MRes/PhD Political Science

About the MRes/PhD programme

In a departure from the traditional 'thesis only' manner of doing doctoral work in most of Europe, the Government Department operate an exciting PhD programme in Political Science that combines rigorous training with specialised research.

Traditionally, doctoral students in most European departments spend several years working almost exclusively on their own research topics. The MRes/PhD is designed to provide a different experience, with a more structured teaching programme, more collective and collaborative working, a broader training as a well rounded political science professional, and a systematic emphasis on research design and methodology. This is the emphasis in the first year of the programme which leads to an MRes award. Students build on this first year in their doctoral research in the following three years.

The central aim of the MRes/PhD Political Science at LSE is to help produce a new generation of political scientists who upon graduation will immediately be qualified to accept leading positions in their professions. Graduates will be carefully trained and widely read – indeed they will be able to interpret, evaluate, and use research results across a broad spectrum of topics, well beyond the field of their specific doctoral research.

The programme has two different streams. Students on both streams will be broadly trained in a range of methods in political science and will be able to apply quantitative and/or qualitative methods in their own research. In Stream A there is a greater emphasis in training in quantitative political science, while in Stream B there is greater emphasis on training in qualitative approaches to the study of politics as well as some quantitative methods. Both streams provide grounding in the scope and theory of political science and the challenges of research design. Students must meet high standards in all these fields and must apply their training to the construction of a research prospectus designed to underpin subsequent doctoral research. We welcome applications from students with a good undergraduate degree in political science or a closely related discipline (such as sociology, economics or history) and, preferably, an MA or MSc degree in political science or a closely related discipline.

Year one, Stream A

Compulsory courses

(* half unit)

• Scope and Theory in the Study of Politics*
• Research Design in Political Science*
• Quantitative Analysis II: the Generalised Linear Model* (students with no prior statistics are required to take the Methodology Institute's pre-sessional introductory statistics course)

Options

Choose courses to the value of three half units, or equivalent. At least one half unit must be a quantitative or qualitative methods course. Students can select courses from anywhere in the School that are appropriate for their doctoral training and research. All course selections require the approval of the student's supervisor.

Year one, Stream B

Compulsory courses

• Scope and Theory in the Study of Politics*
• Research Design: Comparative, Case Study and Historical Approaches*
• Qualitative Methods*
• Quantitative Analysis I* (a student may be exempt from this course if s/he can demonstrate existing introductory training in quantitative analysis)

Options

Choose courses to the value of two half units, or equivalent. Students can select courses from anywhere in the School that are appropriate for their doctoral training and research. All course selections require the approval of the student's supervisor.

Second and subsequent years – both streams

Upgrade to the PhD is dependent upon passing the MRes with at least a Merit grade, and approval of the Research Prospectus by the Prospectus Approval Committee of the relevant Stream. In addition, there must be a member of the academic staff who is both suitable to supervise the doctoral research and who accepts to do so. In the PhD part of the programme you will:

• Research and write the dissertation
• Attend at least one research workshop in the Government Department or elsewhere in the School in each year (as specified by appropriate departmental regulations)