GUIDE TO GRADUATE ADMISSION
AND DEGREE REQUIREMENTS 2003-2004

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE MIAMI UNIVERSITY

The purpose of this guide is to assist you in understanding and fulfilling the graduate admission and degree requirements of the Department of Political Science. The Department offers graduate degree programs leading to the Master of Arts (M.A.), the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.), and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). Any questions or problems that you have relating to these requirements should be brought to the attention of your adviser or the Director of Graduate Studies. It is your responsibility to obtain in writing from the Director of Graduate Studies any waiver or special interpretation of these requirements.

Requirements for Admission to the Master of Arts (M.A.) Program
Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree

Requirements for Admission to the Master of Arts Teaching Program
Requirements for the Master of Arts in Teaching Degree

Requirements for Admission to the Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.) Program
Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO THE MASTER OF ARTS (M.A.) PROGRAM.

I. The General Admission Requirements of the Graduate School:

To obtain regular graduate standing at the Master's level, you must have:

A. A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

B. A 2.75 undergraduate grade point average (4.00 scale) in all coursework, or a 3.00 grade point average in all coursework taken during the last four (4) semesters (or equivalent) at the institution awarding the baccalaureate degree. In addition, applicants with prior graduate study must have a 3.00 in that work. Transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work are required. If you do not meet the minimum grade point average requirement, you may be admitted on conditional standing upon obtaining satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examination Aptitude Test and upon presenting information on employment or other experience related to your graduate study career objective and potential as a graduate student. If admitted conditionally, you must earn regular standing by obtaining a minimum grade point average of 3.00 at the end of the semester in which you complete the first 12 semester credit hours of graduate study.

II. Department Admission Requirements.

In addition to the general Graduate School admission requirements, as an applicant for admission to the master's degree program in political science, you must meet the following departmental qualifications:

A. Completion of at least 18 undergraduate semester credit hours (27 quarter hours or the equivalent thereof) in political science, or at least 12 semester hours in political science and 12 semester hours (or the equivalent thereof) in the other social sciences. The required undergraduate credit hours must include an introductory course in political science or the American political system. The Department may admit you to regular or conditional standing if you do not meet this requirement, providing you have training and/or experience which justify waiving it. If your undergraduate training does not meet these requirements or does not include adequate background, you may be required to take additional work as a pre-requisite or co-requisite to the normal degree requirements.

B. A grade point average of at least 3.00 (of a possible 4.00) in undergraduate course work in political science, or in political science and the other social sciences if your undergraduate training only includes limited work in political science. Where this requirement is not met but other factors indicate a clear potential for success in graduate study in political science, exceptions may be made to this requirement.

C. Submission of three (3) letters of recommendation from undergraduate professors of political science or others qualified to evaluate your potential successfully to do graduate work in political science.

D. Submission of scores on the Graduate Record Examination General Test. The Advanced Test in Political Science is not required. In cases where a substantial hardship would occur for a prospective student as a result of compliance with this requirement, an exemption may be requested. Note that if your cumulative grade point average is below 2.75 (of a possible 4.00), the Graduate School also requires that you take the GRE General Test.

E. Submission of a letter or statement addressed to the Director of Graduate Studies in which you briefly but informatively describe your career objective in seeking to pursue graduate study in political science and the field(s) of major interest in political science on which you plan to focus your graduate study. You might also wish to include in your letter or statement (or in a resume) information about employment and other experience related to your graduate study career objective and potential as a graduate student.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE

I. The Administration of the Graduate Program.

The administration of the graduate program requires the following:

A. Assignment to an Adviser. Upon arrival on campus, you should consult with the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee of the Department who, in accordance with your preferences, fields of interest and career goals, will assign you to an adviser.

B. Consultation with Adviser. Although you are personally responsible for understanding and meeting the requirements for your degree, your adviser and the other members of the faculty are available to you for whatever assistance and advice you require. After assignment to an adviser, you should consult with him or her and complete a graduate student record folder and plan of graduate study.

C. Record Folder. You are required to complete a record folder which may be obtained in the department office and is to be kept there. It is your responsibility to bring the information in the folder up to date periodically. You may obtain your folder for review and updating only from the Director of Graduate Studies. If your folder is not in order, you will not be permitted to take your examinations. These folders are referred to by members of the staff for a variety of purposes, including periodic departmental reviews of your status and progress, and inquiries by the Graduate School and prospective employers.

D. Plan of Graduate Study. In consultation with your adviser, you are to develop a coherent plan of graduate study in which you specify your major academic interests, the courses you expect to take, and a tentative calendar of progress towards your degree. As you specify these courses, you should keep in mind the topics or areas in which you will prepare your research tutorial (POL 695), described in section VI below, and whether or not you will be continuing on to doctoral work. This plan is a part of the record folder. Any changes in the plan should have the approval of your adviser and be noted in your folder.

E. Registration. Your adviser will assist you in registering for courses.

F. Grading of Graduate Students. Each professor will submit, at the end of each academic term, a short written qualitative evaluation to the Director of Graduate Studies for each graduate student that takes his or her seminar or independent research and reading for grade. These evaluations will be placed in the student's file and the student has the right, and is expected, to read the evaluations and discuss them with the respective professors.

G. Incompletes. It is the strong recommendation of the faculty that graduate students avoid taking incompletes. When work in seminars and independent research and readings cannot be completed before the end of the semester and a grade of "I" (incomplete) is assigned, graduate students must complete satisfactorily the work for that course within one month after the official end of the semester in which such a grade is obtained. In special circumstances, an agreement may be reached between the student and the faculty member to extend this deadline, but any such arrangement must be certified in writing to the Director of Graduate Studies.

H. Credit-No Credit Registration. No courses in political science and cognate areas which a graduate student intends to use to satisfy the requirements for the master's degree may be taken on a credit-no credit basis.

II. Thesis and Non-Thesis M.A. Degree Programs.

You have the option of a master's degree with or without a thesis. This decision should be made by you in consultation with your adviser. Both degree programs require a minimum of 32 semester credit hours of course work. The thesis degree program includes within the 32 semester credit hour requirement a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 12 semester credit hours earned for the thesis. The other degree requirements are the same, except that the provisions relating to the thesis do not apply to the non-thesis degree program, and thesis students do not have to complete an acceptable research tutorial (POL 695).

III. Required Credit Hours, Grades, and Courses.

A.You must earn a minimum of 32 semester credit hours. For a non- thesis degree program this must include at least 32 credit hours of proseminar, seminar, and independent research and reading. For a thesis degree program this must include at least 20 hours earned in courses plus a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 12 hours earned for thesis. At least 20 semester credit hours (including those for thesis) must be earned in Political Science.

B. You must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.00 (of a possible 4.00). Not more than 10 semester hours beyond the minimum 32 hours required for the degree may be attempted and applied toward the degree.

C. You are required to take POL 606 (Basic Data Analysis and Computing) as part of your Master's program (possible exceptions are noted below under requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree). Non-thesis students also must take POL 695 (Research Tutorial).

D. Not more than ten of the total hours required for your degree (32) can be transfer credit. IV. Residence Requirement. You must earn at least one-half of the minimum credit hours required for the master's degree on the Oxford campus of Miami University.

V. Review of Degree Progress.

At the end of the second semester of work, your record will be reviewed by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Department, and you will be informed of the recommendations of the Graduate Studies Committee concerning your apparent strengths and weaknesses. This review of degree progress is a continual process throughout your affiliation with the graduate program. The Graduate Studies Committee will, at this review, ask the student about his/her intentions of pursuing the doctoral degree and, if the student wishes to pursue the doctoral degree, determine whether or not the student will be recommended to continue graduate studies for the doctoral degree. Those who are not recommended or those who wish not to be considered for the doctoral program are expected to finish the M.A. degree by the end of the summer session. The decision of the Graduate Studies Committee will be forwarded to the student prior to the start of summer classes.

VI. Research Tutorial.

Each non-thesis candidate for the master's degree must complete satisfactorily a research tutorial (POL 695 - M.A. Research Tutorial - 4 credit hours). The research tutorial should involve an exercise in analysis which is more extended than work done in any single graduate course or seminar and should culminate in a formal paper of professional quality. The tutorial permits a student to follow through with scholarly work begun earlier which, in the judgment of the supervising faculty member, shows promise of further development or to pursue a new research project approved by the supervising faculty member. The Research Tutorial for students intending to pursue the doctoral degree should be in one of the two major examining areas for the doctoral degree. All students will normally enroll in a research tutorial (POL 695) in any summer term after their first year of graduate work. However, students should begin planning and preparing their research tutorial projects well in advance of the term of registration for POL 695. Indeed, for students who enter the program in the Fall Semester, the schedule of preparation to meet the research tutorial requirement includes:

1) a discussion with the Director of Graduate Studies at the beginning of the Spring Semester about the general area/topic of the proposed project and a possible tutorial committee;

2) a discussion at the beginning of the Spring Semester about the tutorial project area/topic with the prospective faculty supervisor and other members of the tutorial committee to obtain agreement on the project and guidance for developing the topic;

3) submission to the Director of Graduate Studies by March 15 of the appropriate department form listing the topic of the tutorial, the tutorial supervisor, and the other members of the tutorial committee;

4) registration in POL 695 in a Summer Term and completion of the research tutorial so that the oral examination may be held in time to allow for graduation in August. Students who enter the master's program at times other than the Fall Semester will follow the above sequence but with adjusted action dates. The supervising faculty member must certify that the research tutorial has been satisfactorily completed (and submit a grade for POL 695) before the master's degree can be awarded. Such certification should be submitted in writing to the Director of Graduate Studies who will then report to the Graduate School and the Registrar that this requirement for the degree has been satisfied.

