Is going to unranked school worth it? - Political Science

[UTKBob]

It's late and I'm worrying again, and this place has been awesome with guidance so far.

To recap from a previous thread, I've received full funding to the University of Tennessee's PhD program in Political Science, which I am eternally grateful for.

Here's what's keeping me up tonight. UTK isn't ranked. I know Tennessee is generally regarded as competitive among large state schools, and I have no delusions of grandeur here. Anecdotally, one of my undergraduate professors who went to the same program told me that because of budget cuts/time constraints, Tennessee doesn't bother with trying to improve their program rank. I don't know how true that is. I know literally nothing about the program.

Here's my thing. I went to a small liberal arts college, and wouldn't mind teaching at one so long as it isn't stuck in the absolute middle of nowhere. But I'd like to have the possibility of working for a larger state school, just because of how awful the job market is.

I'd even consider teaching at the high school level, like at a private school or a charter school of some sort.

Basically, I'm flexible, and I know I won't be teaching at Yale, but what are my chances of finding gainful employment and NOT getting stuck in adjunct hell?

[hj2012]

Is it a possibility for you to contact the department and ask for a list of where recent alumni ended up? This might give you a better sense of your options and networks for your future career. Ranking usually corresponds with higher placement rates, but this is not a hard and fast rule by any means. It'll be best to look at the outcomes for your specific program and make your decision from there.

[went_away]

Might be helpful to look abroad. I wonder if you'd stand a good chance of landing a tenure track and/or decently paid position fresh out of an American PhD program. 

 

Also, you might have a chance to upgrade the 'glitz'/pedigree of your C.V. if you can land a post-doc position at a higher ranked institution upon graduation.

[JustChill]

Try to contact current grad students in the department. They often are the best source of reliable and frank info about the program and they will have a good sense of what recent graduates have found afterwards.