foosh

Yes, professors are professionals in the sense they are researchers. Lawyers have not been trained to do the kind of academic research professors have. Also, a JD who can teach "public law courses and courses on American institutions" has a very limited specialization that makes him a poor asset for a Political Science department. And herein lies your answer- JDs are not common on PS faculties b/c hiring a PhD in PS with a deeper comprehension of the field is a better deal for the university.

Yes thank you wtncffts, I meant professional in the sense of striving for accreditation. No offense to any lawyers here, but I think you a skewed perspective of what the scope of a JD actually is. For the rest of you, take comfort from the fact that the general consensus here is a JD does not prepare you to be a PS faculty except perhaps in the case of coming from legal academia.

I don't know why there is such a large discussion. A law degree (JD) is a professional agree that qualifies you to practice law. Unless you're a law professor (incredibly difficult sector to crack), then you're likely not qualified to be a PS researcher solely based off your JD and/or admission to the bar. A PhD in PS has had 5+ years of intensive education/research prior to being considered for a faculty position. This is like asking why aren't there more MDs in Biology faculties? The reason is an MD (without a PhD) is designed as a professional degree geared towards practicing medicine. Unless you get the research degree along with that (MD/PhD, just like you would do a JD/PhD to be a PS prof), you're not really qualified to be on the faculty at a university.

There is a big difference between a program where the goal is an MA in IR and a program where the goal is a MA/PhD in PS with a subfield in IR.

If your application is "incomplete" because of the Fall grades, then the school will not consider your application until the file is complete- it will be moved down the pile until the file is complete. I am basing this off several adcom members I've talked to. If it's just a matter of not having Fall grades and your application is complete, you're fine.

You'll be moved down the pile if they've started the process which might put you at a disadvantage. Get those transcripts in ASAP.

It's not strange? Many PS programs in the top 30 are separate from the IR programs. However, PS & IR faculty still interact and some serve joint appointments.

In case anybody is interested in the actual text and status of the amendment (it looks for now it failed to pass the house with a 36-62 vote): AMENDMENT: SA 2631. Mr. COBURN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 2847, making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, and Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the appropriate place in title III, insert the following: Sec. __. None of the funds appropriated under this Act may be used to carry out the functions of the Political Science Program in the Division of Social and Economic Sciences of the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences of the National Science Foundation. STATUS: 10/13/2009:Amendment SA 2631 proposed by Senator Coburn. (consideration: CR S10343, S10345-10346; text: CR S10343)11/5/2009:Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S11148, S11169-11170)11/5/2009:Amendment SA 2631 not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 36 - 62. Record Vote Number: 336.