The Department of Political Science at UC Irvine has a very innovative Ph.D. program with strong interdisciplinary emphases.  Graduate students can pursue studies in democracy studies, international relations, political economy/games and decisions/public choice, political psychology, and race and ethnic politics. The Ph.D. program offers big payoffs to our graduate students because of the extended range of inquiry an interdisciplinary program affords.  
   
One aspect of the department’s strong interdisciplinary emphases are the two M.A. Programs to which students in the Political Science Ph.D. program are eligible to apply for admission. While each of these programs is completely independent of the Political Science Department, each is structured in such a way that graduate students in political science can largely simultaneously satisfy the M.A. requirements for this program while completing their Ph.D. requirements. These are the M.A. in Demographic and Social Analysis, which involves many faculty from the Sociology Department as well as from the School of Social Ecology who are interested in demographic trends and tools of demographic analysis, including geographic information systems; and the M.A. in Mathematical Behavioral Sciences, which, in addition to political science faculty, involves  faculty from Economics, Logic and Philosophy of Sciences, and other departments, who have an interest in games, decisions, and dynamical systems, as well as faculty from Sociology who study the formal and empirical properties of social networks.

In addition to the traditional sub-fields of political science (American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory), the department offers interdisciplinary emphases in democracy studies, political economy and public choice, political psychology, and race and ethnic politics.  Department faculty actively mentor doctoral students and encourage them to become productive, publishing scholars before completing their graduate studies.  Our Ph.D. graduates have established themselves in academic careers at both research universities and liberal arts colleges in the U.S. and abroad, in government service, and in the private sector. 

 

 

Graduate Program Admissions Information

  • Application Deadlines for a Start of Fall 2024
    Applications will be accepted beginning October 2, 2023. The application deadline is December 1, 2023
     
    Most students who are admitted will be informed by late February although some decisions, including definite non-admits, are delayed into March or later.
  • Admission Requirements
    The following items are required as part of the graduate application and must be submitted electronically, direct through the online UCI Graduate Application portal:
    • Application Fee: US $135 (for US Citizens and Permanent Residents); US $150 (for international applicants)
       
      Application fee waivers are available to qualifying US citizens and permanent residents. Fee waivers are not available to international applicants. Click here for current application fee information
    • TOEFL or IELTS (if applicable)
       
      Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
      All graduate students, except those who have earned an undergraduate degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction according to the World Health Education Database, are required to demonstrate oral English proficiency before they admitted to a UCI graduate program and are appointed to Teaching Assistant or Teaching Associate titles. For Teaching Assistant and Associate positions, the aforementioned exception will apply only when the undergraduate degree has been earned within five years prior to admission to a graduate program at UCI. Please read the full policy on English proficiency for graduate admissions and how to search for your institution in the database on the on the UCI Graduate Division website. The English proficiency requirement for TAs can be found here.
       
    • Three (3) Letters of Recommendation
    • Transcripts (Include undergraduate and graduate if applicable.)
      Official documents are required before your application can be considered. We require only a single transcript from each school attended, uploaded by the applicant. We are not able to accept paper documents through the mail, or to upload electronic supplemental materials on the applicant's behalf. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for admission consideration. All admission offers will be provisional. Those who are offered and accept admission and financial support will then be required to submit official documents before the start of the Fall 2021 term, to clear the provisional admission status.
    • Academic Statement of Purpose
    • Writing Sample
      May be single-spaced; an excerpt from a longer piece is fine; 20 pages is the maximum length. Please upload this electronically through the UCI Graduate Application).
    • Personal History Statement
      Required if applying for a fee waiver and otherwise recommended; may be included in the academic statement of purpose if not applying for a fee waiver)
    • Current CV or Resume
      Optional, not required.
    • GRE Required

    If you have further questions, please visit our FAQ page or contact the Graduate Admissions Office at socsci.gradinfo@uci.edu or (949) 824-4074.
  • Costs and Financial Support
    Tuition and Fees
    View the University of California's current published fee and tuition rates. United States citizens and permanent residents who relocate to California from other states may apply for legal residency here, following one year of continuous residence. The required "procedures of intent" are outlined here.
     
