American Politics
Graduate Study in American Politics
Loyola University Chicago offers M.A. and Ph.D. Programs in American Politics. Graduate students in American Politics have the opportunity to pursue studies in the subfields of Political Behavior, National Political Institutions, Judicial Politics, State and Urban Politics, and Public Policy.
The Department prides itself on the individual attention that it gives to students. Graduate students will work directly with faculty members in American Politics to develop professional skills. American Politics faculty encourage students to conduct scholarly research, participate in conferences, and publish research, both in collaboration with faculty and on their own.
The Department of Political Science has offered graduate programs, including the Ph.D. in American Politics, for more than 20 years. Students in American Politics also receive training in research design and quantitative methods and may minor in either Comparative and International Politics or Political Theory.
Degree Programs
Students interested in American Politics may pursue a Master of Arts, a joint Master of Arts/Juris Doctor, or Doctor of Philosophy program.
30 hours of coursework (10 courses), including
- 5 courses in American Politics
- 2 courses in Political Analysis (PLSC 475 & PLSC 476)
- 3 elective courses
60 hours of coursework (20 courses), including
- 6 courses in American Politics
- 4 courses in minor field (Comparative and International Politics or Political Theory)
- 2 courses in Political Analysis (PLSC 475 & PLSC 476)
- 8 elective courses (2 can be in a related discipline)
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, and U.S. Census Bureau data on population, housing, and governmental finance. 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.
Advising
Each graduate student is assigned an advisor from among the American Politics faculty, beginning a process of mentoring and collaboration. Faculty work closely with their students to insure they receive the best training and coursework in their chosen fields of study. Loyola's faculty is particularly successful at working with students on collaborative research leading to conference papers and published journal articles.
Placement
Loyola's graduate program has been notably successful in placing its graduates in university faculty positions. About ninety percent of the graduates of our program who have sought academic posts have been placed in tenure-track faculty positions.
