roprisko

I value your input, but that shift only works if you can obtain data for ALL programs. In response to penalizing programs, I stand by holding the faculty accountable for placement (at least in aggregate). I suggest looking at the full write-up rather than focusing solely on Placement Efficiency.

Most of you are acting out of ignorance. (Not out of fault.) You don't know what the reality is because you can't - you haven't been a professional academic. Maximizing your value and opportunity is common in academe. In many programs, substantial raises are given only when a faculty member presents an external offer in order to show their market value. Similarly, students should not diminish their value and potential by being unnecessarily loyal to a program. I say apply for a PhD program because it increases your value, opportunity, and likelihood of finishing any grad degree. It is common to test the waters to see if you can move up in institutional prestige from MA to PhD. There is no contract. Limit your professional opportunity at your own risk. Listen to people who speak out of ignorance at your own risk.

Act as you will. However, I will give advise based upon my experience and understanding of the realities of the current academic market in political science. Be upset. Be pretentious. You will learn soon enough that this is a business - a highly competitive business. The only person to support you 100% is you. Don't sacrifice your future because you bought into the indoctrination that academe is different. It's about money and prestige. Invest in yourself.

No viable data exists for that. Every program keeps/fails to keep records on cohorts differently. Many are very opaque about cohort size, be it a group of PhD students who graduate in a given term or students who enter in a given AY. I respect your criticism, but we stand by our variables and our operationalization of them. They are best for what is available.

No it isn't. Graduate School is an apprenticeship. This is a business as well as an educational agreement and the students are entering with far less knowledge and power. Again, I reiterate that students should apply for Ph.D. programs because they will be valued more by the professors, the program, and the university. Why in the world would you put yourself at a disadvantage vis-a-vis your peers? More importantly, I don't think you have any understanding of ethics and norms in post-graduate studies. If you haven't done it, you're talking out of ignorance.

Placement When looking at graduate programs, I strongly suggest applying for the PhD, even if you have no desire to move past the MA. It will increase your chances of funding and the investment that your program will put into you. You can always change your mind and get the PhD, which you are already set for. Going into an MA program only, will almost always come without funding and will alter the value you bring to the department. I strongly suggest leaving for a better program following your MA if you were not directly admitted to your PhD program. The worst thing a better program can do is say "No" and you can continue as normal. My research on placement can be found in the following articles: 1) http://gppreview.com/2012/12/03/superpowers-the-american-academic-elite/ 2) http://gppreview.com/2013/08/21/pushing-up-ivies-institutional-prestige-and-the-academic-caste-system/ 3) http://gppreview.com/2013/09/15/placement-efficiency-an-alternative-ranking-metric-for-graduate-schools/ Comprehensive paper) http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2303567 Power Point Presentation) https://www.academia.edu/4266759/Honor_Prestige_and_the_Academy_A_Portrait_of_Political_Science_Tenured_and_Tenure-track_Faculty_in_Ph.D.-granting_Institutions_2012-2013_ The first three are quick reads, the fourth is a comprehensive paper. The final link is a power-point presentation that I gave at APSA. The most important point, however, is that this method shows the competitiveness of these programs. Yes, it only looks at placement in R1 programs, but that's by design. I strongly caution you to pay attention to anecdotes and numbers (statistics without citations) from Profs or programs. If they don't have hard data, it's for a reason - the data doesn't reflect positively on them. Many people will tell you a "truth" they want you to believe. I think that you should look at the numbers, read up on it, and decide for yourself. The absolute worst way to enter graduate school is unable to think critically. Good luck to you all.