    Financial Support
    All applications for PhD admission are considered also for financial support, and all admission offers to Political Science currently include six years of funding. Applicants are not required to apply separately for admission and financial support. Our competitive, merit-based funding packages include:
    • annual registration fees;
    • comprehensive student health insurance;
    • a combination of TA or Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) appointment with individual members of faculty, and fellowship quarters in lieu of employment.
       

    All offers to non-residents of California include non-resident tuition for the first year of study for US citizens and permanent residents, and for the first three years for international students (conditional on satisfactory progress). Financial assistance based on need (loans, primarily) is available to qualifying student applicants, through UCI Financial Aid & Scholarships.
     
    All students applying for need-based financial aid are required to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). International students who are not US citizens or permanent residents are not eligible to apply for federal need-based financial aid aid. Further information on assistantships and funding resources can be found here.

 

 

I. General Questions

  • How important are GPA and GRE scores?
    Lower than average scores do not necessarily decrease your chances of being admitted. The admissions committee tries to look at all aspects of a students record -- not just grades and scores but also your research goals, experience, and a whole host of considerations. Your statement of purpose and letters of recommendation are thus very important.
  • Do I need an undergraduate degree in political science or international relations in order to be admitted to the Ph.D. program?
    No, a good proportion of the students we admit each year did their undergraduate work in other fields, such as Anthropology, History, Mathematics, Psychology, and Women’s Studies.
  • Do you require an M.A. degree for admission to the Ph.D. program? Do most of your students have further education beyond the B.A.?
    We do not require that students have an M.A. degree before entering the Ph.D. program. Many of our new students come right out of undergraduate programs, but perhaps a third to one-half will have already earned master's degrees at other universities.
  • I have an M.A. degree already. Can I transfer some of these credits to your program?
    The department allows students who have an M.A. degree to transfer up to six courses for credit. Final decisions on transfer credit will be made only after you have been admitted to the program.
  • Do you offer an M.A. in political science?
    Students may earn an M.A. degree on the way to earning the Ph.D., but we do not admit students who intend to complete their studies with an M.A.
  • Can I enroll part time in the Ph.D. program? Can I take classes during the evening to fulfill your degree requirements?
    No, the Ph.D. program requires a full-time commitment to classes prior to advancement to Ph.D. candidacy (generally at the end of the student's third year in the Ph.D. program). Most of our graduate classes are offered during the work day.
  • Is an interview required for admission?
    No. However, if you are given an offer of admission, you will be invited to a "Visiting Day" before you will need to make your decision on whether to enroll. This visit gives you a chance to familiarize yourself with the campus and program.
  • Why do you request two transcripts and allow electronic transcripts when the UCI Graduate Division website says only one transcript is required and it must be in a sealed envelope?
    You need to provide two official paper copies of a transcript because the Graduate Division needs one copy and the School of Social Sciences needs a copy. If you submit an electronic copy, one is enough and the School will generate the copy for the Graduate Division. Note that an unofficial electronic copy, such as a printout you generate yourself, will not be sufficient. Also note that the transcripts must be received before your application can be considered.
  • If I apply to more than one UCI graduate program, can I use the same documents?
    Unfortunately, for each application you must submit a complete set of documents, even if the two programs are both in Social Sciences.
  • If I am interested in Public Choice, should I apply to "Political Science" or "Political Science- Public Choice"?
    It makes no difference to which of these programs you apply, but please apply only to one. The Political Science and Political Science – Public Choice applications are considered together. Moreover, any admitted student under either program can complete a Public Choice concentration. The two listings are in the process of merging.
  • What should go into the academic statement of purpose? The personal history statement?
    The academic statement of purpose should explain why you are applying to the political science graduate program at UCI and what you hope to accomplish as part of your graduate program. Often about 1000 words is sufficient for a thorough but concise statement. Some topics you may address include your academic background and interests (including prior research you have done), the research topic(s) (or broader areas) which interest you, how these interests fit with the faculty and research at UCI, other particular reason(s) for applying to this program, your long and short-term academic or professional career goals, and why earning a doctoral degree advances these goals. You might also address your academic and personal strengths and successes, as well as any barriers you may have had to overcome. And you may include anything else from your personal, family, or academic history that assists the admissions committee in understanding your plans and interests or that explains something in your record. The personal history statement is optional (required for those applying for a fee waiver) and provides an opportunity to expand upon the applicant's personal and family history as it relates to doctoral study. If you prefer, you may submit a statement which combines both the academic statement of purpose and the personal history statement, an especially useful option if you have already written such a statement.