VII. Comprehensive Master's Examination for Non-Thesis Master's Students.

Each candidate for the M.A. degree must pass a comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination shall be held in the term in which the student is to receive the master's degree (students who begin the program in August will normally take the comprehensive exam the following summer or during the second fall semester in the program). Typically, comprehensive examinations will be given during the third week of Summer I or after the tenth week of the Fall Semester. The comprehensive examination is an oral presentation and defense of the student's tutorial project. At least three (3) members of the graduate faculty of the Department of Political Science comprise the examination committee, including the faculty supervisor of the research tutorial. The three faculty--including the Chair of the Committee who must hold Level A graduate faculty standing--may be selected by the student and approved by your adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies. The names of the faculty must be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies at least two weeks prior to the oral presentation. The comprehensive oral examination normally takes two hours. The student is expected to place the research experience in the broader literature of political science, identify its significance to the study of political science, and respond to general questions in a professional manner appropriate to the degree about the research tutorial experience. You will receive a grade of Pass or Fail from each member of the committee. You will not be considered to have presented an acceptable research tutorial project and defense thereof if you receive more than one negative vote. If you fail the comprehensive examination, you may be given permission to take a second examination not earlier than the following semester but within the next two semesters after the first examination. A third examination is not permitted.

VIII. Thesis.

If you elected the thesis degree program, you are required to present and defend an acceptable thesis that demonstrates your ability to frame and investigate a significant research topic in political science. It is not necessary (or advisable) for you to complete your course work before you begin thinking about or working on your thesis. Students who take the thesis route do not take POL 695 (Research Tutorial).

A. Thesis Topic, Adviser, and Committee. When you have decided upon the subject area and general topic of your thesis, you will be assigned a thesis adviser and committee by the Director of Graduate Studies, in consultation with your graduate adviser. The thesis committee will be composed of your thesis adviser, who must have level A standing, and at least two (2) other members of the graduate faculty of the Department of Political Science. The first step in the thesis process, that of selecting and defining your thesis topic, is crucial. The thesis must deal with a significant topic in political science. Care must be taken to select a topic that is manageable and appropriate to the level of the degree. Your thesis is to be neither a term paper nor a doctoral dissertation. You should work closely with your thesis adviser to carefully define your thesis subject and its limits.

B. Thesis Prospectus. Before beginning your research and writing, you are required to prepare a thesis prospectus acceptable to your thesis adviser and committee. The prospectus should be a fairly extensive statement in which you describe the topic and its potential for leading to significant research, offer a preliminary bibliography and evaluation of the literature in the area of the topic, and present a research design. A copy of your thesis prospectus will be placed in your departmental record folder.

C. Thesis Presentation. Your thesis committee should have read and commented on your thesis draft before you send it to the typist for final draft. However, the final draft copies should be available to the members of the committee at least one week before the thesis defense. The Graduate School requires that two copies of your thesis, approved and signed by your examining committee, be deposited in the Library at least ten days before graduation. You will no doubt want a copy of your thesis, and your thesis adviser may want a copy. Therefore, at least three or perhaps four copies are required.

D. Thesis Abstract. You are required to prepare a one page thesis abstract. A copy of the abstract is to accompany each copy of the thesis deposited in the University Library, and an additional copy of the abstract must be filed in the Graduate School, together with a card on which the Librarian certifies the receipt of the thesis.

E. Final Comprehensive Examination. Your thesis committee will schedule a final comprehensive oral examination not later than ten days before the date of graduation and not earlier than the beginning of the semester in which you complete the work for your degree. For exceptions as to the time of examination, see THE MIAMI BULLETIN: GRADUATE EDITION. The examining committee will be composed of the members of your thesis committee. However, there will be no fewer than three (3) nor more than five (5) voting members, and the membership will be approved by your adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies. You will receive a grade of Pass or Fail from each member of the committee. You will not be considered to have presented an acceptable thesis and defense thereof, if you receive more than one negative vote. The names of the faculty must submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies at least two weeks prior to the defense of the thesis. The comprehensive oral examination normally takes two hours. The student is expected to place the master's thesis in the literature of political science, identify its significance to the study of political science, and respond to general questions in a professional manner appropriate to the degree. If you fail the comprehensive examination, you may be given permission to take a second examination not earlier than the following semester but within the next two semesters after the first examination. A third examination is not permitted.

IX. Time Limitation.

Work for the master's degree should be completed within five (5) years of its beginning, whether at Miami University or elsewhere. The Department may allow partial credit for work that is five to ten years old at the time of graduation.

X. Final Details.

You must apply for graduation at least two months before the anticipated date of graduation. Having completed all of the requirements for your degree, you should check at the Office of the Graduate School and the Registrar to make sure that things are in order for your graduation. SUGGESTION TO THOSE PLANNING GRADUATE STUDY BEYOND THE MASTER'S DEGREE If you are planning to do graduate study beyond the master's degree, you should consult with your adviser about organizing your master's study so that it best prepares you for entering a doctoral program and about beginning work that will help you to meet some of the requirements for the doctorate. When designing your master's program, you should pay particular attention to the courses and fields of study which will be required for the doctoral degree. Your master's work should fit logically into the larger program that you intend. The research tool requirement is a second area in which you should begin planning early. Study the research tool requirement of the doctoral program as it relates to your case and make plans early to do the necessary work in foreign languages or empirical methods. See, under Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree, #V, below for a description of the research tool requirement for doctoral work in this department. A course guide for master's students follows. The first schedule is for master's students who are admitted to the doctoral degree in Political Science. The second schedule is for non-thesis graduate students who expect to earn a terminal M.A. degree in Political Science.

Doctoral students: Fall Spring Summer Year 1 POL606 Seminar 3 POL605 Seminar 1 Seminar 4 POL607 Seminar 2 Seminar 5 POL695 (Comprehensive Examination and Master's Awarded) Terminal M.A. Students: Fall Spring Summer Year 1 POL606 Seminar 3 POL695 Seminar 1 Seminar 4 Seminar 6 Seminar 2 Seminar 5 Seminar 7 (Comprehensive Examination and Master's Awarded)

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO THE MASTER OF ARTS IN TEACHING (M.A.T.) PROGRAM

I. The General Admission Requirements of the Graduate School.

The requirements of the Graduate School for admission to the M.A.T. program are the same as those listed above for the M.A. degree, except that the M.A.T. program is open only to those who have met the requirements for elementary or secondary teaching certification.

II. Departmental Admission Requirements.

The additional requirements for admission to the Department are the same as those listed above for the M.A. degree.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER OF ARTS IN TEACHING DEGREE

I. The Administration of the Graduate Program.

You are required to follow the administrative procedures outlined in the above listed requirements for the M.A. degree.

II. Required Credit Hours, Grades, and Courses

A. You must earn a minimum of 32 semester credit hours in graduate courses. At least 15 hours must be earned in political science, and not more than 6 credit hours of professional education courses may be counted towards the degree.

B. You must obtain a grade point average of 3.00 (of a possible 4.00) in all graduate work undertaken at Miami University. Not more than 10 semester credit hours beyond the minimum number of hours required for the degree may be attempted and applied toward the degree.

C. You are required to take POL 605, POL 606, and POL 695.

III. Residence Requirement.

You must earn at least one-half of the minimum credit hours required for the master's degree on the Oxford campus of Miami University.

IV. Research Tutorial.

You are required to complete a research tutorial (POL 695). Consult your adviser in making preparations to begin tutorial work. There is no thesis option for the M.A.T. See the requirements for the M.A. degree for details. V. Review of Degree Progress. At the end of the second semester of work your record will be reviewed by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Department, and you will be informed by your adviser of the recommendations of the Graduate Studies Committee concerning your apparent strengths and weaknesses. This review of degree progress is a continual process throughout your affiliation with the graduate program.

VI. Comprehensive M.A.T. Examination.

Each candidate for the M.A.T. degree must pass a comprehensive oral examination and defense of the research tutorial, the details of which are described above in the requirements for the M.A. degree. The examination will normally be given during the term in which the student is to receive the M.A.T. degree.

VII. Time Limitation.

Work for the master's degree should be completed within five years of its beginning, whether at Miami University or elsewhere. The Department may allow partial credit for work that is five to ten years old at the time of graduation. VIII. Final Details. You must apply for graduation at least two months before the anticipated date of graduation. Having completed all of the requirements for your degree, you should check at the offices of the Graduate School and the Registrar to make sure that things are in order for your graduation.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO THE DOCTORAL DEGREE (Ph.D.) PROGRAM

I. The General Admission Requirements of the Graduate School.

To obtain doctoral student status you must have:

A. A master's degree or the equivalent thereof in graduate level course credits (30 semester credit hours of graduate work or the equivalent thereof).

B. A 2.75 undergraduate grade point average (4.00 scale) in all coursework or a 3.00 grade point in all coursework taken during the last four (4) undergraduate semesters (or equivalent) at the institution awarding the baccalaureate degree, and a 3.00 grade point average in all graduate work. Transcripts of both undergraduate and graduate records are required.

