boston college phd political science

Boston College Doctorate in Political Science

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Boston college doctorate student diversity for poly sci, male-to-female ratio.

None of the students who received their Doctorate in poly sci in 2019-2020 were women.

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Of those students who received a doctor’s degree at Boston College in poly sci at 2019-2020, none were racial-ethnic minorities*.

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Chestnut Hill, MA

Department of Political Science / Department of Political Science is located in Chestnut Hill, MA, in a suburban setting.

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17 Best Political Science schools in Boston, MA

Updated: February 29, 2024

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Below is a list of best universities in Boston ranked based on their research performance in Political Science. A graph of 2.17M citations received by 89K academic papers made by 17 universities in Boston was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Boston University

For Political Science

2. Boston College

3. Northeastern University

4. University of Massachusetts - Boston

5. Suffolk University

6. Fisher College

7. Simmons University

8. Emerson College

9. MGH Institute of Health Professions

10. Bay State College

11. Emmanuel College

12. MCPHS University

13. New England Law - Boston

14. Wentworth Institute of Technology

15. New England College of Optometry

16. Berklee College of Music

17. Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Universities for Political Science near Boston

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences subfields in Boston

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Thoughts on the Political Science Department?

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Does anyone here have thoughts on the BC Poli Sci Department? I'm a Poli Sci major, and in the past couple years I've developed very mixed feelings about the department. For those of you who are majors or have taken Poli Sci courses, how do you feel about it?

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Our undergraduate majors go on to pursue varied, interesting careers in policy and advocacy, consulting and think tanks, law and government, teaching, and many also pursue postgraduate study in doctoral programs, law school, and social work.

Graduates of our Ph.D. program pursue careers in the traditional areas of research and teaching but also in government service, public policy, and consulting.

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Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT announces 2024-25 fellows

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The Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT (KSJ) will welcome 12 fellows in August. In addition to 10 Academic-Year Fellows, KSJ welcomes the inaugural Fellow for Advancing Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East, and co-hosts a Sharon Begley Fellow with Boston-based publication STAT .

The Knight Science Journalism Program, established at MIT in 1983, is the world’s leading science journalism fellowship program. Fellows come to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to explore science, technology, and the craft of journalism in depth.

The class of 2025 represents the expansive media environment of today’s journalism. Together, the group has award-winning experience in a wide array of journalistic media, reaching the public through podcasts, documentaries, photographs, books, YouTube, TV, and radio.

“It is a privilege to welcome journalists to our programs who are so deeply aware of the importance of quality science coverage, who are eager to improve their craft, and who will continue to contribute positively to the public understanding of science once they leave here,” says Deborah Blum, KSJ director.

The fellows will spend their time in Cambridge studying at MIT and other leading research universities in the Boston area. They’ll also attend seminars by leading scientists and storytellers, take part in hands-on classes and workshops, and visit world-renowned research laboratories. Each journalist will also pursue an independent research project, focused on a topic of their choice, that advances science journalism in the public interest.

“Many of the biggest headlines of our era derive from science and technology — and the way we apply it to the world around us,” says Blum. “Our fellowship program recognizes the dedication and understanding required for stories that do justice to these issues. We bring fellows to MIT to provide them with an opportunity to enrich and deepen that understanding.”

Fabiana Cambricoli is an award-winning Brazilian journalist based in São Paulo, working as a senior health correspondent for Estadão newspaper, with a focus on in-depth and investigative stories. Before that, she contributed to major media outlets like Grupo Folha and was a fellow at ProPublica. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in public health from the University of São Paulo, receiving over 10 awards and grants for her work. Cambricoli’s reporting uncovered government negligence during epidemics, highlighted health disparities, and investigated funding behind scientific disinformation. She also co-founded Fiquem Sabendo, a nonprofit promoting transparency and supporting journalists in accessing public information.

