Ph.D. Emphases

UCSB offers doctoral students the opportunity to complete an “Optional Ph.D. Emphasis” in addition to the normal requirements of their degree program.  Ph.D. Emphases are akin to doctoral minors, with additional course and dissertation requirements beyond those of the regular degree. Completion of an Emphasis results in a special designation on the transcript.  Political Science doctoral students may undertake any of five Emphases.

Optional Ph.D. Emphasis in Black Studies

The Black Study Emphasis builds on our university’s great strengths in Race Studies, Comparative Ethnicity, and the Black experience, and positions UCSB as a leader in Black Studies and Social Justice research and pedagogy.

Optional Ph.D. Emphasis in Environment and Society (IEES)

The Interdepartmental Ph.D. Emphasis in Environment and Society (IEES) was launched in 2014 with the goal of providing UCSB doctoral students an opportunity to receive training and mentorship in interdisciplinary environmental studies and sciences beyond the normal scope of their degree programs.

Optional Ph.D. Emphasis in Feminist Studies

The Feminist Studies Emphasis examines feminist pedagogy, feminist theory, and topics relevant to the study of women, gender, and/or sexuality, using an interdepartmental set of conversations and intellectual questions.

Optional Ph.D. Emphasis in Global Studies

The Global studies emphasis examines transnational economic, political, environmental, social, and cultural interactions and flows that operate at a global (i.e., trans-continental) scale. “Global studies” views the world as comprised of increasingly interdependent processes, rather than as shaped exclusively or even primarily by the interplay of discrete nation-states.

Optional Ph.D. Emphasis in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences (QMSS)

The QMSS emphasis is intended for students who wish to develop and use cutting-edge quantitative methods on social science research.

Optional Ph.D. Emphasis in Technology and Society

The Technology and Society Emphasis brings together doctoral students in engineering, social sciences, and the humanities to engage in multidisciplinary coursework and research into the cultural and societal changes resulting from the use of new information technologies.