Graduate Program

The Department of Political Science at the University of Florida offers a comprehensive and challenging program in Comparative Politics.  The curriculum has been revamped recently to reflect changes in the field nationally.  Comparative Politics is increasingly taking a cross-regional perspective, particularly on subjects such as democratization, the spread of the market, and environmentalism.  We want our students to be aware of these trends toward a cross-regional perspective and to be able to participate fruitfully in the disciplinary dialogue along those lines.  Such awareness will make them better scholars and more competitive nationally. 

Students entering the program are required to take the Introductory Seminar before taking any other.  The former is being offered every Fall Semester.  It exposes students to the major theoretical traditions that have shaped the study of comparative politics.  In the course of the semester students are introduced both to landmark books in the field and significant critiques of these original works. 

Students will then choose from a menu of thematic and area seminars.  The thematic seminars cover a broad range of themes that are of particular currency in the field.  They will have a cross-regional perspective and include readings on at least two major regions of the world.  The various area seminars serve two principal purposes.  The first is to provide students with a deeper understanding of the politics of a particular region of the world.  The second is to enable the student to acquire greater familiarity with theories and concepts used by comparativists in their studies.  The structure of the program is indicated below: 

CPO 6091 - Introduction to Comparative Political Analysis 

CPO 6732 - Democratization and Regime Transition 
POS 6933 - A Comparative Perspective on the Political Economy of the State 
POS 6933 - Public Choice, Institutions, and Development 
POS 6933 - Approaches to Comparative Political Culture 
CPO 6077 - Social Movements in Historical and Comparative Perspective 
POS 6933 - Comparative Elections and Party Systems 
POS 6933 - Politics of Natural Resources 
POS 6933 - Peasant Politics 
POS 6292 - Religion and Politics 
POS 6933 - Law, State and Society

CPO 6046 - Politics in Advanced Industrial Societies 
CPO 6206 - Seminar in African Politics 
CPO 6307 - Latin American Politics
POS 6933 - Post-Communist Politics
 

The following are minimum requirements for each category of student: 

 MA students - Introductory Seminar plus one thematic seminar (6 credits) 
 Ph.D. students (non-dissertation) - Introductory Seminar plus two thematic seminars (9 credits) 
 Ph.D. students (dissertation) - Introductory Seminar plus three thematic seminars 

Students are encouraged to go beyond the minimum requirements and, together with their advisors, should craft an individual plan of study that fits their particular needs.  For example, a student planning to conduct primary field research in Latin America/African should take the Latin American/African Politics area seminar in addition to the minimum requirements. 

Examination Requirements

Master of Arts Degree

Students taking their Masters degree have two options to choose from: 

1. defense of a written masters thesis 
2. defense of two substantial research papers 

Whichever option the student proposes, he/she is responsible for satisfactorily preparing and completing the written requirements under the supervision of a committee made up of three faculty  members. 

Doctor of Philosophy Degree

Doctoral students in Political Science are required to take three fields as their concentration.  Of these they will be examined in two.  Departmental exams consist of a take-home written exam and an oral exam.  Students are typically asked to answer three questions.  In the Comparative Politics program exam questions test students on their knowledge of the “state of the art” of the field, basic concepts, and empirical knowledge of the politics covered in the area seminars. 

Students preparing themselves for the prelim exams should obtain the following documents: 

1. Master Syllabus indicating the literature students should have covered before taking the exam
2. Examination guide detailing what is expected of students taking their exams. 

Both of these documents can be obtained from the Departmental Office (234 Anderson Hall). 

Students writing their dissertation in Comparative Politics are required to defend a first draft of their dissertation proposal the same semester as their last prelim exam.  Students are responsible for putting together a dissertation committee, consisting of at least four faculty, three of whom have to be Comparative Politics faculty.