Emily Foxhall is the climate reporter at The Texas Tribune , where she focuses on the clean energy transition and threats from climate change. She joined the Tribune in 2022 after two years at The Los Angeles Time s and its community papers and seven years at The Houston Chronicle , where she covered the suburbs, Texas features, and the environment. She has won multiple Texas Managing Editors awards, including for community service journalism, and was part of the team named a 2018 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for coverage of Hurricane Harvey. She is a Yale University graduate.

Ahmad Gamal Saad-Eddin is a science journalist based in Egypt. He graduated from the faculty of medicine at Zagazig University in Egypt, and worked as a psychiatrist before leaving medicine and beginning a career in science journalism, first as a head of the science section in Manshoor.com, then as an editor at Nature Arabic Edition . He is currently working as a script writer and the fact-checker of “El-Daheeh,” the leading science YouTube show in the Arab region. His writings have also appeared in several outlets including Scientific American Arabic Edition and Almanassa News . His main writing interest is the interaction between science, its history, and the human experience.

Bryce Hoye is a journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He covers a range of topics, from courts and crime to climate, conservation, and more. His stories appear on TV, radio, and online, and he has guest-hosted CBC Manitoba’s “Weekend Morning Show” and “Radio Noon.” He has produced national documentaries for CBC Radio, including for the weekly science program “Quirks & Quarks.” He has won several Radio Television Digital News Association national and regional awards. He previously worked in wildlife biology monitoring birds for several field seasons with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Jori Lewis writes narrative nonfiction that explores how people interact with their environments. Her reports and essays have been published in The Atlantic Magazine , Orion Magazine , and Emergence Magazine , among others, and she is a senior editor of Adi Magazine , a literary magazine of global politics. In 2022, she published her first book, “Slaves for Peanuts: A Story of Conquest, Liberation, and a Crop That Changed History,” which was supported by the prestigious Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant and a Silvers Grant for Work in Progress. It also won a James Beard Media Award and the Harriet Tubman Prize.

Yarden Michaeli is a journalist serving as the science and climate editor of Haaretz , Israel’s sole paper of record. During his 10 years as a writer, reporter, and editor at Haaretz , he became best known for editing the newspaper’s science vertical during the Covid-19 pandemic and founding its climate desk. Among other things, Yarden served as Haaretz ’s first reporter on the ground during the war in Ukraine, covered the war in Gaza, and was dispatched to report on the forefront of the climate crisis during storm Daniel in Greece. Yarden was born in Israel and he is based in Tel Aviv. He has a bachelor’s degree in American studies and economy from the Humboldt University in Berlin and he is a member of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network.

Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi is a two-time winner of the CNN Africa photojournalist award. He is currently with the Associated Press in Zimbabwe. Previously, he was the chief photographer at the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe. With an eye for detail and a passion for multi-format storytelling, he has managed to capture the essence of humanity in his photographs across Africa, Europe, and Asia. He instilled his dedication to his craft and hard work in other photojournalists in his past teaching role with the Norwegian Friedskorp, World Press Foundation in the Netherlands, the Pathshala Institute in South-East Asia, and in his pioneering gender and images work with SAMSO across the southern and East African region.

Aaron Scott  is an award-winning multimedia journalist and the creator of the podcast Timber Wars, which was the first audio work to win the MIT Knight Science Journalism Program’s Victor K. McElheny Award, along with the National Headliner Award for Best Narrative Podcast and others. Most recently, he was a host of NPR’s science podcast “Short Wave.” Before that, he spent several years exploring the natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest as a reporter/producer for Oregon Public Broadcasting’s television show “Oregon Field Guide.” His stories have appeared on NPR, Radiolab, This American Life , Outside Podcast, Reveal, and elsewhere.

