Statistics -> Political Science?

[milka49]

Hello!

I am toward the middle of my PhD career in Statistics and am considering walking out the door. My program has had a horribly high attrition rate with older students who are similar to me due to one qualifying exam, and I fear I am next. The constant anxiety has led to some mediocre grades in a select few classes (mostly those related to the material this qualifying exam would cover). However, I have gotten As or A-s in all classes not related to that exam.

I find the attrition rate to, perhaps, be a blessing in disguise. It seems pretty indicative of the program's overall culture, and perhaps I just want to get out sooner rather than later. It's unfortunate because this shift is new; I've talked with older students who have seen the department change over the past few years.

Anyways, I'm starting to think about next moves, and I've found many of the tools I've learned in my program very useful to a particular interest of mine: political science. I also think the classes I've excelled in lend themselves well to a political science graduate program. I've looked at political methodology curricula and think I could thrive in this sort of environment.

Has anyone out there gone from a quantitative background to political science like this? I've taken exactly one political science class, and that was in graduate school and was still a statistics course primarily. I wonder whether I would even be remotely competitive given this lack of background. I may have the opportunity to stick around in my program next semester and take some courses in political science. If so, what types of courses would make me more prepared/ help me make sure this would be a good move?

Any advice is appreciated as I watch my life plans essentially crumble before me :) Here's to hoping they rise from the ashes, better and stronger.

[Bird Vision]

Note that I am an Econ PhD student, so temper my advice accordingly. Many students (myself included) do undergraduate degrees in math/stats (plus a second degree in econ) then do a PhD in econ. The prospects are just much better, and the program is mathematically easier. If you allow me to group (math/stats) and (econ/poli sci), you're not that far off from this situation. You are probably missing the foundational poli sci courses and/or intermediate econ courses to be admitted, but many good programs will be drooling over your quant background.

The Stanford Poli Sci PhD "expects that prospective students have had sufficient exposure to the field for them to develop a clear statement of purpose for attending our graduate program," and " applicants are required to submit a written sample that will certainly justify students having previously studied political science."

So you need to produce a Poli Sci writing sample, and letters of recommendation from Poli Sci faculty.

[milka49]

I am hoping to take at least three graduate level courses next semester. Hopefully that signals that I am serious, gets me good recommendations, and allows me to naturally produce a writing sample worthy of the admissions committees' time.

Here's to hoping that they aren't too put off by my theory grades. Thanks for your input!