Dissertation Prospectus Seminar

Catalog description

This is a workshop-style PhD seminar that has one central aim: namely, to help you develop a draft of your dissertation prospectus. The dissertation prospectus represents a piece of original research on an important question in the field of political science that is approximately 35-40 pages in length, inclusive of references. The prospectus should clearly state the puzzle of the dissertation; its theoretical importance; and the research hypotheses that will be evaluated. In addition, students should explicitly articulate the specific empirical evidence and methodological techniques that they will use to assess the validity of the research hypotheses. A strong proposal does more than just summarize existing research on the question that the dissertation plans to investigate – it constitutes a promise to produce a PhD dissertation that will advance the state of the field.