Doctor of Philosophy in Security Studies

The Security Studies doctoral program is designed to produce specialists capable of analyzing and communicating security issues to policy makers, the general public, the government, and academia. Many graduates will work in military and other governmental organizations, international corporations, and agencies that deal with security. Others will seek employment in research and teaching in institutions of higher education. The PhD degree consists of 62 credit hours beyond the master's degree. A master's degree is required for admission to the program with at least 30 credit hours of master's level work (including both coursework and thesis hours). The 62 credit hours consist of 17 credit hours of required courses, 15 credit hours of restricted electives, 12 hours of unrestricted electives (including courses offered in other departments, research, independent study, and internship), and a minimum of 18 credit hours of dissertation work. Doctoral students in the Security Studies PhD program may apply to the Political Science MA, Security Studies Master's Along the Way Track to earn a second master's degree after successfully completing 30 credit hours in the PhD program. The Master Along the Way degree includes 5 doctoral core courses (15 credit hours), 4 (12 credit hours) restricted electives of which at least 3 credit hours must be a research methods course, and a minimum of 3 directed research credits. Students must produce a research paper during the directed research course. There is no thesis option for this track. Students must be in good academic standing as defined by the PhD in Security Studies Handbook.

An earned master’s degree or it’s equivalent in Political Science, International Politics or International Relations, or related discipline. The Graduate Program Director will evaluate the suitability and applicability of MA degrees in other disciplines for admission purposes. The GRE is not required for admission to this program. Three letters of reference that evaluate the applicant’s academic performance and their suitability and potential for undertaking doctoral study, at least one of which must be written by a faculty member at the institution where the master’s degree was earned, preferably the thesis adviser for those applicants who wrote a master’s thesis. A personal statement of 500 words identifying areas of research interest in political science, faculty with whom they would like to work, and describing the applicant’s academic and professional experiences and future career goals. A writing sample of the applicant’s work that is at least 2500 words long and demonstrates the ability to complete graduate-level research. Résumé. Applicants applying to this program who have attended a college/university outside the United States must provide one official transcript and official certification of degree, with date awarded. If you will be requesting transfer credit, a course-by-course evaluation from World Education Services (WES) or Josef Silny and Associates, Inc. must be submitted. Applicants’ records will be reviewed on an individual basis for academic deficiencies and evaluated to assess their potential for success in the program. Supplemental course work may be recommended. Consult the graduate program director whenever questions arise. A department admissions committee that reviews the applicants’ credentials will conduct interviews with the top candidates (either in-person on campus or by phone or Skype).