 

II. Financial Aid

  • What additional financial support is available to students after they enroll in UCI?
    During the course of the academic year the Department of Political Science and/or the School of Social Sciences occasionally hold competitions for fellowship quarters, which allow students to receive a stipend without needing to serve as a T.A.. In the past, separate competitions have been held for students who have not yet advanced to candidacy and for those working on their dissertations.
     
    The Department also makes funds available for summer stipends, on a competitive basis. The School of Social Sciences and the department provide funding support for travel to conferences.
     
    In addition, many of our students have received grants and awards from other units in the school or on campus. Recently, our students have received grants from the Center for the Study of Democracy, The Center for Global Peace and Security, The Center for Asian Studies, the Center for the Scientific Study of Ethics and Morality, the Center for Citizen Peacebuilding, and others.
  • Do you offer Research Assistant (RA) positions?
    RA appointments are made directly by faculty with research grants. Generally, faculty make these to students who they advise or who they have worked with in the past. As a result, relatively few RA appointments are made to first year students.
  • How do students typically support themselves over the summer?
    The Department holds a competition each spring to support summer research projects. In addition, for students remaining on campus, summer classes provide some opportunities to serve as teaching assistants or graders. Once students advance to Ph.D. candidacy, graduate students are eligible to teach summer session courses as instructors, on a competitive basis.
  • What duties will I perform as a Teaching Assistant? What is a “half-time” T.A.?
    Your T.A. duties entail working with the professor in charge of the class to which are assigned, including holding discussion sections and/or office hours, grading papers, and other duties assigned by the professor. T.A.s are expected to work approximately 20 hours per week.
  • The six year funding packages mention teaching assistant, research assistant, and fellowship support, but what is guaranteed?
    The particular mix will vary for different students and by year, but in most cases the basic funding package guarantees teaching assistant support for each quarter for six years. This support includes stipend, health insurance, and tuition and most fees.
  • Are there other UCI funding sources for incoming students?
    The Graduate Division offers recruitment fellowships for incoming students. See HERE for a description. The Department nominates students for these awards, based upon the information students include in their applications. These are highly competitive across the entire campus.

 

III. Other

  • What is the code for UCI’s Department of Political Science?
    UC Irvine’s Institution Code is 4859. The department code for Political Science is 1902 for the GRE and 89 for the TOEFL.
  • Where do I go for more information?
    Other links on this page contain more information on the Political Science program. If you have specific questions about the program, contact the department’s Graduate Admissions Director, Professor Marek Kaminski at marek.kaminski@uci.edu or (949) 824-2744.
     
    If you have further questions about admissions or financial aid, contact the Director of Graduate Affairs in the School of Social Sciences, Jennifer Gerson at jennifer.gerson@uci.edu or (949) 824-4074.
     
    More information about the University, the admissions process, financial aid, and more, can be found on the “Prospective Student” page on the Office of Graduate Studies website, at UCI Graduate Division
  • How will I get information from UCI, including the outcome of my application?
    UCI will communicate with you electronically via email or via the online UCI Graduate Application. Please be sure to keep UCI updated if you change your email or other contact information. And please check the UCI Graduate Application portal.
  • How can I apply on-line?
    The application is available at Online Application

 

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