I recently have found myself in an odd position: after spending my time as an undergrad (and one year in a master's program) studying economics and mathematics and preparing to apply to PhD programs in economics, I am considering switching track and maybe going to grad school (MS or PhD) for political philosophy instead. I've always found economics engaging, but after taking some time off post-MA I've discovered I have a far stronger interest in political philosophy, to the point where I wish I had made it my focus when I was still in school. I feel very passionately about this and have a few subjects I deeply wish to research but feel that I don't have adequate resources to do so while working full-time.
My qualifications are:
BS in Economics, BA in Mathematics
MA in Economic Forecasting
Overall GPA: 3.8
Notable courses include high-level undergraduate statistics classes and graduate level real analysis.
Thesis on the performance drop off of forecasts using real-time LEI data relative to revised LEI data. (I am proud of this, it includes a great deal of research using primary sources to track the historical composition of the LEI with a level of detail the Conference Board doesn't provide)
Good letters of recommendation from at least 4 professors... however they are all economics professors.
I also have multiple years of experience working as a data analyst (more in the sense of being a data architect in training than the 'business analytics' type this title usually implies) and thus have a strong background in data. I am proficient with SQL, and broadly competent with R, Python and SAS (having used them all in research and/or work contexts). If it would help I'm also familiar enough with mongoDB that I'm confident could pass a certification exam after a couple months of prep.
These qualifications would prepare me to get into a decent Economics PhD program, however I am worried that they mean absolutely nothing for political philosophy or political theory. Anyone have any idea where I stand? Is there anything I could do to improve my odds of getting into a good program from my current position?
