Ph.D. in Political Science
Franklin awards the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) on the basis of scholarly achievement as part of a structured doctoral program. Requirements include coursework, the dissertation, the thesis defense, and the publication of the dissertation.
The Ph.D. in Political Science at Franklin is designed to prepare scholars to conduct rigorous research in political science while developing interdisciplinary competence and teaching expertise in an international liberal arts environment.
The following requirements apply specifically to the Ph.D. in Political Science and must be read in conjunction with the General Ph.D. Program Policies. These requirements address the structure, coursework, and dissertation expectations unique to the discipline while upholding the standards set for all doctoral programs at Franklin.
The Ph.D. in Political Science is awarded under Swiss higher education regulations and is recognized as a Swiss-accredited doctoral degree. It is not recognized by U.S. accrediting bodies.
Program of Study (12 ECTS Credits)
The Ph.D. in Political Science requires:
- 12 ECTS of coursework as described below
- any additional coursework required by the Doctoral Committee
- the completion and defense of the Ph.D. dissertation with a grade of 4 or higher
Students complete 12 ECTS credits of structured activities in four categories:
- Thesis-Related Activities (4 ECTS credits): Research proposal, internal presentation, progress report, and conference presentation
- Political Science Competencies (3 ECTS credits): Methodological or substantive courses (at least 2 ECTS credits at the doctoral level)
- Interdisciplinary Competencies (3 ECTS credits): Courses in areas such as philosophy of science, research ethics, or languages (at least 2 ECTS credits at the doctoral level)
- Pedagogical Competencies (2 ECTS credits): Teaching pedagogy course and supervised teaching experience
Additional Coursework:
Depending on academic preparation, the Doctoral Committee may require up to three additional courses.
- Any required additional coursework will be recorded in the Ph.D. Agreement and will become mandatory components of the student’s academic plan.
- No required additional coursework can be substituted for the 12 ECTS credits requirements in the Program of Study.
- All required additional coursework will be recorded in the student’s academic plan as 0 (zero) ECTS credits and will appear as such on the student’s transcript.
Research Proposal
By the end of Year 1, candidates submit and present a research proposal including:
- Research question and objectives
- Literature review
- Methodology and data sources
- Timeline with milestones
- Expected contributions and feasibility
Dissertation
The dissertation must represent an independent contribution to research and be written in English unless an exception is granted. Two formats are permitted:
- Monograph: Sole-authored scholarly work
- Cumulative Dissertation: A collection of at least three related peer-reviewed articles plus introduction and conclusion; requirements include:
- One article must be solely authored by the candidate.
- Candidate must be the lead/principal author on a second article.
- Only one article may include a committee member as co-author.
- A declaration of contributions and confirmation of data rights must be appended.