Loyola University Chicago

• Application Deadlines
• Application Requirements
• Contact Information
• Degree Programs (Ph.D., M.A., M.A./J.D.)
• Faculty
• Overview
• Special Programs

Overview

The Department of Political Science offers graduate degrees that balance the career needs of the academic marketplace and the requirements of a vigorous education. The department's objective is to offer students a highly personalized education within a distinctive graduate program. Faculty work closely with their students to ensure they receive the best training and course work in their chosen fields of study. All graduate classes are conducted by full-time members of the department.

Degree Programs (Ph.D., M.A., M.A./J.D.)

The Department of Political Science offers Ph.D. and M.A. degree programs in each of the three following areas: American Politics, International Studies and Political Theory. In cooperation with the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, students can also pursue a joint M.A./J.D.

• American Politics: This area of specialization includes courses in the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, Constitutional Politics, Judicial Process and Public Law, Political Parties and Elections, Public Policy-Making and Intergovernmental Relations, among others
• International Studies: This area of specialization includes courses in Comparative Political Systems, Politics of Developing Areas, European Politics, Theories of International Politics, International Political Economy, U.S. Foreign Policy and International Law, among others
• Political Theory: This area of specialization includes courses in Ancient Political Thought, Medieval Political Thought, Modern Political Thought, 19th-Century Political Thought, Contemporary Political Thought, American Political Thought, Socialism, Liberalism and Political Ethics, among others

Ph.D. Degree Program

The Ph.D. program in political science is intended for students who wish to prepare for teaching and research careers, or for those who wish to acquire the analytical and research skills necessary for a career in government or the private sector.

Full-time students entering the program without an M.A. degree are encouraged to complete the Ph.D. in six years.    

Curriculum

Completion of the Ph.D. degree program requires 60 semester hours of graduate credit (20 courses), which includes the M.A. and the dissertation.

Required Courses

• Six courses in the major field (American Politics, International Studies or Political Theory)
• Four courses in the minor field (American Politics, International Studies or Political Theory)
• Two courses in Basic Techniques of Political Analysis 1) PLSC 475: Techniques of Political Analysis I and 2) PLSC 476: Techniques of Political Analysis II
• Eight elective courses (two courses can be in a related discipline)

Note: Students may need to develop language proficiency in order to conduct research on their doctoral dissertation.

Comprehensive Examinations

Candidates must pass comprehensive examinations in their major and minor fields. The comprehensive examinations have both written and oral components.

Dissertation

Candidates must complete and successfully defend a doctoral dissertation.

Students may transfer up to 30 semester hours of graduate credit from another university program based on an evaluation of their transcript. Students must complete four semesters of residence, including at least two consecutive semesters at Loyola. At least one academic year (two consecutive semesters) must be spent as a full-time student.

M.A. Degree Program

The Department of Political Science offers graduate students the opportunity to pursue a master's degree in Political Science.

Length of Program: Full-time students usually complete the program within two years. Part-time students generally complete the program within five years.

Curriculum

Completion of the M.A. degree program requires 30 semester hours of graduate credit (10 courses). Up to six semester hours of graduate credit (2 courses) may be in related disciplines, with the approval of the graduate program director.

Required Courses

• PLSC 475: Political Analysis I
• PLSC 476: Political Analysis II
• A minimum of 15 hours (5 courses) in one of the three major fields: American Politics, International Studies or Political Theory
• Nine hours (three courses) of elective credit

Thesis: Students may satisfy six hours (two courses) of elective credit by writing a thesis. Students who choose this option will take PLSC 596 for two semesters (six credit hours) and take PLSC 597 (zero credit hours) until they are done with the thesis.

Comprehensive Examination: All M.A. candidates must pass a written comprehensive examination based on their major field, emphasizing the courses the student has taken.

M.A./J.D. Dual Degree Program

The School of Law and the Department of Political Science jointly offer a dual degree program that provides students with specialized policy training appropriate for careers in the public sector or for law practices involving administrative agencies or processes. The dual degree program makes it possible to earn both M.A. and J.D. degrees simultaneously and in a much shorter time than if the two degrees were pursued independently. Students admitted to the dual M.A./J.D. program begin their studies at Loyola as J.D. students for year one and become dual M.A./J.D. students in year two. 

Five-Year B.A./M.A. Program

Undergraduate majors in political science at Loyola University Chicago may earn both a B.A. and an M.A. degree in five years of study, which is approximately one year less than it would normally take to earn these two degrees separately. Junior political science majors with an overall GPA of at least 3.40 are eligible to apply. Students must submit transcripts, three letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose but do not need to pay the application fee or take the GRE.

