PhD Political Science at Rice University

Programme overview

Students gain advanced knowledge of theoretical and empirical research in two of three subfields: American politics, comparative politics and international relations. They learn social science research design and methods including advanced statistics, and practise communicating research through scholarly writing and presentations.

Faculty: School of Social Sciences | Department: Political Science | Duration: 90 credit hours (54 coursework) | Study mode: full-time | Location: Houston, TX, United States

What you will study

Core courses in three fields, three courses beyond the core in the major field and two in the minor, required courses POLI 500, 502, 506 and 511, and a research tools course. Milestones: two preliminary examinations, a thesis prospectus defence and a thesis defence. A coordinated PhD/MA in Statistics is optional.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Rice graduate programmes (university level): applicants should generally have at least a 3.0 (B) undergraduate GPA or equivalent; the GRE is generally not required, though individual programmes may recommend, strongly recommend or require it; a statement of purpose and reference letters may be required depending on the programme. International applicants need TOEFL iBT 90, IELTS 7 or Duolingo English Test 115 unless they hold a degree from an accredited US institution or an English-medium institution. Admission is decided at programme level.

Requirements published at program group level.

USD 66,784 a year (2026-27). School of Social Sciences: Masters & PhD full-time tuition ($33,392 per semester) for the school's standard full-time master's and PhD programmes; estimate, excludes fees and health insurance. Reduced rate of $3,710 per year applies to continuing doctoral Source

Most doctoral applications for Fall 2027 close December 1, 2026 (Mechanical Engineering December 15, Computer Science January 1, 2027); applications open September 1, 2026 through the Rice graduate portal (gradapply.rice.edu). Application fee is generally $85, waived for some doctoral applicants.

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