II. Department Admission Requirements.

In addition to the general Graduate School admission requirements, as an applicant for admission to doctoral study in political science you must meet the following departmental qualifications:

A. A grade point average of at least 3.20 (of a possible 4.00) in prior graduate work for the master's degree or its equivalent in course credits. Where this requirement is not met but other factors indicate a potential for success in doctoral study in political science, exceptions may be made.

B. Submission of three (3) letters of recommendation from graduate professors of political science or others qualified to evaluate your potential successfully to do doctoral work in political science. This requirement is waived if you have completed the first year of graduate study in the Department and have been recommended for doctoral study by the Graduate Studies Committee.

C. If you have taken the first year of graduate study in this Department, then your comprehensive examination committee for the master's degree will make a written recommendation to the faculty members of the Graduate Studies Committee of the Department concerning your potential for doctoral study. Based upon this recommendation, your performance on the comprehensive exam, and an evaluation of your performance as a graduate student, the Graduate Studies committee will make a decision about your admission to the doctoral program. You are invited to make a part of your folder such evidence as you deem useful in presenting a forceful picture of your qualifications for doctoral study. For all other applicants, admission to doctoral study will be by usual Graduate School admission procedures.

D. If you have not previously taken the Graduate Record Examination General Test, you are required to do so and submit your scores as part of your credentials for admission to doctoral study. The GRE Advanced Test in Political Science is not required. If you have previously taken the examination you should make sure that your scores have been submitted and are part of your record. GRE scores are valid for five (5) years. In cases where a substantial hardship would occur for a prospective student as a result of compliance with this requirement, an exemption may be requested.

E. Submission of a letter or statement addressed to the Director of Graduate Studies in which you briefly but informatively describe your career objective in seeking to pursue doctoral study in political science and the fields of major interest in political science on which you plan to focus your doctoral study. You also might wish to include in your letter or statement (or in a resume) information about employment and other experience related to your doctoral study career objective and potential as a doctoral student.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE

I. The Administration of the Doctoral Program

A. Assignment to an Adviser. Upon arrival on campus, you should consult with the Director of Graduate Studies who, in accordance with your preferences, fields of interest and career goals, will assign you to an adviser.

B. Consultation with Adviser. Although you are personally responsible for understanding and meeting the requirements for your degree, your adviser and the other members of the faculty are available to you for such assistance and advice as you might require.

C. Record Folder. You are required to complete a record folder which should be obtained in the department office and is to be kept there. It is your responsibility to bring the information in the folder up to date each semester so that it will currently be complete. You may obtain your folder for review and updating only from the Director of Graduate Studies. If your folder is not in order, you will not be permitted to take your examinations. These folders are referred to by the members of the staff for a variety of purposes, including periodic departmental reviews of your status and progress and inquiries by the Graduate School and prospective employers.

D. Plan of Graduate Study. In consultation with your adviser, you are to develop a plan of doctoral study in which you specify your major, the courses you expect to take, and a tentative calendar of progress towards your degree. This plan is a part of the record folder. Any changes in the plan should have the approval of your adviser and be noted in your folder. Below is a "model" program for a student entering with a bachelor's degree that entails four (4) years of graduate study to earn both the master's and doctoral degrees. This model assumes that the student selects the empirical method research tool.

Sequence:

Fall Spring Summer
Year 1 POL606 Seminar 3 POL605 Seminar 1 Seminar 4 POL607 Seminar 2 Seminar 5 POL695 (MA awarded)
Year 2 POL608 POL609 Seminar 10 Seminar 6 Seminar 8 Seminar 11 Seminar 7 Seminar 9 Seminar 12
Year 3 Seminar 13 Seminar 16 Seminar 19 Seminar 14 Seminar 17 POL790 Seminar 15 Seminar 18 (Prepare for Comp Exams)
Year 4 Take Comp Exams POL850 POL850 Prospectus approved (PhD awarded)

An important part of the phasing of meeting degree requirements involves planning and preparing the dissertation prospectus. A doctoral student should begin planning and preparing the dissertation prospectus early in his or her tenure in doctoral study.

E. Evaluation of Doctoral Students. The faculty members of the Graduate Studies Committee will meet in the spring Semester of each year to review and evaluate the progress and performance of doctoral students, and, if they so decide, they can hold an informal oral discussion with a student who they deem to be functioning at a less than acceptable performance level. After this discussion, they will make some recommendation to the student as to the feasibility of his or her continuance in the program.

F. Registration. Your adviser will assist you in registering for courses.

G. Incompletes. It is the strong recommendation of the graduate faculty that graduate students avoid taking incompletes. When work in seminars and independent readings and research cannot be completed before the end of a semester and a grade of "I" (incomplete) is assigned, graduate students must complete satisfactorily the work for that course within one month after the official end of the semester in which such a grade is obtained. In special circumstances an agreement may be reached between the student and the faculty member to extend this deadline, but any such arrangement must be certified in writing to the Director of Graduate Studies.

H. Grading of Graduate Students. Each professor will submit, at the end of each academic term, a short written qualitative evaluation for each graduate student who takes his or her course for grade to the Director of Graduate Studies. These evaluations will be placed in the student's file and the student has the right, and is expected, to read the evaluations and discuss them with the respective professors.

II. Credit Hour Requirement.

You must earn at least 60 semester hours of graduate credit (up to 30 of which may be dissertation credit) beyond the master's degree or its equivalent, at least 48 of which must be earned at Miami University. A minimum of 30 semester hours of credit (beyond the master's degree or its equivalent) must be earned before admission to candidacy. The required credit hours must be earned in courses at the 600 level or above, unless the Director of Graduate Studies permits you to count credit in specific graduate courses at a lower level. You may take a maximum of 16 graduate credit hours per semester and 8 graduate credit hours per summer term.

III. Required Courses.

You must complete POL 605 (Scope and Research Methods in Political Science), POL 606 (Quantitative Methods for Political Scientists), and POL 607 (Intermediate Quantitative Analysis in Political Science) or transfer their equivalents from other graduate institutions before you will be permitted to take the comprehensive examination. The acceptance of graduate courses from other institutions as equivalents for these required courses must be approved by the student's adviser and by the Director of Graduate Studies, who acts in consultation with the Committee and the concerned faculty member(s). If a graduate student thinks that he or she has had the equivalent courses elsewhere or has obtained the necessary background in some other way, the student can request that the Director of Graduate Studies arrange a departmental proficiency examination in POL 605, POL 606 and/or POL 607. The student should substantiate this request with course outlines, research papers, and other materials that can be examined by the faculty of the Graduate Studies Committee which will act on the request within two days of receiving it. The decision of the Committee will be taken in consultation with the professor(s) of POL 605, 606, and 607 and that decision will be final; there will be no appeal procedures.

IV. Residence Requirement.

You must, during the period of your doctoral studies, be registered for a full academic load on the Oxford campus in at least two consecutive semesters.

V. Research Tool Requirement.

In addition to POL 605, 606, and 607, the Department requires that candidates for the doctoral degree demonstrate proficiency in a research tool appropriate to their fields of interest and intended research. Because of the time often required to prepare a research tool, students are urged to begin work in this area early. The selection of the tool must have the approval of the student's adviser. To meet this requirement, the following options are available:

A. Foreign Language. Demonstration of at least a reading proficiency in one foreign language (excluding English). Students with a primary interest in the politics of specific foreign areas may wish to select this option. If a student does not already have a strong language background, it is advisable to begin building language skills early so that it can be used in other academic work. Minimum competency in a language is to be demonstrated by completing either the second year of college level language training (the 202 level under the semester system) or equivalent standard proficiency examination plus a special proficiency examination designed for graduate students.

Note to all Students: Approval of a foreign language as a research tool requires that the student demonstrate to the satisfaction of his or her adviser that the language proposed is appropriate to the student's major field(s) of study and intended research.

Note to Foreign Students: English is the language of instruction in the Department's doctoral program, and the development and demonstration of proficiency in English does not fulfill the research tool requirement for the doctorate. A foreign student who opts to meet the research tool requirement with a foreign language may use a language native to him or her (other than English) which was the language of instruction at an institution of higher learning outside of the United States attended by the student for at least two (2) years. This choice of language to meet this requirement must be approved by the student's adviser as appropriate to the student's major field(s) of study and intended research. However, proficiency in this language must be certified (e.g., in writing from the institution attended that the language indeed was the language of instruction at that time, by proficiency examination). A foreign student, after having been approved to employ this option, cannot then switch field of study and/or research focus and assume that the research tool requirement remains fulfilled; the matter of appropriate research tool then would have to be reconsidered.

B. Empirical Methods. The Department requires each doctoral candidate to acquire at least the basic tools of empirical analysis. The required seminars in theories and methods of political science (POL 605, 606, and 607) are designed with this purpose in mind. A research tool in empirical methods goes significantly beyond this required sequence and it is urged for all students whose research will have a substantial empirical dimension. Minimum competency in empirical methods is demonstrated by fulfilling at least two of the following: POL608 (Advanced Quantitative Methods) POL609 (Qualitative Methods) POL790 (a 4-hour independent study in which the student produces a conference- type paper using empirical methodology), or Two Summer terms at the University of Michigan's ICPSR. Exceptions to the requirement must be approved by the student's adviser and by the Graduate Studies Committee.

NOTE: Selection and Proficiency. The selection of an appropriate research tool and of the appropriate courses of study shall be made by the student in consultation with and with the written approval of the major adviser. These selections must then be reported to and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. Proficiency in a research tool must be demonstrated before a doctoral student will be permitted to take the comprehensive examination.

