Poli92

Hello, I've heard a lot of differing opinions on how much math experience you should ideally come into a grad program with and I would just like a little feedback on what everyone here thinks? I am a poli sci and econ major and have taken the sort of math-related classes one might expect with econ (intro/intermediate micro, applied calculus, two terms of statistical methods). I'm currently a junior so I would have time to throw in more calculus or something along those lines if that would be beneficial. Would I really see any gain from doing this or would I just be suffering for nothing? Also, my interests are with using mixed methods approaches to studying the intersection of economic factors/institutions and internal conflict if that info is helpful. Thanks all!

If I were to say that I'm interested in studying how both domestic and foreign-assisted development programs can be used as tools to mitigate the risk of violent conflict, particularly focusing on the Middle East, would that be a more pointed research question/objective? If so, toward which programs should I be heading in order to pursue this area of study? I still feel like Yale, Michigan, Duke, and UNC-CH could be viable, but are there other key programs that I'm missing?

I certainly see myself being more of a mixed-methods empiricist. I appreciate the usefulness of more qualitative studies for formulating/articulating questions largely because I come from a more qualitative political science department, but I also believe there is a necessity for quantitative methods in order to provide evidence for qualitative claims and to scientifically analyze phenomena, which I think stems from my econ training (I'm a double-major in poli sci and econ). So, if I understand correctly, this puts me more into the CP camp?

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses! They are very helpful! My topic is definitely an economic as well as political issue, however, I have heard that trying to sell yourself as having a PE emphasis can be somewhat hazardous, as you aren't entirely a political scientist or an economist and the interdisciplinary nature of such a field might leave you wanting for specificity or concentration in one area or the other. On the flip side, though, I have heard others argue that a hybrid course of study can be beneficial in providing a multifaceted view of issues. I may very well be totally misinformed, but what is your (or anyone who reads this) impression?

Hey all, You have all been very helpful thus far so I figured I might just as well keep asking questions. Would anyone be so kind as to illustrate the main methodological and substantive cleavages between IR and CP studies? I have heard mixed responses from almost every source I've encountered and I'd like to see what the patrons of this fine forum have to say. My purpose with this is to try to understand with which group I should identify myself as I am interested in examining how domestic and foreign-assisted development programs might be employed to mitigate the risk of both substate and international conflict, particularly in Middle Eastern states. Thank you all in advance!

Hello, I'm just wondering if all of you out there could provide a little insight as to whether or not international experience is an important factor when applying to IR/CP programs. Would it be evaluated with very much weight or just viewed as a peripheral factor? Does it vary depending on the location/substance of the experience in relation to your stated goals in grad school? Thanks!

I do not know about that.

HK2004, that was thank you for the thoughtful and thorough response. I will definitely take your suggestions into consideration over the next year and try to get in touch with some faculty members. RWBG, thank you for your response as well. As far as forming a concise research question or group of questions, I'm admittedly still working on that. I've got about three guided research projects that I'll be working on over the course of the next year out of which I'm hoping to gain a more focused sense of exactly what questions I would like to examine within the realm of conflict. Cazorla, it's funny those two are the one's you mentioned as they're more on the periphery of schools I'm looking at, but I found that Fotini Christia and Roger Petersen at MIT and Virginia Page Fortna and Jack Lewis Snyder at Columbia all had some research that I found interesting both in terms of broader concern with conflict phenomena and regional interest in the Middle East, to varying degrees. For example, I really like some of Roger Petersen's work analyzing emotions as both causes and tools in ethnic conflict, but his area emphasis is much more in Eastern Europe with only some of his more recent work focusing on the Middle East. So, if I were to decide that I was more interested in examining phenomena than regions, I might lean towards him, whereas if I wanted more regional focus, I would probably take him off the list.

Just an update on this, I have found faculty members at Yale, Duke, Michigan, MIT, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Columbia with whom I feel I could be compatible. If anyone could provide insight on whether or not those programs strike you as being well-fitted, at least pertaining to research, I would be truly grateful. Secondly, is it a death trap to market yourself as having an area-specific interest when applying to IR programs? I have heard that this is the case and that I should focus more on emphasizing my interest in a phenomenon, regardless of location, instead of framing it within a certain geographic area. Thoughts? *Side-note: After looking back through my post, I apologize if I sounded dismissive when I said certain professors are 'just' interested in conducting public opinion surveys, etc... This was not at all my intention and I have no desire to make judgement calls about anyone's choice of methodology.

Hey everyone, new poster here! I would like to get suggestions on schools that might be "good fits". I have an interest in pursuing a Ph.D. in either IR, CP, or both. I am comfortable with both quant and qual research methods. I am interested regionally in the Middle East, more specifically on the Mediterranean countries of the Middle East. Topic wise, I have an interest in the catalytic factors (domestic and external) of violent internal conflict and civil unrest, particularly why certain types of conflicts happen in certain areas at certain times. I've done a fair amount of research on schools thus far and typically when I've found faculty members with seemingly promising research interests, on further investigation I seem to find that many are more often just interested in conducting public opinion surveys and examining institutional corruption. I understand that those are important, but I'd like to also look at factors like geopolitics, domestic and international economy, colonial legacies, institutional structure, cultural particularities, etc. Any suggestions on where I might best be able to pursue this kind of work or directions to relevant threads would be great. Here's a little background if it might be useful: Current UG Year: Junior Majors: Political Science and Economics GPA: 3.9 (4.0 in upper-division courses) School: Unheard-of LAC Languages: Spanish (reading and writing proficiency) and Modern Standard Arabic (very basic knowledge) Misc. Items of merit: Currently revising paper for presentation at regional conference RA to Chair of Poli Sci dept. College honors program Extensive campus leadership experience Thanks!