PhD Political Science at West Virginia University

Programme overview

The PhD in Political Science offers four areas of emphasis (American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Politics and Public Policy); students complete two of them.

Faculty: Eberly College of Arts and Sciences | Department: Department of Political Science | Duration: Minimum 68 credit hours | Study mode: full-time | Location: Morgantown, WV, United States

What you will study

14 hours of core methods courses, 24 hours across two areas of emphasis, 6 hours of electives and 24 hours of research.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

WVU graduate programmes (university-wide regular admission): a bachelor's degree with at least a 2.75 GPA on a 4.0 scale (or a 3.0 or higher average over the last sixty credit hours where applied); applicants with a lower record may be considered for provisional admission. International applicants must meet WVU's English proficiency minimums: Academic IELTS 6.5, TOEFL iBT 79 (scores through January 2026; 4.0 on the revised scale after January 2026), Duolingo English Test 105, PTE Academic 53 or TOEFL Essentials 9.0.

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.

Graduate applications are made through the WVU online graduate application with a $75 application fee; minimum cumulative GPA 2.75 on a 4.0 scale for regular admission, and some programmes require higher.

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