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I think your background in math will make you stick out to an admissions committees. Focus on improving your GRE scores.

Many political science PhD programs require a second major. For example, both IU-Bloomington and Duke require PhD students to major in two of the traditional political science subfields. I mentioned those two because I am considering both programs.

I will be applying to PhD programs this fall, and am currently finalizing a list of programs I would like to apply to. I intend to major in comparative politics, with a focus on post-communist (particularly Russian) politics. I am considering a minor or second major in political methodology, as I (1) am very interested in this topic as a whole and (2) feel as though it would make me more competitive on the academic job market in the future. First, is it true that a methodology major/minor makes one more competitive? Second, while I have taken courses in political analysis and have a working knowledge of basic statistics, regression, and one software program (R), I have not taken any undergraduate courses solely in statistics. Would admissions committees question my ability to study this at the PhD level?

I will be meeting with a professor from a USNWR top 30 PhD program that I am strongly interested in attending. One of my current professors attended graduate school with him, so he put me in touch. The professor I will be meeting with has research interests close to mine. I will be applying this fall. Will meeting with him improve my chances of getting in, or not really?

This might seem like kind of a trivial question. I am asking more out of curiosity as an individual applying to PhD programs in political science (comparative politics) this fall. How did you narrow down your regional interest? Why?

If you feel like your research experience might be a bit limited, you can try to demonstrate in your SOP when applying why the experience you DO have will help you in graduate school and/or demonstrate your propensity for carrying out sustained research. I am kind of in the same boat. I will be applying this fall and I think I have a very well-rounded profile, aside from formal research experience. I am, however, proficient in R and have taken courses in quantitative research methodology. I also have professors that can attest to my ability in this area. After this semester I will be submitting one paper to a prominent undergraduate journal and will possibly be presenting a different paper at a conference in the fall.

I wonder what explains the jump.

I just took a look at the US News and World Report rankings, which must have been updated in the past day or two. MSU went from 32 to 29. University of Pennsylvania is now ranked 19. Correct me if I am wrong, but was this program in the 20s-30s?

What are examples of PhD programs that have declined in quality/prestige in recent years?

While admissions committees claim to holistically approach all applications, my concern would be that they don't even look at applications that don't meet a certain GRE score.

I am really considering applying to MSU's political science PhD program this fall. Any thoughts about this program, specifically for comparative? Any information (even outside of comparative) is appreciated.

Hello, Does anyone know of professors in the US that do work on German politics? Thanks

Wow, I had no idea. Interesting. This makes sense, as I read an article of hers (I believe it was in the WP) criticizing higher ed funding, among other things. This article explains it.... https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/09/06/northwestern-bans-professor-campus-and-faculty-members-split-whether-move-justified

Northwestern has a strong program in political theory. I know this because I am applying there for a PhD this fall. Mary Dietz, James Farr, Stevens, Tillery, etc. Dietz's work is really interested, as it spans the fields of gender and sexuality, classical political thought, and contemporary political thought.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy quantitative research. I could have written this better. I am really interested in many different research methods. I don't want a department that limits my scope to one mode of analysis.

How does one go about determining the methodological bent of a particular political science department? I am primarily interested in comparative politics (comparative political economy, especially), with a regional interest in Western Europe. While I have taken courses in quantitative research methodology and am fairly well-versed in regression, I think that I am better suited for qualitative research. With this in mind, do any departments/professors in the US (preferably top 30) meet these criteria? Thanks

Hello, everyone. I am planning on enrolling in a PhD program in Political Science (specifically, political theory) at either the University of Chicago or Michigan-Ann Arbor. Being that my focus is on political theory (very philosophy-oriented), I often ponder the value of advanced scholarship in the humanities and social sciences. To those that are currently pursuing an advanced degree, what are your reasons? What motivates you? Personally, I am so passionate about my field of study because it is so relevant to everyday life. Political behavior drives everything.