Special Programs

Loyola University Chicago is a member of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) and has access to all datasets distributed through this organization, such as the National Election Studies, major national polls, U.S. Census Bureau data, the Eurobarometers and statistical reports generated by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. In addition, American Politics students have the opportunity to participate in the annual ICPSR summer training program in quantitative methods, conducted at the University of Michigan. Loyola University Chicago annually hosts an endowed lecture series, the Covey Lectures, which provides a forum for the reexamination of the normative dimensions of political life. The lectures are published by the University of Notre Dame Press.

Faculty

Political Science faculty members are passionate about their teaching and dedicated to their research. Students benefit from being in the classroom with scholars and professionals, learning both the theory and the practical applications of the discipline.

Faculty members are listed according to the specialization areas in which they teach.

American Politics

John Frendreis, Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee), Professor
Areas of interest: American political parties and elections, state and local politics and research methodology

Alan Gitelson, Ph.D. (Syracuse University), Professor
Areas of interest: Elections and political parties, political psychology and socialization, interest groups

Susan Mezey, Ph.D., J.D. (Syracuse University and DePaul University), Professor
Areas of interest: Constitutional law, judicial process, administrative law, women and law

John Pelissero, Ph.D. (University of Oklahoma), Professor
Areas of interest: Urban and state politics, intergovernmental relations, public policy analysis

Jason A. Reifler, Ph.D. candidate (Duke University), Assistant Professor
Areas of interest: U.S. Congress, elections, research methods

Raymond Tatalovich, Ph.D. (University of Chicago), Professor
Areas of interest: Presidency and executive branch, Congress, public policy analysis

John Allen Williams, Ph.D. (University of Pennsylvania), Professor
Areas of interest: American foreign and defense policies, national security policy

International Studies

Patrick Boyle, Ph.D. (Princeton University), Associate Professor
Areas of interest: Comparative politics, sub-Saharan Africa, politics of development

Alexandru Grigorescu, Ph.D. (University of Pittsburgh), Assistant Professor
Areas of interest: International relations theory, international organizations, human rights

Vincent Mahler, Ph.D. (Columbia University), Professor
Areas of interest: International economic relations, comparative social policy, Western European politics, quantitative methods

Peter Sanchez, Ph.D. (University of Texas at Austin), Associate Professor
Areas of interest: Comparative politics, international relations, Latin American politics, democratization

Peter Schraeder, Ph.D. (University of South Carolina), Professor
Areas of interest: International relations theory, comparative foreign policy, politics of developing areas, especially Africa

Gunes Murat Tezcur, Ph.D. (University of Michigan), Assistant Professor
Areas of interest: Comparative politics, the Middle East, Islamist politics

John Allen Williams, Ph.D. (University of Pennsylvania), Professor
Areas of interest: American foreign and defense policies, national security policy

Political Theory

John Danford, Ph.D. (Yale University), Professor
Areas of interest: Philosophy of social science, modern political thought, the Scottish Enlightenment, classical thought

Thomas Engeman, Ph.D. (Claremont Graduate School) Associate Professor
Area of interest: American political thought

Claudio Katz, Ph.D. (York University), Professor
Areas of interest: Democratic theory, political economy, Marxism

Robert Mayer, Ph.D. (Princeton University), Professor
Areas of interest: Democratic theory, political ideologies

For more information about political science faculty, visit www.luc.edu/depts/polisci/department.htm

Application Requirements

• A $50 application fee
• A completed application form. To apply, go to www.luc.edu/gpem
• Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work
• Scores for the GRE (general examination)
• Three letters of recommendation (usually from referees familiar with the applicant's academic work)
• A statement of purpose describing academic and research interests, as well as professional goals
• Ph.D. applicants: Students wishing to apply for the Ph.D. program should contact the Graduate Program Director before applying.
• Either a TOEFL or IELTS score report is required for international applicants whose native language is not English. For the TOEFL, a score of at least 213 on the computer-based test or 550 on the written test is required. The minimum score for the new TOEFL iBT (Internet-based test) is 79. For the IELTS, a minimum score of 6.5 is required.
• International applicants, or U.S. applicants who completed school abroad, are required to submit non-U.S. transcripts to Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE). For more information, contact ECE at 414-289-3400 or visit www.ece.org

Please request a general evaluation report and have the official report sent to Loyola University Chicago, Graduate Enrollment Management, 820 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.

Application Deadlines

Fall admission: February 15 (for Ph.D. applicants seeking assistantships) or June 1

Spring admission: October 1

Deadlines and application requirements are subject to change. Visit www.luc.edu/depts/polisci/grad.htm for the most up-to-date information.

Contact Information

The application and all supporting documents must be sent to Graduate Enrollment Management at the following address:

Graduate Enrollment Management
Loyola University Chicago
820 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Phone: 312.915.8950
E-mail: GradApp@luc.edu 

For more information about the academic program, or to arrange a visit, contact:

Graduate Program Director
Department of Political Science
Loyola University Chicago
6430 N. Kenmore Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60626
Phone: 773.508.3047
www.luc.edu/depts/polisci/grad.htm