Modality
On Campus
Program URL
https://government.georgetown.edu/ph-d-in-government/
The joint program in Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies and Government provides students with the opportunity to earn a Master of Arts degree in tandem with a Doctor of Philosophy degree. Students gain a solid grounding in the languages and cultures of the region and develop their ability to integrate theoretical and practical knowledge of regional affairs while gaining knowledge of the region from broad disciplinary perspectives and using a variety of methodologies.
Academic Policies
Students in the joint program in Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies and Government are expected to comply with the polices outlined in the program handbooks and with all Graduate Academic Regulations.
To earn the Master of Arts degree, students must complete 36 credits of coursework and two advanced language courses and present their original research to program faculty prior to graduation.
The curriculum is organized across five disciplines: Anthropology-Sociology, Culture, Economics, Government, and History. Together, with the program directors, students plan an academic program that includes coursework in at least three of the five disciplines, including two core seminars and two advanced language courses. The remining eight courses are selected according to the student’s academic interests.
At the conclusion of the program, students take the Capstone Seminar, which requires them to make a public presentation of their research projects to program faculty and students.
Government
Students in the joint program follow the course requirements for the Comparative Government Field of Study. The course requirements are outlined below.
Major Field Requirements (12 credits)
- Four 8000-level GOVT classes (12 credits) in major field
- Pass a Comprehensive Exam in the major field, typically within the spring semesterof the second year of study.
Distribution Requirements (9 credits)
- GOVT-8800: Fundamentals of Political Theory (3 credits) in the first semester of study
- Two additional 8000-level GOVT classes in oneor more substantive fields other than the major field of study.
Methods Requirements (6 credits)
Electives (21 credits)
- 7 graduate-level courses in any field. At least one elective must be in a field that is neither the student’s major field nor methods. Electives taken to satisfy the Master of Arts in Arab Studies requirements may be used to satisfy the elective requirement for the Ph.D. in Government, per the approval of the Department.
Required Examinations
Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies
Students are tested in reading and oral proficiency in a language of the region upon entry to the program and placed in the appropriate level of language classes. Completion of two courses at the advanced level is required for graduation, except for native speakers of a language of the region.
Government
The Comparative Government Comprehensive Exam is offered over eight hours in one day. Part I of the exam addresses political methodology. Students select one question and provide a written response. Part II covers topics in Comparative Government, and students select three questions to answer.
Thesis Requirements
Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies
While students do not write a traditional thesis, they are required to complete a research project during the Capstone course taken at the end of the program.
Government
Once students have completed the comprehensive exams, they must form a Dissertation Committee who have special competence in the area or topic and who collectively can help with the theoretical, methodological, and empirical dimensions of the student’s research.
Once the dissertation prospectus is written and students have received approval from their committee members, students will present their prospectus at a 90-minute colloquium that is open to Government Department faculty and students.
Students will spend at least two years researching and writing the dissertation. Results of the research will be presented at a public dissertation defense where anyone in attendance may ask the candidate questions. At the conclusion of the defense, the committee will vote in private to determine whether the student may proceed with submitting the dissertation to the Graduate School and ultimately graduating.
