Graduate Degrees

The School of International Relations offers graduate curricula leading to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. In addition, there is a program for the Ph.D. in political economy and public policy offered jointly with the Departments of Economics and Political Science, a joint J.D./M.A. with the Law Center and a Master of Science in International Public Administration offered jointly with the School of Public Administration.

Academic work in the School of International Relations is organized into three fields of concentration. Usually, three or four courses in a field are recommended for M.A. and Ph.D. students. The three fields are: international political economy; international politics and security; and United States foreign policy. Specially developed fields may be designed for M.A. students, and Ph.D. students may take one field outside the School of International Relations. Details on all fields, faculty, cross-referenced courses, cognate courses and scheduling can be obtained from the student affairs office.

Admission Requirements

Admission decisions are based on consideration of applicants' prior academic performance, which is determined by review of both the GPA and letters of recommendation. The committee also considers the potential for success in a graduate program based on Graduate Record Examinations scores.

Conditional Admission

Students who show promise but who have not met the requirements for full admission to graduate programs, may be admitted conditionally into the graduate program for one semester. In order to enter the M.A. program they must take two approved courses in one semester and receive at least a 3.5 average in these two courses, and they must be reviewed and approved by the graduate admissions committee. The regulations governing applicability of 400-level courses are pertinent.

Admission into the Ph.D. Program

The Ph.D. program is designed for students who show the highest level of competence in studying complex problems in international relations and who have shown superior potential for significant research in the discipline. There are four ways in which a graduate student can be admitted into the Ph.D. program: (1) A student entering with a master's degree in international relations or a related discipline, completed elsewhere, may be admitted directly into the Ph.D. program. The number of credits which will be applied toward completion of the Ph.D. will be judged in each case. (2) A student entering with a master's degree not in international relations or a related discipline, earned elsewhere, can be admitted into the Ph.D. program after completing three graduate courses. The screening process consists of an oral examination of the applicant by the faculty with whom the course work was completed. (3) A new student entering the graduate program without previous graduate course work, who shows unusual promise, can be admitted directly into the Ph.D. program after completion of three graduate courses. The screening process consists of an oral examination of the applicant by the faculty with whom the course work was completed. If the student is accepted, the M.A. degree requirements are optional. (4) If a student has not had early screening into the Ph.D. program, demonstration of Ph.D. potential in course work and in the M.A. comprehensive examinations or thesis constitutes such a screening process.

All recommendations for admission to the Ph.D. program are reviewed by the graduate admissions committee and the director of the school. Faculty complete an evaluation form on each graduate student at the end of each course and these faculty evaluations are used in this screening process.

Students who fail to gain admission to the Ph.D. program because of a negative decision in the course of any or all of the screening processes described above may appeal in writing to the director for reconsideration.

Degree Requirements

These degrees are under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School. Refer to the Requirements for Graduation section and the Graduate School section of this catalogue for general regulations. All courses applied toward the degrees must be courses accepted by the Graduate School.

Foreign Language Requirement

All graduate students must successfully show proficiency at fourth semester competence in one foreign language. M.A. and Ph.D. candidates who submit theses/dissertations must show research competence in at least one, or possibly two, foreign language(s), as determined by their guidance committee.

International students, whose native language is not English, must submit proof of their ability to read and understand social science materials in their native language (where appropriate), or in another language in which significant social science material is available.

Quantitative Skills

If the student is required to prove quantitative skills for the dissertation, competence may be demonstrated by following one of two procedures. The first involves successfully passing an examination in the theory and application of quantitative methods. The second entails presenting evidence of completed course work in statistics and methods, plus the execution of a major research paper or equivalent.

These requirements are effective for students entering in fall 1985 and thereafter.

Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995
Joye Day
day@mizar.usc.edu