Evan Urquhart is a freelance journalist whose work has focused on science and medical questions relating to the transgender community. Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, his stories have appeared on Slate , Politico , the Atlantic , Vanity Fair , and many other outlets nationwide. In 2022, Evan founded Assigned Media, a news site devoted to fact-checking misinformation relating to trans issues. He has appeared as an expert on propaganda and misinformation relating to trans issues on radio shows and podcasts including NPR’s “St. Louis on the Air,” Slate ’s “Outward,” The American Prospect ’s “Left Anchor,” “What the Trans?,” and “It Could Happen Here.”

Jane Zhang is a technology reporter and the China representative of Bloomberg’s global AI squad based in Hong Kong. Over the years she has covered the Chinese internet and Beijing’s tensions with the United States over tech supremacy before jumping feet-first into reporting China’s historical crackdown on its largest corporations, including Alibaba. She has won awards for extensive on-the-ground reporting and exclusive interviews with industry heavyweights like Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei. Her current focus is on covering the incipient AI technology and the regulations around it. Zhang holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Hong Kong.

Sharon Muzaki joins KSJ as the 2024 recipient of the  Fellowship for Advancing Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East . She has been with UGStandard Media since 2019, reporting on the environment and climate change in Uganda. Muzaki graduated from Makerere University in 2019 with a degree in journalism and communication. While working for UGStandard Media, she has attended numerous trainings at the Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications, honing skills in storytelling, data journalism, and mobile storytelling. Muzaki will be the first recipient of the Africa and Middle East Fellowship. The fall semester fellowship, created in honor of the pioneering Egyptian science journalist Mohammed Yahia, is funded by Springer Nature. It is designed to enrich the training of a journalist working in Africa or the Middle East so they can contribute to a culture of high-quality science and health journalism in those regions.

Anil Oza is co-hosted by KSJ and Boston-based publication STAT as the 2024-25  Sharon Begley Science Reporting Fellow . Oza earned a bachelor’s degree in science from Cornell University, where he reported for the campus newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun . Oza has interned at Nature , Science News , and NPR’s “Short Wave.” Oza also interned at STAT during summer 2023, helping produce the health-equity-focused podcast, “Color Code.” Oza will be the fifth recipient of the Sharon Begley Fellowship. This fellowship pays tribute to Sharon Begley’s outstanding career while paving the way for the next generation of science journalists and fostering better coverage of science that is relevant to all people.

More than 400 leading science journalists from six continents have graduated from the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT. KSJ also publishes an award-winning science magazine,  Undark , and offers programming to journalists on topics ranging from science editing to fact-checking.

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Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy & Technology

Cmu's home for political science and international relations.

Bachelor of Science in International Relations and Political Science (BS IRPS)

The Bachelor of Science in International Relations and Political Science (IRPS) is for students who want to learn how to think systematically and develop foundational knowledge about international and domestic politics. It is an interdisciplinary major that is rooted firmly in political science and draws on strengths and insights from decision science, economics, history, modern languages, and other fields. BS IRPS students wrestle with a wide range of issues including the future of democracy, the relationship between technology and politics, the drivers of war and peace, domestic politics across countries, and the formulation of effective foreign policies. IRPS graduates embark on a variety of careers in government, law, public policy, intelligence, national defense, consulting, international development, and more.

International Relations and Political Science is available as a primary major, additional major, and minor . *

*Prior to Summer 2023, the Bachelor of Science in International Relations and Political Science (IRPS) was the Bachelor of Science in International Relations and Politics (IRP).

Degree Rationale

Core disciplinary courses for the IRPS major establish a strong foundation in the study of political science and enable students to better understand the workings of political institutions, political behavior across countries, the decision-making of political leaders, the making national and international policy, and prevailing challenges to the international system, among other topics.

Core methodology courses train IRPS students in the social science tools and communications skills needed to analyze and write persuasively about international relations and politics. Students pursuing an IRPS major learn to use a wide range of analytic tools including statistics and data science, qualitative analysis, game theory, and behavioral decision-making models as they study politics and strategy. Students also learn how to effectively communicate their analyses to affect public policy.

