Students seeking the Ph.D. degree must pass must pass a comprehensive exam course (PUBL 609), and write and defend a dissertation. Each doctoral student plans an individual curriculum with his or her advisor. Typically, a student without a recent and relevant master’s degree takes 48 hours of course work, plus 18 hours of dissertation research. The 48 hours of formal course work normally includes the six core courses, one course in each of the three foundation disciplines (economics, political science and sociology), five courses in an area of concentration and two relevant elective courses. Students with appropriate previous training may complete their course work with fewer credits required.