VI. Required Fields of Study and Comprehensive Examination Requirement

A. Required Fields of Study. In preparing for the comprehensive examination, each doctoral student will prepare in two major fields in political science. In addition to the two required fields of study, students may elect to prepare in one minor area within the department or they may do cognate study as agreed between the student and the committee of the field in which the student plans to write the dissertation. Completion of requirements for a minor entails only satisfactory completion of coursework (which cannot be taken on a credit/no-credit basis), but does not entail demonstrated proficiency in a comprehensive examination. A student who declares a minor in Political Theory, Comparative Politics, International Relations, American Politics, Public Administration and Policy Analysis, or any combination thereof is required to successfully complete, at a minimum, three courses. The curriculum for the minor must be approved by the appropriate field committee and filed with the Director of Graduate Studies. The Department offers four major examining fields of study for the doctoral degree.

1. The fields of study are: Comparative Politics; American Politics; Public Administration and Policy Analysis; and International Relations.

2. Each field committee requires the following (exceptions and substitutions can be made with the approval of the field committee): International Relations Required: 671 Proseminar in International Relations Theory 681 International Organization 682 International Law 672 Comparative Foreign Policy Analysis Select at least two from the following: 673 U.S. Foreign Policy 674 Foreign Policy of the Developing States 675 American Trade Policy 670 special topics seminars as offered Public Administration Required: 661 Proseminar in Public Administration 666 Public Policy Analysis 567 Public Budgeting 568 Public Personnel Administration Select at least two from among the following seminars: 664 Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations 660 Administrative Discretion 660 Local Government Management Select at least one from among the following:
650 State and Local 650 Congress 650 Presidency Comparative Politics Required: 623 Proseminar in Comparative Politics + three other seminars with a comparative analytical focus (thematic) + 2-4 seminars covering regions (students must take courses in two different regions) American Politics Required: 641 Proseminar in American Politics + concentration in one formal institution (e.g., Presidency, Congress, Courts) and two processes (Political Parties, Organized Interests, Behavior, Elections, Mass Media) OR two formal institutions and one process + follow-up independent studies in areas of concentration when faculty deem it appropriate.

B. Comprehensive Examination Requirement. Satisfactory performance on a comprehensive examination is required for admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree. The examination will be constructed and evaluated by an examining committee that is assembled in line with the guidelines that follow.

1. Overview and Application for Examination

a. Purpose of Examination: A comprehensive examination is required of all potential doctoral candidates because it is an important device by which the Graduate Faculty can assure the university, and by implication the larger academic community, that students who complete the Ph.D. degree have demonstrated the ability to meet high standards of preparation and intellectual ability. A doctoral degree in effect certifies that its holder is a peer of all others who have earned a Ph.D. Therefore, it is incumbent on the Graduate Faculty of the Department of Political Science to examine all students who seek to be admitted to doctoral candidacy in order to insure that they have mastered the scholarly literature in their areas of study, that they are conversant with the analytical perspectives and research methods in their areas of study, that they can integrate scholarly information in a sophisticated way, and that they can articulate their ideas both orally and in writing to a group of faculty who are experts in their areas of study. Because holders of doctoral degrees go on to professional careers involving the articulation and defense of ideas, the comprehensive exam is essential to demonstrating a student's comprehensive preparation for central professional activities.

b. Content of Examination: The examination shall have two components: a written component and an oral component.

1) The written component tests the student's knowledge of specific areas of political science in two major fields.

2) The oral component tests the student's knowledge of the areas covered in the written examination as well as the student's general competence as a political scientist.

The Examination Committee: In consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, the candidate will select a faculty member to be the Chair of the student's written and oral comprehensive examination committees. The Chair must hold current level A status in the Graduate Faculty of Miami University and must come from one of the fields in which the candidate is being examined. There shall be no fewer than four (4) faculty members appointed to the written examination committee for each field covered by the exam. A field examination group may elect to include all of its members in the process of constructing and evaluating exams. The departmental members of the written comprehensive examination committee must hold either level A or level B status in the Graduate Faculty and shall be appointed by the relevant field examination groups -- Comparative Politics; American Politics; International Relations; and, Public Administration and Policy Analysis. There shall be at least two faculty members appointed to the oral exam committee for each field covered by the exam. The relevant field examination groups shall appoint these oral examiners from among those examiners who participated in the written exam. A Graduate School Representative also participates in the oral examination. The Graduate School Representative will be selected by the candidate and must hold current level A status in the Graduate Faculty of Miami University. The departmental members of the examining committee shall be members of the field examining groups listed below for each major field. Those listed as examiners are faculty members who instruct regular graduate proseminars and seminars in the field, and whose principal professional research and activity are in the field.
American Politics Comparative Politics: Barilleaux Forren Arnold Dawisha, K. Brown Jones Croucher Mason DeLue Kay Dawisha, A. Saine Forgette Kemper Vanderbush
International Relations Public Administration & Policy Analysis: Hey Neack Brown Pagano Haney Jackson Forgette Russo Hazleton Rothgeb Jones Shumavon Saine .

Exam Administration Dates: Doctoral comprehensive examinations will be administered twice a year -- once during the middle of the fall semester and once during the first two weeks of March.

Application for the Examination: A student must apply to take the doctoral comprehensive examination in advance, in order to allow sufficient time for an exam committee to be assembled, exam questions to be written, and all other aspects of the examination be addressed. The application must be made through the Director of Graduate Studies by the following dates: For the fall semester exam -- by the first Friday after Labor Day; for the spring semester -- by the first Friday after classes resume in January.

2. Preparation Required for the Examination:

a. Credit Hours Required: The examination may be taken after a student has completed at least 30 semester credit hours of doctoral level work at Miami University, and all of the requirements itemized above. A student will be allowed to take the comprehensive examination only after he or she has completed the appropriate coursework in the field at Miami University. Assuming full-time graduate study and under normal circumstances, students entering the graduate program with a bachelor's degree should take the comprehensive examination no later than the spring semester of the third year of graduate study.

b. Seminars and Other Coursework: Seminars are regular courses offered by the Department of Political Science, not independent studies, readings courses, or credits for individual research.

c. Transfer Credits: Up to 10 hours of doctoral level graduate credits at another university may be considered for transfer to the doctoral program in political science at Miami University. Doctoral students must petition the Graduate Studies Committee for permission to transfer doctoral credits. Relevant field examination groups will be consulted as to whether the courses under consideration for transfer are acceptable. Transfer credit does not exempt a student from the minimum preparation defined by the field examination groups as necessary for the comprehensive exam.

d. Coursework Required: The application to take the examination must demonstrate that the student has completed the required coursework. No student may take an exam in a major field without having completed the proseminar relevant to that area (whether taken as part of the M.A. or Ph.D. degree programs), plus at least four other seminars or graduate-level courses in the same field. Each field committee will recommend a course of study for graduate students.
SPECIAL NOTE: Except for circumstances in which a student receives special permission to do so from the Graduate Studies Committee, no student may substitute independent study, a readings course, or research credit for a seminar or graduate-level course offered by the Department of Political Science. (All of this work must be completed at Miami University.) Students who have taken corresponding courses at another university may petition to substitute those courses for ones offered at Miami University, but such petitions are subject to the guidelines in 2/c (TRANSFER CREDIT) Above.
NOTE: Courses in which the student is enrolled at the time of application are excluded from this stipulation, although the examination will not be administered as long as any unexempted designations of "Incomplete" remain (see the next point for details).

e. OTHER REQUIREMENTS: All designations of "Incomplete" must be removed from the record before a student can apply, except that directed study (POL 790) and dissertation credit hours are excluded from this stipulation. The research tool requirement must be completed as well, although in extraordinary circumstances the Graduate Studies Committee may determine that a student's situation is so unusual that the comprehensive examination may be taken before the research tool is completed.

f. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY FOR MATERIAL COVERED BY EXAMINATION: Graduate students are expected to prepare for their examinations by completing the substantial part of their study in the field with faculty members in the examining field. While graduate seminars form the core of material covered by the examination, students are to keep in mind that they are responsible for a broad understanding of the field in which examination is requested. It is an unvarying expectation of the examiners that each student who requests examination has done a significant amount of independent work in the relevant field and is able to draw upon a wide range of information and variety of analytical perspectives. To that end, it is the responsibility of each student -- in consultation with the members of the field examination groups -- to develop a basic plan of study early in his or her career of doctoral study. This expectation includes going beyond readings assigned in seminars or field reading lists, to gain a broad knowledge of the scholarly literature in the fields of the comprehensive examination. In other words, while faculty will offer guidance regarding the preparation necessary for the comprehensive examination, the responsibility for
properly preparing for the exam lies with the student.

g. FIELD EXAMINATION GROUP RESPONSIBILITY: The field examination groups of the Department of Political Science are responsible for assisting students in preparing for comprehensive exams. A field examination group or individual faculty examiner may elect to define a reading list for exams, but a list is not required. Because doctoral study is training to be an independent scholar, faculty assistance of students does not diminish each doctoral student's responsibility to property prepare for exams by studying a wide range of literature in the student's field. The initiative for preparation for exams always lies with the student.

