The Ph.D. program in Politics is a five-year program. In specific circumstances, students may need up to six years to finish, particularly when their dissertation research requires extensive fieldwork.

Students who continue their enrollment in year six are typically enrolled in “Dissertation Completion Enrollment” (DCE) status and are charged DCE tuition per semester (please see the Graduate School’s DCE Handbook for more information).

Students who require a sixth year to finish the program should look at the various funding opportunities that exist at the University. Specifically, opportunities that cover a student’s DCE tuition and provide a full or partial stipend in year six. These include:

• The Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in the Humanities (IHUM). Students accepted into the IHUM program in year three receive an additional year of support (tuition and stipend) to be used in year six.
• The Graduate School awards Honorific Fellowships to exceptional students in their later years of study. Selected students receive an additional year of support (tuition and stipend) that may be used in year six.
• The Dean’s Completion Fellowship/PGRA Program is funded by the Graduate School and provides recipients with DCE tuition and a full stipend in the fall semester. Recipients who finish their dissertation and successfully complete the Final Public Oral (FPO) by the end of January are then appointed as a postgraduate research associate through the end of August.
• Other internal sources of funding that provide DCE tuition and full or partial stipend include:
  • East Asian Studies Program
  • Prize Fellowship
  • PIIRS Graduate Fellows Program
  • UCHV Graduate Prize Fellowship
• External funding may also be available, through organizations such as the National Science Foundation.

Department Support

For those six year students who are in need of funding, the Department of Politics provides the following support:

Option 1: DCE tuition and 100% stipend in fall only

At current 2024-2025 rates, this provides a stipend of $20,008 for one semester. This is the best option for students who expect to complete their dissertation and the FPO in the fall semester. Students who choose this option should not serve as an assistant-in-instruction (a.k.a. AI or preceptor) since AI salary will replace, rather than supplement, a portion of the stipend.

Option 2: DCE tuition and 50% stipend in fall and spring

At current 2024-2025 rates, this option provides a stipend of $10,004 per semester for two semesters. Students who choose this option may also serve as an assistant-in-instruction (a.k.a. AI or preceptor), since AI salary for up to 3 AI hours will supplement, not replace, their stipend from the department. For example, students who teach 2 AI hours in a semester can expect to receive approximately 83% of their usual stipend for that semester through a combination of stipend and AI salary (50% stipend from the department and 33% AI salary). Sixth-year students may teach courses within or outside Politics and may teach in fall and/or spring. However, the Department does not guarantee the availability of teaching assignments for sixth-year students.

Eligibility for Department Support

To be eligible for sixth-year support from the Department, students must be eligible for DCE enrollment (see the Graduate School’s DCE Handbook for more information) and be making satisfactory progress toward completion of the Ph.D. Satisfactory progress is determined by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) and is based on successful completion of the following milestones:

• Successful completion of generals and all coursework requirements by the end of the 3rd year. No Incompletes can remain beyond August 1st of the third year.
• Approval of a dissertation prospectus before the end of the sixth term of enrollment in order to remain in good standing. For this purpose, the end of the term is three weeks after the end of classes (when grades for graduate classes are due).
• Submission of at least one full, draft chapter to the dissertation committee, DGS and the GPA by June 1 of the 4th year.
• Submission of at least a second full, draft chapter to the dissertation committee and the DGS by December 1 of the 5th year.

Sixth-year students who have obtained partial support from other sources and who are making satisfactory progress toward completion of the Ph.D. (as defined above) are eligible for “top-up” support from the Department as long as total support from all sources does not exceed DCE tuition and 100% stipend for two semesters. For example, if a sixth-year student receives a fellowship that provides DCE tuition and 75% stipend for fall and spring, the Department will provide 25% stipend for fall and spring. Top-up support from the Department is capped at DCE fees and 50% stipend for two semesters.

Questions regarding financial support in the sixth year should be directed to  Kim Borden, Senior Manager, Finance and Administration.

*DCE tuition rate for 2024-2025. Subject to change in subsequent years.