# Political Science, PhD (Boston)
**Source**: https://catalog.northeastern.edu/graduate/social-sciences-humanities/political-science/political-science-phd/
**Parent**: https://catalog.northeastern.edu/graduate/phdprograms/
Complete all courses and requirements listed below unless otherwise indicated.
## Milestones
Annual review\
Comprehensive examination\
Dissertation committee\
Dissertation proposal\
Dissertation proposal oral defense\
Language (as determined by committee)\
PhD candidacy\
Dissertation defense
## Core Requirements
Course List
| Code | Title | Hours |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Seminars | | |
| Complete 12 semester hours from the following (complete both field seminars in the two areas in which you wish to take the comprehensive exams): | | 12 |
| [POLS 7204](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%207204 "POLS 7204") | Seminar in Public Policy | |
| [POLS 7205](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%207205 "POLS 7205") | Seminar in American Government and Politics | |
| [POLS 7206](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%207206 "POLS 7206") | Seminar in Comparative Politics | |
| [POLS 7207](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%207207 "POLS 7207") | Seminar in International Relations | |
| Inquiry and Design | | |
| [INSH 6300](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=INSH%206300 "INSH 6300") | Research Methods in the Social Sciences | 4 |
| Quantitative Techniques | | |
| [INSH 6500](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=INSH%206500 "INSH 6500") | Statistical Analysis | 4 |
| [INSH 7400](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=INSH%207400 "INSH 7400") | Quantitative Analysis | 4 |
| Advanced methods courses from other disciplines may be chosen in consultation with your faculty advisor. | | |
## Electives
Courses from other disciplines may be chosen in consultation with your faculty advisor.
Course List
| Code | Title | Hours |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Complete 32 semester hours in the following: | | 32 |
| POLS 7200 to [POLS 7990](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%207990 "POLS 7990") | | |
## Dissertation
Course List
| Code | Title | Hours |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Exam Preparation | | |
| [POLS 8960](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%208960 "POLS 8960") | Exam Preparation—Doctoral (Only required for PhD students who have completed coursework but have yet to complete the comprehensive exam. Required for students who must maintain full-time status while completing thesis or comprehensive exam.) | |
| Research | | |
| [POLS 9986](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%209986 "POLS 9986") | Research (To be completed during the proposal/prospectus phase prior to reaching candidacy.) | |
| Dissertation | | |
| [POLS 9990](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%209990 "POLS 9990") | Dissertation Term 1 | |
| [POLS 9991](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%209991 "POLS 9991") | Dissertation Term 2 | |
| Dissertation Continuation | | |
| Following completion of [POLS 9990](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%209990 "POLS 9990") and [POLS 9991](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%209991 "POLS 9991"), registration in the following class is required in each semester (including the summer if the dissertation is submitted in the summer) until the dissertation is completed: | | |
| [POLS 9996](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%209996 "POLS 9996") | Dissertation Continuation | |
## Program Credit/GPA Requirements
56 total semester hours required\
Minimum 3.500 GPA required
Complete all courses and requirements listed below.
## Milestones
Annual review\
Comprehensive examination\
Dissertation committee\
Dissertation proposal\
Dissertation proposal oral defense\
Language (as determined by committee)\
PhD candidacy\
Dissertation defense
## Core Requirements
Consult the graduate program director regarding which major-required courses apply to your individual plan of study.
Course List
| Code | Title | Hours |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Seminar | | |
| Complete 12 semester hours from the following: 1 | | 12 |
| [POLS 7204](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%207204 "POLS 7204") | Seminar in Public Policy | |
| [POLS 7205](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%207205 "POLS 7205") | Seminar in American Government and Politics | |
| [POLS 7206](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%207206 "POLS 7206") | Seminar in Comparative Politics | |
| [POLS 7207](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%207207 "POLS 7207") | Seminar in International Relations | |
| Inquiry and Design | | |
| [INSH 6300](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=INSH%206300 "INSH 6300") | Research Methods in the Social Sciences | 4 |
| Quantitative Techniques | | |
| [INSH 6500](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=INSH%206500 "INSH 6500") | Statistical Analysis | 4 |
| or [INSH 7400](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=INSH%207400 "INSH 7400") | Quantitative Analysis | |
| [INSH 7500](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=INSH%207500 "INSH 7500") | Advanced Quantitative Analysis | 4 |
| Advanced methods courses from other disciplines may be chosen in consultation with your faculty adviser. | | |
## Electives
Course List
| Code | Title | Hours |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Complete 0-16 semester hours in the following. Courses from other disciplines may be chosen in consultation with your faculty adviser. | | 0-16 |
| POLS 7200 to [POLS 7990](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%207990 "POLS 7990") | | |
## Dissertation
Course List
| Code | Title | Hours |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Exam Preparation | | |
| [POLS 8960](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%208960 "POLS 8960") | Exam Preparation—Doctoral (Only required for PhD students who have completed coursework but have yet to complete the comprehensive exam.) | 0 |
| Research | | |
| [POLS 9986](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%209986 "POLS 9986") | Research (To be completed during the proposal/prospectus phase prior to reaching candidacy.) | 0 |
| Dissertation | | |
| [POLS 9990](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%209990 "POLS 9990") | Dissertation Term 1 | |
| [POLS 9991](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%209991 "POLS 9991") | Dissertation Term 2 | |
| Dissertation Continuation | | |
| Following completion of [POLS 9990](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%209990 "POLS 9990") and [POLS 9991](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%209991 "POLS 9991"), registration in the following class is required in each semester (including the summer if the dissertation is submitted in summer) until the dissertation is completed: | | |
| [POLS 9996](https://catalog.northeastern.edu/search/?P=POLS%209996 "POLS 9996") | Dissertation Continuation | |
## Program Credit/GPA Requirements
24-40 total semester hours required\
Minimum 3.500 GPA required
---
1 You must complete both field seminars in the two areas you wish to take the comprehensive exams in.