3. Assembling the Examination Committee and Drafting the Written Examination:

a. STUDENT APPLICATION: In consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, a student applies to take the doctoral comprehensive examination on or before the dates specified above for the appropriate exam date. At that time, the student must identify the fields of the examination and demonstrate that all requirements have been met. The Director of Graduate Studies then transmits the student's application to the relevant field examining groups.

b. ASSEMBLING THE EXAMINATION COMMITTEE: *Each field examination group designates at least four (4) examiners in each of the fields in which the student will be examined, bearing in mind the student's preparation for the examination. All members of the written examination committee who will be constructing and/or evaluating a field examination must be acceptable to the field examination group.

*RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMITTEE CHAIR:
The Chair of the examining committee is responsible for
1) convening and presiding over the oral examination committee, and
2) communicating the results of the comprehensive examination to the Director of Graduate Studies, who forwards the results to the Dean of the Graduate School.

*RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Examining committee members are responsible for
1) submitting questions for the exam in a timely fashion;
2) individually writing an evaluation on relevant portions of the written examination and communicating the individual's written evaluation to the Director of Graduate Studies within ten (10) working days of the examination;
3) participating as needed in any remediation prior to retaking the written exam; and 4) participating in the oral examination if nominated by the field committee. Members of the oral examination committee are to be randomly selected from members of the written examination committee. Two oral examination members are selected per field, including the committee chair.

*RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DIRECTOR OF GRADUATE STUDIES:
The Director of Graduate Studies is responsible for
1) aiding the candidate in selecting a committee Chair;
2) ensuring that a written examination committee and an oral examination committee are properly constituted in a timely fashion;
3) ensuring that written examination committee members draft the questions before the deadlines listed below;
4) ensuring that the committee members' written evaluations are completed and returned to the Director within ten (10) days of the examining date;
5) submitting the complete set of written evaluations of each field to the candidate, to the candidate's permanent file, and to the Chair of the committee immediately after receiving same, and informing the candidate of the field's overall rating;
6) directing the Chair of the committee to convene an oral examination, if all field written examinations are Acceptable;
7) if one or both field examinations is rated Unacceptable, directing the candidate to the relevant field committee member(s) for remediation prior to retaking the written exam.

c. DRAFTING THE QUESTIONS: Field committees shall approve the questions prepared by the examining committee members. Questions are transmitted to the Director of Graduate Studies at least one week prior to the exam date.
d. EXAM SECURITY: Examination questions are the property of the Department of Political Science and shall be held in a secure file until the time of the examination.

4. Format and Administration of the Written Examination:
a. SCHEDULING OF EXAMS: The Director of Graduate Studies shall set the precise dates when the exams shall be administered each year and announce those dates in advance.
b. EXAM FORMAT: A student sits for two written examinations, one in each of the two fields chosen. Each field examination is taken over a two day period with at least two days rest between each of the examination dates. Each field examination is written within the period from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on each of the examination days. (The student is responsible for determining the timing and duration of breaks.) The written examination is an "open-book" examination. Students may elect to take their examinations either with pen and paper or by using approved computer facilities.
c. SUBMITTING THE COMPLETED EXAM: It is the responsibility of each student being examined to see to it that each examination is returned to the Director of Graduate Studies when the student is finished, with name and any other pertinent information attached. At this time, all questions and answers become the property of the Department of Political Science.

5. Evaluation of the Written Examination:
a. FIELD EXAMINATIONS EVALUATED SEPARATELY: Each field examination will be evaluated separately as either acceptable or unacceptable.  The examinations are graded by individual faculty members.  While faculty members and field committees may consult when grading the examinations, such consultations are voluntary.  All decisions about the grades that are assigned to the examinations are made by faculty members as individuals.  Grades are not assigned by field committees or by subsets of field committees.  In order for a candidate to pass a field examination, a majority of those grading the examination must evaluate it as acceptable.  If a candidate's examination receives a tie vote, it will be judged as unacceptable.  The faculty members grading the examinations will give their evaluations to the Director of Graduate Studies, who will communicate the result to the candidate.

b. EXAM SECURITY DURING EVALUATION PROCESS: In order to insure the security of all exams, the Graduate Office will retain the original version of each examination, distributing copies to the designated faculty for evaluation. Faculty Examiners are enjoined not to discuss the examinations with anyone other than the members of the examining committee, the Director of Graduate Studies, or the Department Chair. Each member of the examining committee is to inform the Director of Graduate Studies when he or she has finished evaluating the examinations(s) for which he or she is responsible.
c. OVERALL EVALUATION BY EXAMINING COMMITTEE: As soon as all the written evaluations from each field have been submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies, the Director shall tally the ratings and ensure that a majority of the examiners has found the written examination to be either Acceptable or Unacceptable. Clarifications in individual examiner's ratings can be required by the Director at this time. The Director will then forward the evaluations immediately to the candidate and to the Chair of the Examination Committee. A copy will also be placed in the student's permanent record folder. All other comments about the exam--written or oral-- shall be kept in confidence by the members of the examining committee, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Department Chair. The student may consult with the members of the examining committee for clarification on any of the points made in the written evaluation or to ask for assistance in preparing for the comprehensive oral examination.

6. Results of the Written Examination:
a. BOTH FIELD EXAMS ACCEPTABLE: If both field exams are found Acceptable, the exam committee chair shall schedule a comprehensive oral examination to be held as soon as possible. Normally, the comprehensive oral examination shall occur within two weeks after the student has completed the final written field examination, but no later than four weeks after the final written field examination has been completed by the student. b. FIELD EXAM UNACCEPTABLE: A student who has failed one or both field examinations may repeat the failed field examination at the next, regularly scheduled written examination date or at a later date. This repeat of the examination is final -- there is no "third chance." A student who has failed a field examination may not substitute another field for the one failed.

7. The Comprehensive Oral Examination:
a. THE EXAMINATION: The comprehensive oral examination will evaluate the student's ability to communicate orally his or her knowledge and analytical skills in political science in general, as well as his or her major, fields. It will also serve as a critique of the field exams. At this examination, the candidate reports the subject of the dissertation to the committee members. The examining committee assigns a rating to the student's total performance in the comprehensive examination.
b. EVALUATION: Ratings of Pass or Fail are given for the comprehensive oral examination. For the examination to be passed, there cannot be more than one (1) negative vote. Should a student fail to pass the comprehensive oral examination, the examining committee may grant permission to take a second exam under conditions stipulated by the committee. No third comprehensive oral exam will be given.

VII. Admission to Candidacy:

1. Doctoral Candidacy: After meeting all the requirements outlined above, a student will be admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree.

2. Registering the Dissertation Committee: Under normal conditions, within 60 days after successfully completing the comprehensive oral examination, a petition from the doctoral candidate must be filed with the Department of Political Science that specifies the members of the student's dissertation committee, including the name of the supervising professor who must hold Level A Graduate faculty standing, and is accompanied by a typed dissertation prospectus that is acceptable to the dissertation committee. The three (or more) members of the dissertation committee must be approved by the Chair of the Department and each member of the dissertation committee must sign a form indicating that the dissertation prospectus has been read and has been found to be acceptable. A Representative of the Graduate School, a Level A Graduate faculty member, must also sign the form. The prospectus is to be a comprehensive statement in which the candidate describes the topic and its potential for leading to an original research contribution to political science, offers a preliminary bibliography and evaluation of the literature in the area of the topic and presents a research design. The dissertation shall demonstrate the candidate's ability to frame, investigate, and write about a significant research topic in political science.

A Guide to Preparing the Dissertation Prospectus:

The purpose of a dissertation prospectus is to provide an overview to a dissertation, not to present complete chapters from the dissertation. The prospectus should be thought of as a "road map" or guide for the dissertation committee. In a sense, then, it has all the elements of a research design. The prospectus should tell committee members where the dissertation is going, what you expect the chapters to cover, and how you're going to conduct the research. And the prospectus should, in most cases, not exceed 20 double-spaced, typewritten pages (excluding the bibliography). Once prepared, the prospectus needs to be circulated to your dissertation committee. Each committee member needs to be satisfied with it before signing the form. Their signatures imply agreement with the prospectus. Keep your committee apprised of your progress as the research unfolds. The prospectus should, in most cases, address the following concerns:

The Research Design

i. The Research Question
The prospectus should identify an important research question in political science. It should identify and assess the literature that informs the research question. It should provide a synthesis of theoretical and empirical work on the subject. It should explain why the question you pose is important in advancing the discipline. That is, it should explain why this is an original piece of research in political science.
ii. Hypotheses
Research questions should generate a set of hypotheses or propositions that you propose to examine in detail. This section should elaborate the intellectual origins of the specific hypotheses, including reference to empirical and theoretical work that informs the design of your hypotheses.
iii. Approach
This section should explain the approach or methodology that you employ in testing the hypotheses. Variables should be operationalized and data sources identified. Quantitative and/or qualitative models or frameworks should be clearly delineated. Analytical tools and techniques should be identified.
iv. Chapter Outlines
This section should list each proposed chapter in the dissertation with a one-paragraph summary about the purpose of each chapter.
v. Bibliography

4. Procedure for Obtaining Formal Approval of Dissertation Prospectus:

i. Selecting a Committee
After identifying a dissertation topic, the candidate should select a supervising professor and, after consultation with the supervising professor, at least two other tenure-track faculty members in the Department of Political Science are then invited to be members of the committee. The candidate must also select a Graduate School Representative who must agree to serve as a reader. Under Graduate School rules, the supervising professor and the Graduate School Representative must hold Level A status. Under departmental guidelines, a Level A faculty member may not serve as the supervisor of more than three dissertations. It is the candidate's responsibility to make sure that the supervising professor is eligible and that the Graduate School Representative has attained Level A status.

