Graduate

Overview

The Department provides graduate training leading to the Master of Arts and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees. All of our Graduate Students receive training in the broad discipline, across the following subfields:

American Politics

Politics in the United States, with an emphasis on political institutions, political behavior, and the judicial system as well as policy and urban politics.

Comparative Politics

Seeks to explain similarities and differences in political processes in countries around the world. Comparativists study a diverse range of topics such as political institutions, mass behavior, public opinion, policymaking, economic development, democratization, and autocracy.

International Relations

Applies a theoretical approach to world politics as well as the study of global security, conflict, international political economies, international law and international institutions.

Political Theory

Examines the conditions and foundations of politics, with specific attention to questions of power and authority, identity and community, inequality and injustice. By attending to the histories, practices, ideologies and techniques of power, it encourages critical analysis of concepts such as representation, democracy, nation-states, the economy, and legitimacy.

Why join our community of scholars to earn your MA or PhD at UWM?

World-Renowned Faculty

Our faculty members cover every region of the globe and every subfield in political science and are leading researchers in their fields.

Strong Quantitative Training

Students are trained in a mix of research methodologies, with an emphasis on a broad range of quantitative methods prominent in political science. Our students are well-prepared for a number of career opportunities post-graduation, including data science, policy analysis, and academia

Mentorship and Professional Socialization

Our faculty members are active scholars and researchers who frequently coauthor with students on papers and participate in numerous events and colloquia both within the department and nationally/internationally.

Strong Placement Record

New PhDs are routinely placed in tenure-track positions or in high-level analyst positions, while our MA graduates go on to work in government, non-profits, national security, and data science.

Geographically Diverse Student Population

Our students hail from across the U.S. and around the globe.

We hope you will join us for your graduate studies!