Tigs

I don't know if you're committed to top tier only, but I'm a 4th year theorist at Rutgers University and I recommend the program wholeheartedly-- particularly to someone invested in the classics. As far as classes go, all theorists must take a 1st year sequence that is essentially Plato-Rawls (although I have to say, we sort of spend the last several weeks on Marx and then give a nod to Rawls...). Aside from that, profs teach what they want, mostly focusing around specific movements, courses I've taken include: German Idealism, Critical Theory, African Humanism. The program as a whole is flexible, lefty, and friendly. It's also almost impossible to get through the program without substantial dealings with either Marxist or feminist theory. You can choose one or the other, but you'll probably have to deal with one (or both!). If you want to talk more, drop me a line at wlwrightru at gmail dot com. **Also, I take fundamental exception to even the suggestions that one could not study Plato exclusively and yet still be devoted to the study of 'justice, equality, and power.'

I'm a 4th year theorist at Rutgers University, we definitely DO NOT take an analytic approach, and I really love the program. Rutgers has a good theory reputation, a strong placement record, and is definitely easier to get into than the Ivies (further, most top programs nowadays lean towards formal/game theory--things in which I have absolutely no interest). We're strongly focused on the canon, but depending upon your advisor that can take a lot of different directions. For example: my dis uses canonical political theory (Locke, Kant, Hegel, Hayek, Foucault)as a frame for analyzing incarceration in the US. Having a strong background in the canon is not a prerequisite though. All theorists have to go through Western canon bootcamp in their first year, so it all tends to even out after the first year. If you think you're going to end up in a Phd program, I would recommend applying to some programs even if you're thinking MA this year. A MA is useful, but expensive. If you (or anyone!) has any questions about political theory at Rutgers, you can drop me an email @ wlwrightru at gmail dot com.

Hey, I'm a third year at Rutgers (political theorist). We don't have an organized recruitment weekend or anything, but if you want to come in for a visit, Rick Lau (grad director) will help you organize it. I have a great relationship with faculty in some subfields, but there is definitely a split between certain other subfields. I think the greatest challenge is funding, as we are a state school with the same sort of state budget crisis as everywhere else. Rutgers is a great place to do gender-related research and is definitely up and coming in race-related areas. I don't know if they've publicized it or not but we're in the process of courting 2 new tenured people (I believe one has definitely accepted and the other is an almost-yes), one who does gender/theory/policy and the other who does race/Caribbean policy/intersectionality. That being said, I do normative theory with an eye towards policy, and I have found several profs who are interested/supportive of my work. If anyone wants to email me for any info on RU, funding, life in good old dirty Jersey, please feel free: wlwright (at) rutgers (dot) eden (dot) edu -Wendy