Applicants who previously earned a terminal MA or MPA degree offered by the Department of Political Science at Northeastern must provide all of the materials and fees indicated.
GRE and TOEFL minimum scores: The program does not set a formal minimum requirement for the GRE, but it must be noted that applicants with verbal and analytical scores below 600 (or, in the newer scoring system, 5 out of 6 on the analytical score) will be at a competitive disadvantage. For international students, a minimum score of 250 out of 300 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam is desired, as is at least a 5 out of 6 on the TWE. No GRE scores older than five years old are accepted, nor are scores from other examinations (e.g., LSAT, GMAT).
Undergraduate records: It is expected that applicants to the doctoral program have earned a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.5 out of 4.0, or its equivalent.
The Deadline for Fall 2008 admission is:
February 1, 2008: All PhD applicants.
Degree Requirements
The Ph.D. degree requires completion of required courses, passing a written and oral comprehensive examination, and the successful defense of the dissertation before a faculty committee.
Students who enter the program with a bachelor's degree complete 42 semester hours (fourteen courses) of academic credit. Students who enter the program with a Masters degree from another university are required to complete a minimum of 27 semester hours of credit at Northeastern. The program director will assess the academic record of each applicant entering with a masters degree and, in some cases, will mandate that the student take more than 27 credits in order to prepare the student for comprehensive examinations and the dissertation.
Students who earn a Master of Arts or Master of Public Administration degree from the Department of Political Science at Northeastern University must complete at least 12 additional semester hours of credit to satisfy the overall course requirement of the Ph.D. program (dependent on the relevant courses taken and their field of study). Students also must satisfy course distribution requirements outlined below.
Satisfactory progress in the Ph.D. program is defined as maintaining a grade point average of 3.500. Students who fall below this average in one semester must consult with their academic advisor. Students who fall below this average in two consecutive semesters are subject to dismissal from the program.
Curriculum
All doctoral students, regardless of primary field concentration, must complete the following six required core courses:
- POL G200 Perspectives on Social Science Inquiry
- POL G201 Methods of Analysis
- POL G202 Quantitative Techniques*
- POL G203 Techniques in Policy Analysis
- POL G215 Advanced Quantitative Techniques
- POL G350 Seminar in Comparative and International Politics and Policy
* POL G202 may be waived if the student took an equivalent course while earning a previous graduate degree.
Students then concentrate in one of two primary fields:
- U.S. Policymaking, Politics and Administration:
Students in this field complete the following core courses and up to nine electives.- POL G204 Seminar in Public Policy
In addition, POL G250 American Government and Politics is recommended for any student with a limited background in American Politics.
Concentrations in Education Policy and Environmental Policy are offered within the U.S. Policymaking, Politics and Administration field. These concentrations are devised in consultation with the faculty.
- Comparative and International Politics and Policy:
All students concentrating in this area must complete the core course POL G350 Seminar in Comparative and International Politics and Policy plus one elective in a country or region (POL G370 through POL G384).
Internship: An internship (POL G407) is required for students without sufficient prior professional experience relevant to their area of focus, and is counted as an elective. An internship comprises 225 hours of work over a semester and concludes with a written analysis of the internship experience or work done in it, with the specific topic approved by the supervising faculty member.
With permission, courses directly relevant to the student’s primary field may be taken in other graduate programs within Northeastern University. Under normal circumstances, no more than six semester hours (two courses) may be taken outside the Department. In addition, up to two courses may be taken as “directed study” in particularly specialized areas.
Language proficiency: Students must demonstrate
language proficiency as necessary for successful completion of the
dissertation. Language courses do not count as electives.
The following is a course list for the Ph.D. program as of September
2004, divided into the different fields of study. Other courses
may be offered by the Department, and are available as general electives. There is no guarantee that any particular course is offered in any given year.
| U.S. Policymaking, Politics and Administration | Comparative and International Politics and Policy |
|---|---|
|
|
Doctoral Degree Candidacy
Doctoral degree candidacy is attained only after successful completion of all coursework, the written comprehensive examination, and the oral examination.
Comprehensive examinations: Following completion of required course work, doctoral students must pass one written and one oral comprehensive examination. During the semester they take the comprehensive exams, students will register for POL G800, Qualifying Exam Preparation. Registration for this one course constitutes full-time status. Written examinations are based on the literature in the field as well as materials derived from completed coursework. An oral examination is administered after completion of the written examination. Comprehensive examinations are offered in the fall and spring semesters as agreed on by the candidate, the graduate coordinator, and the comprehensive examination committee. Upon successful completion of the comprehensive examination, the doctoral student must prepare and defend the dissertation before a faculty committee.
A student has five years to complete the dissertation once doctoral degree candidacy is attained.
Once degree candidacy is attained, registration for both full- and part-time students must be continuous until graduation requirements have been met. For each of the first two semesters that a doctoral candidate is working on a dissertation the student must register for POL G890: Doctoral Dissertation. For each semester beyond the two Dissertation registrations, the student must register for POL G899: Doctoral Dissertation Continuation until the dissertation is approved by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and submitted to the University library. Students do not have to register for continuation during the summer unless that is when the defense occurs.
Dissertation
Doctoral dissertation requirements are fulfilled in several stages:
Forming the Dissertation Committee: The dissertation committee is put together by the student based on consultation with and the approval of the Chair of the doctoral program. The committee is typically composed of three members and normally may include up to one faculty member from outside the department or the university, but must be chaired by a full-time, tenured member of the Department of Political Science. The committee approves the dissertation proposal and works with the student throughout the dissertation process, including the oral defense.
The Proposal: Before the end of the first semster of doctoral candidacy, the student submits to the dissertation committee a written proposal specifying the topic, approach, and research design, and describing the resources available for completing the research. That semester students must attend the department's dissertation proposal workshop. The proposal should demonstrate the student's comprehension of the literature in the areas of research and should present a reasonably detailed plan for conducting research. Guidelines (doc) for preparing the proposal are available in the Graduate Program Office.
Formats: There are two possible formats for a dissertation. One is the more traditional book-length manuscript, the other is composed of several journal-quality manuscripts and an integrative essay. Consult the Chair of the Ph.D. program for more information on these options. The dissertation must meet all requirements of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Research and Writing: The student thereafter writes a dissertation that presents an original approach or insight into the topic under investigation. It is based on research utilizing primary documents as well as secondary literature, and reflects the methodological approach established at the proposal stage. The student is advised to maintain constant contact with the chair of the dissertation committee throughout the process.
Defending the Dissertation: At a time when the dissertation committee so deems, the student will orally defend the dissertation before the committee and any other member of the University community who wishes to observe.
Submission: Once the dissertation has been successfully defended and is deemed complete by the committee, the student shall submit the completed manuscript to the University, following the precise guidelines for submission lain out by the College of Arts and Sciences. No degree can be granted until the University has formally accepted the dissertation.
Status Report
At the beginning of each fall semester, doctoral candidates must complete a status report that includes current contact information and an update on their progress in the program. This report will be placed in the student's file for reference purposes.
Program Structure and Administration
The Ph.D. Committee is the chief policy-making body for the doctoral program. Decisions regarding curriculum and program direction and development are within the jurisdiction of this committee. Three members of the Ph.D. Committee serve as the admissions committee for the doctoral program.
Program Guide
A 2007-2008 Graduate Guide for all graduate students is available on-line or in the Graduate Program Office. This Guide provides information on program requirements, curriculum, financial aid, and other aspects of the graduate programs in the Department of Political Science.
