PhD Political Science at Louisiana State University

Programme overview

The PhD in Political Science requires a doctoral dissertation and at least 64 graduate credit hours, including at least nine dissertation hours.

Faculty: The Pinkie Gordon Lane Graduate School | Duration: 64 credit hours | Study mode: full-time | Location: Baton Rouge, LA, United States

What you will study

The curriculum includes a principal field (15 hours), a secondary field (12 hours), a third or minor field (0-12 hours), four seminars (POLI 7001, 7961, 7962, 7963), one foreign language or advanced research skills course, a professional development seminar and 3-15 hours of electives, followed by a written general exam and dissertation defence.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

LSU Graduate School (applies to all graduate programmes): applicants need a conferred bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an accredited institution with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in the previous undergraduate degree (or in its last 60 credit hours), and a minimum 3.0 in any attempted graduate coursework; a CV or resume is required; departmental materials may also be required. International applicants submit degree certificates/diplomas and, unless exempt, English proficiency scores in a single test sitting: TOEFL iBT 79, IELTS 6.5, PTE 59, Duolingo 110 or Michigan English Test 53. Non-U.S. bachelor's equivalents must represent at least 4 and no more than 5 years of full-time study (or a 3-year degree of advanced work), with a NACES transcript evaluation accepted.

Requirements published at program group level.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

International applicants complete the online application and pay a $50 non-refundable application fee online by credit card or by check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank. Official transcripts and TOEFL or IELTS scores (TOEFL code 6373) are required, and documents should arrive at least 120 days before the semester starts.

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