Graduate Program
At Notre Dame, 80% of Political Science Ph.D. degree recipients obtain full-time academic employment within two years of market entry.
At Notre Dame, 80% of Political Science Ph.D. degree recipients obtain full-time academic employment within two years of market entry. The reasons are simple: talented faculty, strength across subfields, an engaged community, and generous financial support.
Faculty Mentoring
Political Science graduate students learn from more than 45 faculty members, many of whom are nationally and internationally recognized scholars. Faculty interests are diverse, making it possible for graduate students to explore almost any area of political science and any region of the world.
Strength in All Subfields
The Department of Political Science displays areas of exceptional strength in all four of the major subfields of Political Science.
- American Politics
Students study with experts in a wide range of areas, from the empirical study of mass behavior and institutions to democratic theory and American politics. - Comparative Politics
Recent years have seen considerable expansion in Comparative Politics at Notre Dame, a subfield long recognized for its coverage of Latin America. - International Relations
International Relations at Notre Dame combines a focus in peace and conflict studies with coverage across most subfields. - Political Theory
Notre Dame offers courses in the entire history of political thought- ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary.
Intellectual Community
A number of on-campus institutes gather someof the world's foremost scholars as fellows and visiting faculty. They build intellectual community with their programming (e.g., lectures, conferences, and other events) and provide funding for faculty and student research.
- Kellogg Institute for International Studies
- The Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies
- The Nanovic Institute for European Studies
- The Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy
Generous Financial Support
Notre Dame generally provides full financial support for five years of doctoral work. In addition, Political Science graduate students find success in their applications for outside grants and for internal funding for research, travel, and conference presentations.
