CH159

Great, this was very helpful. I appreciate it!

Vaguely, but I'd be interested in the campaign finance component of US elections. It's really not concrete enough to form anything like a research proposal, and I thought it might be more beneficial to enroll in an MA program beforehand.

Primarily American politics.

Sorry, I should have been clearer with my first post. samiam: I think that's why I'm actually more interested in a MPP rather than a MA? I'd like to enroll in a PhD program eventually, but it's more with the intent of working in the public sector rather than in academia. And victorydance: I did write a honors thesis, but I guess when I say that I don't have any research experience at all, I meant that I haven't really been involved in anything that was focused solely on research (such as with a professor). I've had some brief assignments helping out with research for internships here and there, but not anything substantive enough to adequately prepare for me for a PhD.

Hi all, I’m new to the forum, and also quite new to the world of graduate schools in general. I am interested in applying for a PhD program in political science, and was hoping for some insight into which programs I can feasibly aim for. I currently attend a top 20 public university (with a double major in political science and philosophy), and will graduate with a 3.9 GPA. My practice GRE scores have been around the mid to high 160s range. Though I have a relatively diverse range of internships (including with non-profits, some political campaigns, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the White House), I have absolutely no research experience. I suppose my main concern is related to the merits of applying to a MA program first, or applying straight to a PhD from undergrad. I’m wary about applying straight from undergrad, particularly as I don’t think I have the academic/intellectual rigor to perform adequately in a doctoral program. Given this lack of research experience, would it be a better idea to apply for a MA or MPP program first? And what would be my admissions prospects if I were to apply to a PhD program from undergrad? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!