Political Science Ph.D. Learning Outcomes

PLO 1. Core Disciplinary Knowledge

Students should be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of major theoretical traditions in political science
• Demonstrate knowledge of intellectual currents and debates important to the history and development of political science
• Demonstrate knowledge of key debates and contemporary research in at least two subfields of the discipline

PLO 2. Research Methods and Analysis

Students should be able to:

• Frame empirical research questions guided by theory
• Identify an appropriately apply a range of methods used by political scientists with attention to the strengths and limitations of different research methods for different research questions in the discipline
• Undertake methodologically rich and sound research throughout the graduate program guided by faculty review
• Understand and follow research ethics protocols

PLO 3. Scholarly Communication

Students should:

• Regularly review recently published scholarship in fields of concentration in the discipline
• Produce writing appropriate for a scholarly publication by their second year in the program
• Review and cogently summarize relevant literatures
• Structure an argument and support it with evidence
• Effectively present research in both oral and written presentations

PLO 4. Professionalism and Professional Engagement

Students should:

• Contribute to the shared culture of the department, School, university, and the profession
• Publish scholarly work in outlets appropriate for their fields of study
• Develop profession networks
• Present scholarly work to their peers and publicly
• Undertake research ethically
• Participate in professional meetings
• Collegially evaluate others’ work
• Adhere to tenets of academic integrity and academic collegiality

PLO 5. Independent Research

Students should:

• Develop a research specialization positioned in a major subfield(s) of the discipline
• Design independent research project in accordance with the standards in the field and under the advisement of Departmental faculty
• Produce scholarship that will be suitable for publication in profession outlets appropriate to the subfield(s) of research specialization

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