Current Students

The POLS Graduate Student Handbook is a description of the procedures and requirements of the Political Science Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs at UIC. It is meant to be a first base of reference for graduate students. Procedures and forms are subject to change, so think of this handbook as a living document and remember to seek further advice from the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), the Department Head, and the rest of your faculty. A student is held to the regulations in place in the handbook at the time the student begins the program, but a student may choose to follow any revisions that occur after the date they entered.

We recommend students keep a copy of the handbook that is in place when they begin the program, so they have a frame of reference as to what regulations apply to them.

Curent POLS Graduate Student Handbook

1. Look at the catalog (course numbers listed above) to see which independent study fits what you’re looking for most. First and second year graduate students typically do not take these courses without planning with the DGS or Advisor.
2. PhD students – If PhD students have completed the core course requirements for the PhD degree, pending a conversation with the DGS and assigned advisor, they may be eligible to receive a POLS MA while working on the PhD if they enroll and successfully complete POLS 593.
3. Once you decide on a course, develop an idea of a project or an outcome for the course that you want.
4. After that, email the prof. you want to take it with and ask for their approval.  Some courses require DGS approval as well.
5. Once you receive the approval, complete the POLS Graduate Independent Study & Dissertation Course Form – REQUIRED
6. Register for your course via my.uic.edu

*Note PhD Students must have passed prelims to take POLS 599. A graduate college petition is required for registering for Zero hours of POLS 599.

Depending on the availability of funds, the department will support graduate student academic travel to graduate students representing the department at (presenting) or attending an academic conference. Maximum support is $200 per student/per request. Priority is given to those presenting at conferences. Please submit form below to receive Department Head and funding approval.

The Graduate Student Travel Support Form MUST be completed PRIOR to your trip to receive any reimbursement. – This form will give you Department Head and funding approval for your trip in one form.

After successful completion of the program core, students, in consultation with advisors, will choose to be examined in two Department subfields. Eligibility requirements for both subfields are the same. The first exam subfield will be chosen from one of the Department’s three core areas of specialization: American politics, urban politics or comparative politics. The second exam subfield can be chosen from American politics, urban politics, and comparative politics. Students with interests in political theory and international relations can pursue these areas as a second exam field, but shall do so only with DGS approval. A third exam field will be based on the student’s proposed dissertation work. Two exams over the same subfield are not allowed.

• Preliminary Exams Readling Lists 

Preliminary Exam Committees 

Comparative: Petia Kostadinova (Chair); Andres Feldmann; Yue Zhang

Urban: Evan McKenzie (Chair); Yue Zhang; Alba Alexander

American: Alexandra Filindra (Chair); Noah Kaplan; EJ Fagan

Theory: Stephen Engelmann (Chair); Norma Moruzzi; Cedric Johnson

Please visit the Graduate College Assistantships Overview to review the description of assistantships (TA, RA, GA)

Financial aid awards for continuing students are made on an annual basis by the Department Head and the DGS in consultation with other Department faculty. Renewals of assistantships are contingent on Departmental needs, the student’s timely progress in the program, quality of scholarship, and satisfactory performance of assistantship duties. Students not previously awarded financial assistance are welcome to apply at any time during the course of their studies. Students are generally notified of their awards for the next academic year before the end of each spring semester. Specific assignments will continue to be made on a semester-by-semester basis. Each semester, the Graduate Office provides forms to continuing students to state their preferences for the following semester’s assignments. Every effort is made to take these preferences into account with consideration of student eligibility, Department budget constraints, faculty requests, scheduling, and other Department priorities.

Advanced PhD students may be invited to teach their own courses as circumstances arise. The Department Head and the DGS make the final assignments in such cases. Students are rarely funded for more than four years.

Priorities for graduate student funding are made in the following rank order:

1. First and second year students who were promised aid from time of admission and who are
   making satisfactory progress in their coursework
2. Third and fourth year students who are making satisfactory progress toward taking preliminary
   examinations
3. First through fourth year students who were not promised aid at time of admission but whose
   performance in the program warrants support
4. Students who are beyond their eighth semester, who are making satisfactory progress in the
   program, and for whose services the Department has a specific need.
5. Students who are beyond their eighth semester and who are not making satisfactory progress in
   the program, examples include
   1. Not having taken preliminary examinations
   2. Having taken prelims but not having defended a dissertation proposal
   3. Students who are ABD but who are not making reasonable progress toward defending
      their dissertation

Satisfactory progress includes:

1. Completion of preliminary exams by the end of the seventh semester
2. Maintaining a minimum of 3.5 GPA with no grades below “B”
3. Defending a dissertation proposal within six months after passing preliminary examinations.
4. For ABD students, satisfactory progress is measured by reports from the dissertation committee submitted every semester

International students who were promised aid from time of admission and who are making satisfactory progress may need to receive 50% funding.

The Chicago Metropolitan Exchange Program (CMEP) allows graduate students in a doctoral program, or in a participating training program that is jointly supported by the Exchange Scholar’s home and host institutions, to enroll at one of the three participating institutions to take advantage of academic courses at any of the other participating institutions that are not available at their home institution. The three institutions in the program are the University of Chicago, Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Chicago.  UIC students are permitted to take a total of three quarters of classes through the CMEP program at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University.

• CMEP Eligibility and Process 
• CMEP Application Form 

Contact Robert Roa for more information.

External Funding (outside of UIC) must be coordinated with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. They also have an excellent funding search portal to help students source funding opportunities.

Graduate College Funding Opportunities Overview 

• Dean’s Scholar Fellowship – The Dean’s Scholar competition is open to doctoral students who have passed the Graduate College-required Preliminary Examination and are well into their dissertation work. This is a one-year, non-renewable award presented by the Dean of the Graduate College in recognition of a student’s scholarly achievement. The award is intended to provide the most distinguished, advanced-level graduate students with a period of time dedicated solely to the completion of their programs. Eligibility requirements and information on the nomination process appear below.  Applications will be reviewed by the Graduate College Awards Committee and winners announced in late April.
• Graduate College Student Presenter Awards  –  The Graduate College offers up to $150.00 (depending on actual expenses) to eligible graduate students to help to defray costs associated with presenting original research or scholarly work at a meeting or conference. The meeting or conference must be a part of a nationally or internationally recognized scientific or scholarly society. Applicants must be presenting the original research or scholarly work themselves. The award may be used for transportation (outside the Chicago metropolitan area only), hotel, meals, and/or registration expenses.
  • If you’re interested in this award, you must submit an application AFTER you present at the event, along with proof that you presented.
• President’s Research in Diversity Travel Assistance Program – This competitive award program has been established for the purpose of promoting diversity and the understanding of diversity within the University. Recipients are provided a certificate and funding, not to exceed $600, to travel to a professional conference. Awards will be presented to up to ten (10) University of Illinois students in each biannual awards cycle. The reimbursement of travel expenses through these conference travel awards is intended to support student candidates who will be presenting papers, posters, or creative work at conferences related to issues of diversity or identity, such as those involving race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, and national origin, in service to the University’s interest in a diverse learning community.

Use the following hyperlinks to explore Other Funding Resources, Online Funding Resources, and National & International Opportunities.