Doctoral Program in Political Science
Program Overview
Political science has a rich history at Tulane, which is where the American Political Science Association was founded in 1903. Today, our PhD program prepares students to ask innovative questions, conduct independent research, and become effective teachers. In training students, we emphasize the importance of mastering methodology and research design and using those tools to analyze how political phenomena develop around the world. This is a small, selective program with a high faculty-to-student ratio that facilitates close interaction between students and faculty. The department is methodologically diverse and inclusive of different approaches to the study of politics.
Major Fields of Study
- Comparative Politics
- International Relations
Collaboration with Other Tulane Programs
The PhD curriculum builds on Tulane’s outstanding resources and tradition of scholarship on Latin America, embodied in the Stone Center for Latin American Studies and the Center for Inter-American Policy and Research . The Murphy Institute’s seminars, with an emphasis on political economy, rights, and policy, will enrich our students’ experience and vice versa. Students interested in urban politics can draw on the recently established interdisciplinary PhD program in City, Culture and Community (CCC), with its focus upon “interdisciplinary research aimed at understanding the causes and consequences of urban social problems, relationships between global processes and local change, and the challenges of sustainable development,” as well as its concern with urban policy and the post-Katrina recovery of New Orleans. Students interested in global community health and global environmental health may work with faculty from the Institute for Global Health. Our PhD program’s examination of political institutions in the rule of law and institutional organization also offers opportunities for interaction with the Law School and the Business School.
Job Placement
| Name (Year Graduated) | Dissertation Title | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Abraham, Jenaro (2022) | The FARC’S Revolutionary Failure: Changes in Class Composition and the Making of Modern Colombia (1899-2016) | Assistant Professor at Gonzaga University |
| Aurazo Diaz, Renzo (2026) | Public Sector Mobilization and Public Good Substitutability: A Study of Inverse Dynamics | Postdoctoral Fellowship at Koç University |
| Baiz, Antonio (2023) | The silent invasion into Russia: An imperial transnational campaign 2006-2022 | Instructor at SUNY Westchester Community College |
| Jones, Michael E. (2022) | State-building and political order in post-genocide Rwanda | Professor of Practice at Tulane University |
| Kovacikova, Lucia (2023) | Subnational government internationalization and the global economy | Assistant Professor at Marquette University |
| Olvera, J.P. (2025) | Games of Mutual Extortion: Fuel Theft, Electoral Competition, and Electoral Integrity in Mexico | Instructor, Tulane University School of Professional Advancement |
| Sandoval, Andres (2023) | The politics of corporate social responsibility in the Peruvian mining sector | Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Amsterdam |
| Spira-Cohen, Ezra (2022) | Expanding state reach: Land tenure reforms, informational resources, and state capacities in Brazil | Assistant Professor at Xavier University |
| Trasberg, Mart (2022) | Informal institutions, protest and public goods provision in Mexico | Assistant Professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey |
| Weaver, Kathleen C. (2026) | Domestic determinants of foreign aid: Citizens, institutions, and aid generosity | Full-Time Lecturer at Texas State University |
| Zhang, Zhu (2022) | Wealth without power: The rise of China’s super-rich and their relationship with the Communist Party | Assistant Professor at Fairfield University |