A rich set of electives allows students to investigate issues in security and technology, grand strategy and national security, cybersecurity and international conflict, military strategy and doctrine, the politics of key regions of the world, international political economy and economic policy, representation and voting rights, climate change and development, repression and human rights, international law and diplomacy, political psychology and public opinion, and social change and revolution. 

Recognizing the importance of language and culture in understanding politics and international relations, students are required to complete the intermediate (200) level, or its equivalent, in a modern language other than English. Advanced-level study is strongly encouraged.

Open to all Carnegie Mellon undergraduates, the Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program (CMU/WSP)  is an experiential learning program that allows students to study politics and public policy while also interning in Washington, DC, for one semester. Courses taken through CMU/WSP count toward the policy seminar core requirement and electives for the IRPS major.

Double Counting: Students may double count a maximum of four courses with another major or minor.

Curriculum (141-147 units)- 2023 undergraduate catalog and beyond

Requirements for the 2022 undergraduate catalog and prior (pdf). 

Disciplinary Core Courses (42-48 units):

Students must complete all of the following disciplinary core courses.

Methodology Core Courses (36 units):

Students must complete all of the following methodology core courses.

Language Requirement

Students are required to complete a course at the Intermediate II level or higher of a modern language other than English. Advanced level study is strongly encouraged. Students who successfully pass a language placement exam on campus, at the intermediate II level or higher, are required to take an advanced language course to satisfy the language requirement.

Electives (54 Units)

Students must complete 54 units (usually six courses) from the elective lists below. At least four courses (36 units) must be taken from the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy & Technology (84-xxx). Most courses listed below are 9-unit courses, but some are fewer. When students choose courses offered for fewer than 9 units, they must remember that a minimum of 54 units is still required and thus plan to take one or more additional courses to fill out that minimum number. In other words, the key requirement is the number of  units  (54), not the number of courses.

*Denotes courses taught in Washington, DC, through the Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program (CMU/WSP).

For More Information

To discuss or declare the major in International Relations and Political Science contact CMIST Deputy Director, Emily Half. 

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An undergraduate major in Political Science provides a foundation for careers in politics, public administration, international service, law, business, and journalism, as well as a foundation for graduate work and teaching in the social sciences.

The Political Science major at Boston College consists of:

• 10 courses (30 credits)
• 2 introductory courses
• 1 course in each of the four subfields of political science: American Politics; Comparative Politics; International Politics; and Political Theory
• 4 electives from any of the subfields

Honors Program

• Introductory Sequence
• Beyond Intro Courses

Degree Requirements

Course offerings, the introductory sequence.

With some exceptions as noted below under Qualifications, Exceptions, and Special Rules, all majors must take one of the following introductory courses: Fundamental Concepts of Politics (POLI 1041) or How to Rule the World (POLI 1021). After taking one of these two courses, students will be able to choose from among Introduction to Modern Politics (POLI 1042); Introduction to American Politics (POLI 1061); Introduction to International Politics (POLI 1081); or Introduction to Comparative Politics (POLI 1091).

NB: It is not essential to take Fundamental Concepts of Politics or How to Rule the World before Introduction to Modern Politics, Introduction to American Politics, Introduction to Comparative Politics, or Introduction to International Politics; nor is it essential to take either or both of the introductory courses in the freshman year. Many students do not begin their major until the sophomore year, and they have no difficulty finishing it on time. Students who scored a 4 or 5 on either of the AP exams in Government and Politics (American or Comparative) may place out of the requirement for the second introductory course (but not the first). It will still be necessary to take 10 courses (30 credits) in the major. You will need to get a form from the Office of Student Services signed by the Director of Undergraduate Studies in order for this waiver to be reflected on your Degree Audit.