ii. Submitting the Prospectus
While drafting the prospectus, the candidate should be in close contact with the supervising professor. After the supervising professor and candidate are generally satisfied with the prospectus, it should be submitted to the other members of the committee for their consideration.
The candidate is required to present the dissertation prospectus at a colloquium with the dissertation committee and other interested faculty and graduate students prior to the student's finalizing the formal, written prospectus and the faculty members' signing the form. The time and place of such a meeting should be determined by the candidate. Arrangements for the meeting are the responsibility of the candidate. Each committee member's signature on the form is required. By signing the form, the dissertation committee indicates that it has found the prospectus to be acceptable.
The signatures of the Director of Graduate Studies and the Chair of the Department are also required before the prospectus is considered official. It will then be placed in the candidate's file. Please note that without the signatures of the committee, the Graduate Studies Director, and the Chair of the Department, the student should not begin the actual data collection and hypothesis testing of the dissertation research. In the event a candidate finds the dissertation topic cannot be completed substantially as described in the prospectus, the candidate should revise the prospectus and repeat the process for obtaining signatures.
If the candidate wishes to replace a faculty member on the committee, a memorandum must be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies outlining the reason for the replacement and the name(s) of the new faculty members. A new "Prospectus" form will need to be filed with the names and signatures of all the committee members, as well as with the signatures of the Chair of the Department and the Director of Graduate Studies.

Caveat
Department guidelines require an approved, signed prospectus to be filed no later than 60 days after the candidate is formally advanced to candidacy. Candidates in violation of the 60-day policy will not be considered eligible for a graduate assistantship, a doctoral associateship, or a teaching associateship.

5. Graduate Awards

Students who have passed the comprehensive examination and who wish to receive a full-time graduate award (Graduate Assistantship or Doctoral Associateship) shall have an approved dissertation prospectus, within 60 days of that exam, as a condition of eligibility for consideration.

6. Dissertation Committee

Ph.D. dissertation committees will consist of three (3) Department of Political Science faculty, plus the outside-the-department faculty representative for the university.
The comprehensive examination committee consists of four departmental faculty, plus an outside member. Dissertation committee members will be designated as director, first reader, and second reader.
The first reader, like the director, is responsible for reading and responding to chapters of the dissertation as they are drafted. The second reader's primary responsibility is reading the completed dissertation in advance of the defense, though if specifically asked he or she might also read and comment on the dissertation in its earlier stages. In special circumstances, a dissertation committee might be co-chaired, in which case the two "directors" will do the ongoing reading.
The third person of the committee will be responsible only for reading the dissertation before its defense. Ph.D. students retain the option of having four department faculty on the dissertation committee, though this is not advised.

To ensure that students receive the best possible mentoring, no faculty member will direct more than three (3) dissertations or theses, be first reader for more than three (3) dissertations, or be part of more than six (6) active graduate student committees total.

VIII. Dissertation Requirement.

Each candidate for the doctorate is required to submit a dissertation incorporating original research. The dissertation shall constitute a definite contribution to knowledge of sufficient importance to warrant its publication. Graduate students should begin planning and preparing for their dissertation research early in their programs of advanced study. Seminar papers and the focuses of independent readings and research work ought to be directed toward developing the dissertation topic and prospectus. After the comprehensive examination has been passed, the Chair of the Department will report to the Dean of the Graduate School the title of the dissertation and the designation of a dissertation adviser. Within the minimum graduate credit hour requirement for the doctoral degree (90 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree or 60 credit hours beyond the master's degree), at least 16 and not more than 60 credit hours of dissertation research (POL 850) must be included. Dissertation credit hours beyond the maximum of 60 are permitted in order to encourage students to maintain continuing registration while completing their degrees, but such excess hours cannot be applied toward the minimum total credit hour requirement.

IX. Dissertation Defense Requirement.

The dissertation defense will include judgment on the dissertation and the candidate's defense of it.
The examining committee will consist of the dissertation adviser acting as chair and at least three other persons approved by the Chair and by the Dean of the Graduate School.
In all cases, the committee will include a member from outside the Department who shall represent the Graduate School and who shall participate as a full voting member.
The adviser and two designated members will be readers of the dissertation.
Other members of the graduate faculty are free to participate as well but cannot formally cast a "pass" or "fail" vote on the quality of the dissertation defense.
Approval for granting the doctoral degree requires that no more than one member of the dissertation committee judge the defense of the dissertation and the examination as a "failure."
A successful candidate must submit two copies of the dissertation and two copies of an abstract to the University Library. Since the candidate and his adviser will also want copies of the dissertation, the candidate should have at least an original and three copies prepared.

X. Time Limitation for Degree Completion.

The final examination shall be passed not later than five years after admission to candidacy. Any exception by the Graduate Council may involve further examinations or course requirements.

XI. Staff Exclusion.

The degree Doctor of Philosophy will not be granted to any member of the Miami University faculty or staff who holds rank above Instructor.

XII. Final Details.

You must apply for graduation at least two months before the anticipated date of graduation. Having completed all of the requirements for the degree, candidates should check at the offices of the Graduate School and the Registrar to make sure that things are in order for graduation.

XIII. A Note on Job Placement.

The Department attempts to assist Ph.D. candidates who are nearing completion of their work to find suitable employment opportunities. In order to render this kind of assistance effectively, all employment information is channeled through the Director of Graduate Studies. All graduate students are strongly urged to consult with members of the staff concerning employment plans, and to conduct themselves in all instances in a manner which will enhance immediate and long-term ability of the Department to place its graduate students.

XIV. Academic Dishonesty

SECTION 1. Introduction. All graduate students have an obligation to exhibit honesty and to respect ethical standards in carrying out their academic assignments. Academic dishonesty cannot be tolerated and shall be treated in accordance with the following regulations.

SECTION 2. Criteria. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the following:

A. Conduct with respect to and during a quiz, examination, or similar evaluation.

1. Possessing, referring to, or employing open textbooks or notes or other devices not authorized by the instructor.
2. Looking at or using information from another person's paper.
3. Communication with, providing assistance to, or receiving assistance from another person in a manner not authorized by the instructor.
4. Possessing, buying, selling, obtaining, or using a copy of any unauthorized materials intended to be used or actually used in the preparation of a quiz or examination or similar evaluation.
5. Taking a quiz, examination, or similar evaluation in the place of another person.
6. Utilizing another person to take a quiz, examination, or similar evaluation in place of oneself.
7. Violating procedures prescribed to protect the integrity of a quiz, examination, or similar evaluation.
8. Changing material on a graded examination and then requesting a regrading of the examination.

B. Written assignments in courses:

1. Submitting an assignment purporting to be one's original work, which has been wholly or partly created by another person.
2. Presenting as one's own the work, ideas, representations, or words of another person without customary and proper acknowledgment of sources.
3. Knowingly permitting one's work to be submitted by another person as if it were the submitter's original work.
4. Submitting the identical or nearly identical written assignment in fulfillment of the requirements for two or more courses without the approval of the instructor(s) involved.
5. Violating procedures prescribed to protect the integrity of the assignment.

C. Cooperation with another person in academic dishonesty either directly or as an intermediary agent or broker.

D. Theft, attempted theft, malicious defacement, or mutilation of academic resources.

E. Degree qualifying and final examinations (written and oral):

1. Possessing, referring to, or employing open textbooks, notes, reference works or other devices not authorized by the department, the instructor, the examination proctor, or the examining committee.
2. Communicating with, providing assistance to, or receiving assistance from other person in a manner not authorized by the department, the instructor, the examination proctor, or the examining committee.
3. Violating procedures prescribed to protect the integrity of the qualifying or final examination.

F. Research which will result in a master's thesis (or equivalent), specialist in education thesis, or doctoral dissertation which will be deposited in the University Library:

1. Violating accepted procedures for honesty in acknowledgment and documentation of the findings, conclusion, and substantive writings of other researchers.
2. Presenting as one's own research the completed or in-process research or research reports of another person.
3. Knowingly permitting one's written report of research to be submitted by another person.
4. Duplicating exactly the research procedures of another researcher including use of identical source material and/or identical subjects without prior attribution and acknowledgment of the previous researcher and acceptance of the research plan by the student's adviser and examining committee.
5. Knowingly fabricating or altering collected research data.
6. Presenting as a creative product a piece of work which is not original.

SECTION 3. Procedures for Reporting Cases and Imposing Penalties:

A. Evidence of academic dishonesty detected by students shall be reported to the instructor or examination proctor and validated.

B. Evidence of academic dishonesty detected by or reported to an instructor or examination proctor shall be reported to the department chair. The instructor or examination proctor and the chair shall meet with the accused student. A member of the Graduate Faculty may serve as the student's counsel. In this meeting the instructor or examination proctor and the chair shall present the accused with the evidence, indicate what penalties are applicable, and receive response from the accused. After this meeting, the instructor, examination proctor, and the chair shall judge whether the student has in fact committed an act of academic dishonesty and, if so, shall jointly impose the applicable penalty. The chair may involve a department's director of graduate study, and with discretion, the graduate studies committee of the department in the assessment of evidence of academic dishonesty or the determination of the penalty.

