Pursue a Ph.D. or M.A. in Political Science at the CUNY Graduate Center

The Graduate Center’s Ph.D. and M.A. Program in Political Science is training a new generation of scholars to conduct cutting-edge scholarship, to contribute to knowledge about the political world, and to embark on rewarding careers in academia as well as in government, nonprofits, and think tanks.

Our program includes over 55 faculty, who conduct innovative research and teach courses on a wide range of important political phenomena. In addition to offering five concentrations—American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, and Public Policy—there is ample opportunity for interdisciplinary study, for training in writing for general audiences, and for taking courses at the other leading New York-area universities (Ph.D. students only).

Our workshops, colloquia, journals, and affiliated research centers, such as the Center for Urban Research, the Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality, and the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, contribute to the Program’s vibrant intellectual community, bringing together students and faculty to discuss innovative scholarship and current political issues, and to nurture vital career skills.

The Graduate Center’s location in the heart of Manhattan allows students to participate in opportunities unique to New York City. Home to the United Nations, policy research institutes, nonprofit organizations, and the heart of one of the world’s most diverse and dynamic cities, there is nothing quite like studying politics in New York.

Master’s Program

Our M.A. graduates go on to have successful careers in government agencies, nonprofits, media, think tanks, political campaigns, and the private sector, and pursue further study in Ph.D. programs. Master’s students take courses alongside doctoral students, and contribute to the vibrant, close-knit, international, and diverse intellectual community of the Political Science program. Full-time or part-time enrollment is available for M.A. students with many courses offered in the evening. All M.A. applicants will be considered automatically for Dean’s Merit Scholarships. For more information, see www.gc.cuny.edu/mascholarships.

Doctoral Program

Our Ph.D. graduates teach and conduct their research at leading public and private universities around the world including UCLA, Rutgers University, Washington University, and The New School. Our recent graduates have secured postdocs at Columbia University, The University of Pennsylvania, Boston University, Mellon/ACLS, and SSRC. Doctoral students also enter the job market with a competitive skill set for careers outside academia, including government agencies, NGOs, funding agencies, publishers, and private corporations. Two-thirds of our Ph.D students receive full funding for five years, and virtually all receive full tuition fellowships.

Learn More

For applications, deadlines, and additional information about the admissions process, visit the Graduate Center’s Admissions page and the Political Science Program’s Admissions page,  or contact us with questions at: psadmissions@gc.cuny.edu.