The introductory curriculum in political science is not like that in other majors, such as economics or the natural sciences. Ours does not present a single curriculum that all students are expected to know before moving on to higher-level courses. Rather, the introductory curriculum is designed to expose students to the study of politics in a variety of ways. For example, each faculty member who teaches POLI 1041 Fundamental Concepts has his or her own particular style of doing so.

There is, however, some common ground. 1041 Fundamental Concepts and 1021 How to Rule the World, usually taught in the Fall, are devoted principally to a study of some of the classic texts in political theory. 1042 Introduction to Modern Politics, 1061 Introduction to American Politics, 1081 Introduction to International Politics, and 1091 Introduction to Comparative Politics, all emphasize philosophical, conceptual, and analytical foundations for understanding their substantive domains. Critical dialogue—in the classroom and in some cases, in discussion sections—is central to the way these introductory courses are taught.

Some introductory courses—POLI 1061 and similar courses to be offered in the future—are open to non-majors as well as majors, and satisfy the University Core Social Science requirement. The latter is also true of POLI 1041 and POLI 1042.

To summarize: Students will be required to take two introductory courses: Fundamental Concepts or How to Rule the World; and one additional course from the introductory list: Introduction to Modern Politics (POLI 1042); Introduction to American Government (POLI 1061); Introduction to International Politics (POLI 1081); and (POLI 1091) Introduction to Comparative Politics.

Beyond the Introductory Courses

Students go directly from introductory courses into upper-level electives. These electives do not have to be taken in any particular order, and the course numbers do not indicate a preferred sequence or level of difficulty. The second number indicates the category in which the courses fall: courses with a “3” in the second digit are in American Politics; courses with “4” in the second digit are in Comparative Politics; courses with “5” in the second digit are in International Politics; and courses with “6” in the second digit are in Political Theory. Students must take eight courses (24 credits) beyond the introductory courses, and at least one course (3 credits) must be taken in each of the four subfields: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Politics, and Political Theory. All courses (credits) that do not fulfill the subfield or introductory requirements will be counted as electives in the major. The subfield requirements must be satisfied by courses taken (credits earned) in the department; courses taken (credits earned) abroad or transferred from other institutions may be used to fulfill elective requirements, or the second introductory course. To fulfill the major, at least six courses (18 credits) of the ten courses (30 credits) required must be taken at Boston College.

There is a considerable variety in these elective offerings, because each faculty member has a rotating set of courses and usually teaches four of these each year. There are approximately 100 courses open to undergraduates over a four-year period. Some of these courses are seminars, which meet once a week, and are usually limited to 19 members so that there is much more opportunity for sustained and intense analysis of texts and problems than there is in a conventional lecture/discussion format. With the exception of the special Sophomore Seminars, seminars are open only to juniors and seniors.

The amount of work required in all of our courses is generally high. Clarity of thought and writing are two sides of the same skill, and for this reason, our courses place special emphasis on writing skills. In addition, most courses encourage classroom discussion on a regular basis, so that students may be graded on their participation in class as well as on their writing and exams.

Fields and Electives

Two introductory courses (six introductory credits) including, Fundamental Concepts of Politics (POLI 1041) or How to Rule the World (POLI 1021) and one course 3 credits from the list of other introductory offerings: Introduction to Modern Politics (POLI 1042); Introduction to American Politics (POLI 1061); Introduction to International Politics (POLI 1081), or Introduction to Comparative Politics (POLI 1091).

At least one course (3 credits) in each of the four subfields of Political Science: American Politics (POLI X3XX), Comparative Politics (POLI X4XX), International Politics (POLI X5XX), and Political Theory (POLI X6XX), for a total of four subfield courses (12 subfield credits).

Four electives (12 credits) from among any courses offered by the department that are not introductory courses.

NB: POLI 1021 (How to Rule the World) may also satisfy the subfield requirement in Political Theory. It may not , however, satisfy the Introductory requirement and the Political Theory subfield requirement at the same time.