C. Within three class days following the imposition of a penalty, the department chair shall submit a report in writing to the student, the provost or designee of the provost, the Graduate School Dean, the dean of the division in which the infraction occurred, and the Registrar. The report shall include the name of the student, student identification number, brief details of the case, the penalty imposed, and acknowledgment of the student's right to appeal.

D. Academic dishonesty involving proficiency or waiver examinations shall be handled as in SECTION 3a, b, and c. Here the instructor is defined to be the person in charge of the examination.

E. Academic dishonesty involving library materials (academic resources) shall be handled as in SECTION 3a, b, and c. Here the library staff member will be defined as the instructor and the director of libraries will act as the department chair except that grade penalties will not be imposed for theft, attempted theft, malicious defacement, or mutilation of academic resources. All other penalties and procedures will remain the same.

F. The provost or designee of the provost shall maintain a file containing the reports of each case of academic dishonesty. The provost or designee of the provost shall determine when a report of academic dishonesty is a second report for a graduate student. In the case of a second offense, the following procedures shall be used. Within three class days after receiving the department chair's report, the provost or designee of the provost shall send a written notice that this is a second offense and shall include in the notice a statement of the prescribed minimum penalty and notification of hearing procedures available for the case. The notice shall be sent to the student, the instructor or the examination proctor, the department chair reporting the infraction, the dean of the division in which each infraction occurred, the Graduate School Dean, and the Registrar.

G. In the case of a student involved as an intermediary agent or broker or in the case of a student serving as a substitute for someone else, the following procedures shall be used. Within three class days after receiving the department chair's report the provost or the designee of the provost shall send a written notice stating the infraction, the prescribed minimum penalty, and the hearing procedures available in the case. The notice shall be sent to the student, the examination proctor, the instructor, the chair reporting the infraction, the dean of the division in which the infraction occurred, the Dean of the Graduate School, and the Registrar.

H. In the case of academic dishonesty involving research for a thesis or dissertation (or the equivalent), the director of the thesis or dissertation shall be considered the instructor.

SECTION 4. Penalties.

A. The minimum grade penalty which the instructor and the department chair must impose for academic dishonesty in any project, paper, quiz, or interim or final examination is failure for the particular portion of the course. This failure may be the letter grade of F or the numerical grade of zero. The maximum grade penalty which the instructor and the chair may impose shall be the grade of F in the course. If the instructor and the chair determine that the infraction warrants, they may so instruct the registrar to append any grade received in the course with the notation AD (for academic dishonesty). If the student has less than a C average and drops the course before the stated deadline, a grade of WF (AD) for the course shall be imposed.

B. The penalty for the second offense of academic dishonesty shall be dismissal from the university.

C. The penalty for academic dishonesty relating to graduate students engaged in taking a degree qualifying or final examination (oral or written) will be dismissal from the university and permanent revocation of graduate standing within the academic department involved.

D. The penalty for academic dishonesty relating to graduate students engaged in research which will result in a master's thesis (or equivalent), specialist in education thesis, or the doctoral dissertation which will be deposited in the University Library (Section 2c) will be dismissal from the University and permanent revocation of graduate standing within the academic department involved for a student enrolled in a degree program and revocation of the degree for an individual who has graduated.

E. The minimum penalty which an instructor and chair must impose on a student involved in academic dishonesty concerning a proficiency or waiver examination is failure for that examination. They may prohibit the student from receiving this specific credit or meeting this specific requirement in the future by proficiency or waiver examination.

F. The minimum penalty for a student serving as a substitute for someone else, for a student arranging for a substitute, or for a student intermediary agent or broker shall be suspension (as defined in Section 4g) from the University. Suspension for academic dishonesty will be noted on the student's academic record as "Suspension for Academic Dishonesty."

G. The penalty of suspension shall be imposed by the University. A student may be suspended either immediately or at the close of an academic period. Such suspension will be not for less than the remainder of the current academic term nor more than the remainder of the current academic term plus the succeeding semester. The summer session is not counted as a semester. Students suspended for academic dishonesty may not attend the summer session while suspended. Notification of suspension must be made in person or by registered mail. Any student suspended for disciplinary reasons must leave university controlled property by the effective date of the suspension. A suspended student will jeopardize chances for gaining readmission by failure to observe this regulation or by involvement in misconduct during the period of suspension. A student on suspension may neither register for credit nor audit courses during the period of suspension on any campus of Miami University. Credit earned elsewhere during the period of suspension will not be accepted in transfer. The grade of incomplete can be removed during the period of suspension.

SECTION 5. Appeal Procedures.

A. The graduate student involved, the instructor, examination proctor or department chair may request that a case of academic dishonesty be heard by the Graduate Council Committee on Academic Integrity. This request shall be made in writing within three class days following the department chair's initial report (See Section 3c). The request for a hearing shall be submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School, with copies sent to the provost or designee of the provost, the dean of the division in which the student is enrolled, the dean of the division in which the infraction occurred, and the Registrar.

B. A dean may request that a case of academic dishonesty be heard by the Graduate Council Committee on Academic Integrity. This request shall be made in writing within five class days following receipt of the report from the department chair. The request for a hearing shall be submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School. Copies of this request shall be sent to the student, the instructor, examination proctor, the department chair, and all deans to whom this case has been reported.

C. The Graduate Council Committee on Academic Integrity will hear all cases of academic dishonesty requested by the student involved, the instructor, examination proctor, department chair, or dean. All evidence considered by the department chair will be made available to the Graduate Council Committee on Academic Integrity. The accused student and the department chair will appear before the committee. With the approval of the Committee, other persons who have been involved in the case may also be asked to appear. A member of the Graduate Faculty may serve as the student's counsel. The Committee will sustain the penalty imposed by the department chair, determine that the evidence does not warrant the penalty imposed and that the matter should be reconsidered by the department chair, or recommend to the department chair an increased penalty. A report of the Graduate Council Committee on Academic Integrity will be sent to the Dean of the Graduate School who will report the committee's decision to the student, the instructor or examination proctor, all deans to whom the case was reported, and the Registrar.

D. The accused student may appeal a decision of the Graduate Council Committee on Academic Integrity to Graduate Council only if there is evidence that the committee followed improper procedures.

E. The Graduate Council Committee on Academic Integrity shall be composed of four faculty members at Level A Graduate Faculty Standing and one student who is at the same level of graduate study as that of the accused student. Four members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum. The non-voting chair of the Committee shall be the Associate Dean of the Graduate School.

F. A student wishing to appeal to Graduate Council (see Section 5d.) shall make such a request in writing within seven class days after receipt of the decision of the Graduate Council Committee on Academic Integrity. The appeal request shall be addressed to the Dean of the Graduate School who serves as chair of Graduate Council.

G. The chair of Graduate Council (Dean of the Graduate School) shall notify in writing the instructor, examination proctor, department chair and all deans to whom the case has been reported of the student's request for an appeal before Graduate Council and of the date and time of the appeal.

H. A student appealing a case before Graduate Council shall be informed by the Dean of the Graduate School that a member of the Graduate Faculty may serve as the student's counsel at the appeal.

I. After reviewing all evidence, Graduate Council will sustain or alter the penalty imposed. A report of the action taken by Graduate Council will be reported to the student, instructor, examination proctor, department chair, all deans to whom the case was reported, and the Registrar.

J. The quorum rule of Graduate Council shall apply when the Council meets as an appeal body.

XV. Criteria for Making Graduate Awards.

Departmental graduate awards are made annually by the faculty members of the Graduate Studies Committee acting as an admissions and awards committee.
Applicants for an award must be admitted to regular standing as a master's or doctoral student before the Committee will consider them for an award.
Awards are made annually for an academic year, and the process is competitive.
There always are more applicants than awards to be offered. Evaluation criteria of the applications of new students (those not currently in the program) include a demonstrated strong potential for success as a graduate student in political science and for high quality performance as a graduate awardee, high promise as a professional political scientist, and the needs of the Department.
Evaluation criteria of the applications of continuing students include a record of high performance as a graduate student, satisfactory progress in completing degree requirements, continuing high promise as a professional political scientist, effective performance, where applicable, as a graduate awardee or a demonstrated strong potential, in instances of no prior graduate award in the Department, for high quality performance as a graduate awardee, and the needs of the Department.
Under normal circumstances, students are eligible for five years of aid from the Department. Students who have an earned master's degree prior to admission are eligible for four years of aid. Graduate students on awards are advised not to assume additional employment. The combination of academic studies and award assignment create at least a full-time load, and additional work may compromise performance as a graduate student and awardee.

XVI. Department Policy on Utilization of Graduate Assistants.

The Department's policy on utilization of graduate assistants is intended to meet the instructional responsibilities of the Department and to prepare graduate students for undertaking independent and collaborative research.

A. General Principles of the Proposal

1. Graduate assistants shall be employed fully in the department to assist faculty in meeting professional teaching and research responsibilities both in the classroom and to the professional communities.

2. The development of the knowledge and skills required to meet these scholarly responsibilities shall be built into the graduate curriculum and into the system of graduate awardee assignments. This shall apply to all graduate awardees whether or not they are interested in an academic career. In whatever setting and with whatever responsibilities they might have, professional political scientists essentially create and communicate knowledge.

3. Graduate assistants are to assist primarily with faculty teaching and scholarship. The primary responsibility of graduate assistants will be to assist in 100- and 200-level courses, with occasional duties for other instructional functions, and to assist faculty in their research and scholarship.

