Dr. Michael Zilis
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Political Science
michael.zilis@uky.eduThe University of Kentucky has a distinguished history of research and educational achievement. And the Political Science Department has a long tradition of excellent scholarship, effective teaching, and training graduate students to become leading scholars in the discipline.The graduate program trains students to be both excellent teachers and leading scholars. Our recent placement record has been excellent, with students obtaining positions at schools such as the University of Rhode Island, the University of Nebraska-Kearney, the University of South Carolina, and Auburn University.
The M.A. degree may be earned under either of two plans: Plan A requires at least 24 hours of course work and a thesis; Plan B requires at least 30 hours of course work and examination in three fields of political science, or in two fields of political science and one outside field. Under either plan, the student must take at least two-thirds of the required semester hours in political science, and at least half of the political science work must be in courses open only to graduate students. A candidate for the Plan B master’s degree must pass a foreign language requirement or an analytical skills requirement.
The Ph.D. program is divided into a general phase and a specialized phase. Entering students spend their first year in the general phase, which includes proseminars in methodology and in at least four major fields of political science. Students who have previously taken graduate work may be exempt from some of these proseminars. At the end of the first year of graduate work, the student is evaluated by a departmental committee which determines whether the general phase has been satisfactorily completed.
Applicants must meet the Graduate School admission requirements.
Fall: January 15
Dr. Michael Zilis
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Political Science
michael.zilis@uky.eduCollege of Arts & Sciences
Department of Political Science
1615 Patterson Office Tower
Lexington, KY 40506-0027