Note: Courses designated as POLI X200-X299 count as electives toward the major but do not fulfill any of the four subfield distributional requirements. Courses numbered POLI 7700 and above are graduate courses.

Qualifications, Exceptions, and Special Rules

Introductory courses do not have to be taken in any particular sequence, and students entering the major late may have to take one of the “second” Introductory courses before Fundamental Concepts or How to Rule the World.

Students who join the major after their sophomore year are not required to take Fundamental Concepts or other Introductory courses. With department permission, they may substitute other courses (credits) for the standard introductory courses (credits) (POLI 1021, 1041, 1042, 1061, 1081, 1091). Students who have scored at least a 4 on the American Government or Comparative Government AP exams may place out of the second introductory course (1042, 1061, 1081, 1091). In either of these cases, students will still need to take ten courses (30 credits) and will need to see the director of undergraduate studies in order to get this waiver recorded on their degree audits.

There are courses in Political Science offered in the Woods College of Advancing Studies (WCAS). These courses may only be used to fulfill elective requirement in the major, and only with the prior approval of the Department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies. As a general rule, the Department will only approve for major credit WCAS courses taught by regular faculty or teaching fellows in the Political Science department.

Students may transfer up to four courses (12 credits) from other institutions, including foreign study programs. But in no case may a student earn a degree in Political Science without taking at least six courses (24 credits) in the department. Transfer credits and foreign-study credits may not be used to satisfy the four subfield distributional requirements.

Note: Even after the University has accepted a transfer or a foreign study course (credits) for your MCA&S requirements, you will still need to see the Director of Undergraduate Studies or one of the Foreign Study Advisors for special forms to move those classes (credits) into the appropriate categories on your Degree Audit.

Student Services course information and schedule is limited to members of the BC community, so you must authenticate by logging on to Agora Portal (portal.bc.edu). Select EagleApps Course Information and Schedule to view courses.

Sample readings

Plato, The Republic; Protagoras; Meno William Shakespeare, Richard III, Coriolanus, Julius Caesar Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America Xenophon, The Education of. Cyrus Nicolo Machiavelli, The Prince John Locke, The Second Treatise J. J. Rousseau, On the Social Contract J. S. Mill, On Liberty Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto Sigmund Freud, Why War? Eric Hoffer, The True Believer Robert Conquest, The Great Terror F. Dostoevsky, “The Grand Inquisitor” Arthur Koestler, Darkness at Noon Abraham Lincoln, “Lyceum Address” Robert Alter, The David Story: A Translation with Commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel . Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth Booker T. Washington, “The Atlanta Exposition Address” W.E. B. Dubois, “Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others” Cornel West, “The Ignoble Paradox of Modernity” William Allen, The Nazi Seizure of Power Robert Art & Robert Jervis, International Politics Henry Kissinger, Diplomacy

Aristotle, Politics Bertrand de Jouvenel, The Pure Theory of Politics Paul Johnson, Churchill David Frum, The Right Man: An Inside Account of the Bush White House Robert Dahl, How Democratic is the American Constitution? Publius, The Federalist , Nos. 10, 51, 84 Edmund Burke, “Speech to the Electors of Bristol” Milton Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom Hugh Heclo, On Thinking Institutionally Melissa Lane, The Birth of Politics Melissa Schwartzberg, Counting the Many: The Origins and Limits of Supermajority Rule E. E. Schattschneider, The Semi-Sovereign People Jan Muller, What is Populism? Saul Alinsky, Rules for Radicals Albert O. Hirschman, Exit, Voice, and Loyalty: Responses to Decline in Firms, Organizations and States Martin Diamond, “The Declaration and the Constitution: Liberty, Democracy, and the Founders” Henry David Thoreau, “Civil Disobedience” Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Herbert Storing, “The Case Against Civil Disobedience” Articles of Confederation The United States Constitution

Political Science Department McGuinn Hall 201 617-552-4160 (phone)

617-552-2435 (fax)