4. Given the involvement of graduate awardees in undergraduate introductory instruction, it shall be necessary to accommodate this involvement in organizing each semester's course schedule. Every attempt will be made to offer graduate courses at times that do not conflict with the offering of introductory courses (i.e., graduate classes shall not be scheduled during the prime undergraduate course hours, and they may largely be confined to the late afternoon).
5. Graduate students are encouraged to prepare in one primary teaching area.

6. To become qualified to have independent responsibility for an introductory course, a graduate student must meet knowledge and skill requirements.

a. Each field committee shall recommend to the Graduate Studies Committee (and then to the Department's Committee of the Whole) the course of instruction a student shall successfully complete to qualify to teach the introductory course in that field (see 7 below).
b. Each student shall successfully complete POL 698 and the pattern of skill development outlined below.
c. Each field committee shall certify as qualified to teach the appropriate introductory course graduate students who meet the requirements in 6a and 6b.
d. Each student shall have successfully passed both written and oral comprehensive examinations at least 30 days prior to the first day of class of the semester the student is expected to teach.

7. The approved programs of study for certification are:

Political Theory: POL 201: Political Thinking
1. POL 602 and 610.
2. Audit POL 302 and 303.
3. POL 710 to supplement regular course work and fill in any gaps in preparation in the history of political philosophy.
4. Serve as a graduate assistant in two sections of POL 201, with two different faculty members.

American Political System: POL 141: American Political System
1. POL 641.
2. At least three (3) seminars on the American political system, with no more than two (2) such seminars in one subfield of the field.
3. Serve as a graduate assistant in two sections of POL 141 with two different faculty members.

Comparative Political Systems: POL 221: Modern Foreign Governments
1 POL 623.
2. Two regular proseminars or seminars on two different regional areas.
3. Serve as a graduate assistant in two sections of POL 221 with two different faculty members.

International Relations: POL 271: International Politics
1. POL 671.
2. At least three (3) seminars in international relations.
3. Serve as a graduate assistant in two sections of POL 271 with two different faculty members.
4. Submit a proposed course syllabus for POL 271 and meet with the field committee to discuss approaches to the teaching of the course and material to be covered.

Public Administration and Policy Analysis: POL 261: Public Administration
1. POL 661: Proseminar on Public Administration.
2. POL 666: Proseminar on Public Policy Analysis.
3. POL 567: Public Budgeting.
4. POL 568: Public Personnel Administration.
5. Serve as a graduate assistant in two sections of POL 261 with two different faculty members.

8. The proseminars in each field shall provide a thorough review of the literature in the field. Emphasis shall be placed on the students developing reading lists and locating sources, and on the students making presentations to develop their verbal skills and preparing papers to develop their summative and critical skills.

B. Structure of Graduate Assistant Utilization

1. FIRST-YEAR GRADUATE STUDENTS
First-year graduate students who have been awarded graduate assistantships will be assigned to faculty members who will employ the students to provide assistance in instructing introductory courses only (100- or 200-level) and/or to aid the faculty members' research projects. A first-year graduate student may not be used to aid a faculty member's administrative assignment unless it is integral to the department (e.g., computing laboratory), nor may a first-year graduate student assist a faculty member in an upper-division course. At the end of the semester, the faculty member shall prepare an evaluation of the assistant's performance, and the assistant shall prepare an evaluation of the assistantship experience. These evaluations shall be transmitted to the Director of Graduate Studies for review and for inclusion in the graduate assistant's record folder.

2. SECOND-YEAR GRADUATE STUDENTS:
Second-year graduate students who have been awarded graduate assistantships will be assigned to faculty members who will employ the students to provide assistance in instructing introductory courses (100- or 200-level) and/or upper-division courses and/or to aid the faculty members' research projects. A second-year graduate student may not be used to aid a faculty member's administrative assignment unless it is integral to the department (e.g., computing laboratory). Should the faculty utilize the second-year graduate student's assistance in the classroom, the student, with the guidance of the faculty member, will analyze and prepare a critical review of a sample (perhaps 5) of text books for the course, and prepare a syllabus for offering the course. At the end of the semester, the faculty member shall prepare an evaluation of the assistant's performance and the assistant shall prepare an evaluation of the assistantship experience. These evaluations shall be transmitted to the Director of Graduate Studies for review and for inclusion in the graduate assistant's record folder. Summer Semester: Students shall successfully complete POL 698: Teaching Political Science.

3. THIRD-YEAR GRADUATE STUDENTS:
Third-year graduate students who have been awarded graduate assistantships will be assigned to faculty members who will employ the students to provide assistance in instructing introductory courses (100- or 200-level) and/or upper-division courses and/or to collaborate with faculty members on research projects. A third-year graduate student may not be used to aid a faculty member's administrative assignment unless it is integral to the department (e.g., computing laboratory). If the faculty member chooses to utilize the student as a researcher on a project, the student will be considered a collaborator on the project. The faculty member is encouraged to consider the third-year graduate student as a co-author on any paper or publication that results from the collaboration. If the faculty member chooses to utilize the student to aid the classroom, every effort will be made to assign students to faculty members who have responsibility for introductory courses in the student's major fields of interest. Along with performing the usual chores of assisting, assistants may instruct 20-25% of the course, with the faculty member providing critiques and recommendations for improvement. The student shall develop an inventory and critical review of audio-visual and other (e.g., simulations) aids that might be used in the course. The student shall revise and refine the previously prepared syllabus. At the end of the semester, the faculty member shall prepare an evaluation of the student's performance which shall be shared with the student, and the student shall prepare an evaluation of the assistantship experience which shall be shared with the faculty member. Both evaluations shall be transmitted to the Director of Graduate Studies for review and inclusion in the student's record folder. At the start of the Spring Semester of the third year, students shall apply to the respective field committees to be certified to have independent responsibility for instructing the introductory course in that field. The field committees shall report to the Graduate Studies Committee the actions taken on these certification requests, and the Graduate Studies Committee shall report to the chair the names of those eligible and recommended for teaching appointments. Students who are denied certification shall follow a course of remedial action recommended by the field committee and concurred in by the Graduate Studies Committee.

4. FOURTH-YEAR AND FIFTH-YEAR DOCTORAL ASSOCIATES:
Fourth-year graduate students who are granted Doctoral Associate awards shall either be assigned to a faculty member as a research collaborator or, if certified by the appropriate field committee and by the aforesaid rules (points #6 and #7 under XVI.A. above), be assigned classroom responsibility at the 100- or 200-level. Students applying for a Doctoral Associate award will inform the Graduate Studies Committee in writing of a research project on which the student will be collaborating and a course the student would like (and has been certified) to teach. Doctoral Associates do not have an automatic right to teach a class. Rather, the decision to employ a Doctoral Associate as a research collaborator or an instructor is the prerogative of the Graduate Studies Committee and the instructional and research needs of the department. The primary objective of Doctoral Associates who are assigned classroom responsibility shall be to meet the instructional requirements of the department, but students ordinarily shall be accorded the opportunity to teach introductory courses in their major fields of interest. Each Doctoral Associate shall be assigned a faculty mentor to whom he or she can turn for counsel and comfort, and who will serve, along with a second faculty member, as an evaluator of the student's instructional performance (i.e., each visiting the student's classroom at least 3 times a semester). The faculty evaluators shall submit memos of evaluation which shall be shared with the student and become a part of the student's record. The evaluations shall include an overall assessment of teaching performance, and a detailing of strengths and weaknesses and recommendations for improvement. The primary responsibility of Doctoral Associates who are research collaborators is to be partners with faculty members to whom the Doctoral Associates are assigned and, when possible, to co-author publishable work. At the end of each semester, the Doctoral Associates shall prepare an evaluation of the research collaboration or teaching experience. All evaluations shall be transmitted to the Director of Graduate Studies for review and inclusion in the student's file.

5. Assignment of awardees by the Graduate Studies Director will reflect the following departmental priorities: first, all Foundation courses will be assigned a graduate assistant if requested by the faculty member; second, instructional assistance in an upper-division course, or an identifiable research project with justification for graduate research assistance; third, other needs of the faculty member. A faculty member must request a graduate assistant for either an instructional responsibility or a research project. A faculty member will not be assigned more than one full-time graduate assistant from the Graduate School's allocation pool. However, a faculty member is eligible for a graduate assistant from the regular allocation pool if that faculty member has a funded graduate assistant from an external or internal grant.

6. The Director of Graduate Studies in the assignment of graduate assistants will place priority on providing graduate assistants the appropriate teaching assignments so that they might meet the minimum qualifications for certification as described above in (A)(7).

7. For assuming classroom responsibility as a Doctoral Associate, most students will be admitted to candidacy and comply with regulations in the Guide to Graduate Study. In certain circumstances, however, the Department may appoint a qualified graduate student to a teaching position who has not been advanced to candidacy. In this case, the graduate student will submit an application to both the GSC and to the appropriate certifying committee of the department. The application will include the following:

a. Record of exemplary progress in the graduate program (e.g., very high evaluations, no incompletes, exceptional grades).
b. Previous teaching experience (including student evaluations, faculty or other evaluations, syllabus, examinations).
c. Transcript (or DARS with grade point average).
d. Faculty evaluations of student's performance in graduate course work should be superior. e. Statement of teaching philosophy.
f. Student must have completed the MA in Political Science.
g. Student must have completed POL 698.
h. The application would include a draft syllabus, a statement explaining how the teaching assignment would not deter from progress toward candidacy (i.e., a plan of action that includes course work to be taken and comprehensive examination dates).