Thank you for taking a look at our graduate programs in Political Science. As someone who cares about the world and our future you are acutely aware of how important knowledge and expertise are both for analyzing and improving public policies. The global conflicts and domestic challenges we now confront highlight how important it is for policy makers and the public to have a clear understanding of the causes and effects of public policies.

Within our department, more than 25 scholars specialize in range of policy areas including welfare reform, criminal justice, privatization, international security, health care, school funding, domestic violence, and alternative dispute resolution. We also offer training in diverse methodologies and techniques of policy analysis, both quantitative and qualitative.

Our new MPA - Public Policy Concentration is a two-year degree designed for individuals who want careers as public policy advisors and analysts in government agencies, legislative committees, non-profit economic and social policy research organizations, or in the private sector as government relations specialists.

The Ph.D. in Political Science is a public policy program designed for individuals who seek careers in academia or high-level policy practitioner positions. Students in the Ph.D. specialize in two of three policy areas: domestic policy, comparative and transnational policy, and policy analysis and administration. With these resources and this greater flexibility, students are well-prepared for careers as policy analysts within government agencies or non-governmental organizations. Furthermore, students gain the broader political science course work they need to obtain teaching and research positions at colleges and universities.

A central goal of the faculty is to conduct research that is relevant and useful to policy makers in the region, the nation, and the global community. In each program, graduate students play a key role in this endeavor, serving as research assistants and engaging in collaborative projects with faculty members. This activity has been evident in the record numbers of conference papers and scholarly publications authored and co-authored by our graduate students in recent years.

Graduate students also work as teaching fellows, assisting faculty in their classroom instruction and teaching their own undergraduate courses. Graduate seminars are generally taught in the evenings to accommodate students who work off campus.

Financial support is available to students either in the form of tuition waivers or graduate assistantships. The graduate program in political science at Kent State University has established itself as a premiere location for advanced study in public policy and political science.

We offer three tracks of study: American politics and policy, transnational and comparative politics and policy, and policy analysis and administration. Comprised of nationally-recognized faculty, the program prepares students for careers in university teaching, government service, and research-based organizations.

The program is designed to produce critical thinking about how government policies impact the lives of citizens, and how citizens influence public policy. Our program thus offers a unique balanced between the traditional political science department and one with a special focus on domestic and cross-national public policy.

Individual Attention

With a carefully controlled admissions policy and more than 25 faculty members, the department offers the opportunity for close student-teacher interaction. Seminars are limited in size and most have enrollments of 10-12 students. Faculty members regularly supervise individual research courses that permit students to investigate specialized research topics on a one-to-one basis.

Research Oriented Training

The program is designed to prepare students to engage in teaching and research at universities and colleges, and conduct policy research at top public and private research organizations. From the first year onward, students become involved in collaborative research with faculty that often generates conference papers, journal publications and book chapters. Most students also present and/or publish single-authored work during their time at Kent State. The department assures funding for students to present papers at professional conferences held in other cities each year.

Professional Opportunities

The department holds regular national conferences, workshops and symposia on various policy topics such as criminal justice policies, state politics, and the democratic challenges of globalization. We are the editorial home of the journal Policy Sciences and the annual series Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change. Faculty members in the department also oversee a variety of applied research programs, including the Center for Applied Conflict Management, Ohio Employee Ownership Center, Center for Public Administration and Policy, and the Center for the Study and Development of Minority Businesses.

Faculty Excellence

Our faculty excel in teaching, research, and community service. Six of our faculty members have been recognized for their teaching excellent by winning University-wide teaching awards. Research productivity is evidenced by the more than twenty books produced by faculty since 2000 and the numerous articles published in the top political science and public policy journals.

Contact

For more information, please contact:

Professor Chris Banks, Graduate Coordinator Department of Political Science 302 Bowman Hall Kent State University Kent, Ohio 44242-0001 330.672.2060 e-mail:  cbanks6@kent.edu