Department of Government

The mission of the Government Department's graduate programs – including both the Ph.D. program and five distinct M.A. programs – is to provide students with the analytical skills and substantive knowledge needed to conduct and evaluate research in political science, preparing them for careers at the highest levels of scholarship, teaching, and policy-making. Students develop theoretical, methodological, and substantive expertise, as well as the research and communication skills necessary for productive contributions to their chosen fields, and in the discipline of political science in general. The requirements of each program give students the tools and opportunities to master the relevant scholarly literature and to develop practical skills (when applicable). In addition to the formal requirements of each program, the department provides numerous opportunities for professional development. Students are also encouraged to continue their development outside of Georgetown by attending specialized seminars and presenting their research at academic conferences. Upon completion of the program, the recipient of a graduate degree from Georgetown's Government Department is prepared to engage in debates at the discipline’s leading edge and to join a wider community of scholars and practitioners.

Our Ph.D.s have an excellent record of placement, including tenure-track positions in the past few years at Cornell University, McGill University, American University, University of Texas-Austin, University of California-Irvine, University of California-Riverside, University of Oklahoma, University of Colorado, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Graduates of our M.A. programs consistently go on to excellent careers in government, consulting, international organizations and law, think tanks, policy analysis, business, and further graduate studies, both in Washington, DC and around the world.

Click here for more information about our Ph.D. program

Click here for more information about our M.A. programs

Click here for Graduate Student Resources

Click here to hire a Ph.D. Student

Click here for information about Joint Degree Programs

Click here for our Ph.D. Program Handbook

Click here for our M.A. Program Handbook