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Benefits of different poly sci fields and locations (Masters, pre-Ph.D)


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I'll be a senior in the fall finishing my BA in Government at Cornell. I ultimately want to teach and do a bit of research on the side; my ultimate career goal is to pursue a Ph.D. and end up at a teaching college, probably in the US. I'm also interested in working in public service, preferably the federal government. Since I don't feel ready to apply for a Ph.D. quite yet, and many have advised me to take a few years to do something else before doctoral study, I'm trying to think about what I should apply for in the next year. The job market seems as though it well be very unkind to a graduating social science major, so I am applying to fellowships in addition to some master's degree programs. Unfortunately I spent much of my undergraduate career figuring myself out - changing majors, taking classes I ended up disliking, being generally "late to the game", so I feel like I haven't really honed my interests much. Much of the coursework I took relates to American politics, and while I do enjoy learning about American politics, I am becoming increasingly interested in European affairs and French/Francophone studies. My hope would be that if/while I do my Ph.D., I can incorporate some French fieldwork as part of my dissertation. I was able to study abroad this semester in the UK and thoroughly enjoyed being abroad.  My primary academic interests are in comparative politics and political methodology (specifically I enjoy studying elections and voter behavior as well as political culture). I am beginning to research and choose schools to submit applications for this fall, and I am soliciting any advice from graduates or current students in these programs. My main criteria include: the ability to continue language study (many US programs lack this), study abroad (similar issue), offer merit aid and/or partial tuition scholarships, and have faculty whose research interests align with mine (either as a potential connection at a future doctoral program and/or someone who can advise me on doctoral applications in the future and how I can incorporate my interests into my career). The programs I am currently considering match some or all of these criteria: 

  • Sciences Po: MA in European Affairs
  • Oxford: MSc in Politics Research
  • Oxford: MPhil in Comparative Politics
  • Cambridge: MPhil in Politics in International Studies
  • University of Chicago: MA in Social Sciences
  • Duke University: MA in Political Science
  • NYU: MA in European and Mediterranean Studies
  • NYU: MA in French Studies
  • UVA: MA in European Studies

It feels like I have a million questions. Some of the most burning ones are:

  • What are the relative benefits of doing a MA in a lesser-known or more niche field (i.e., European or French studies vs. Political Science or Comparative Politics)? Does this set me apart and/or benefit me at all in the Ph.D. application process down the road?
  • Is it worth applying to programs that I *know* will not allow me to study language or study abroad, since these experiences are really important to me?
  • How are the French and British degrees perceived to employers and doctoral programs in the US? 
  • If you were an American student who went to one of these programs in Europe, what was it like adjusting to student life abroad? 
  • If I don't have a lot of international affairs and comparative politics coursework from my undergraduate career, is that a major detriment to my masters application (let's say for all programs except the Duke and UChicago ones)? 
  • I recognize that all of these programs are highly competitive. How do they compare with each other? If you have suggestions for other programs to look at, please feel free to say! 
  • If you are a current student or alum from any of these programs and are willing to share more with me about your experience, career path, etc. - please reply or reach out! I would love the chance to speak further and more specifically with you!

 

 

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5 hours ago, bibble1998 said:

I'll be a senior in the fall finishing my BA in Government at Cornell. I ultimately want to teach and do a bit of research on the side; my ultimate career goal is to pursue a Ph.D. and end up at a teaching college, probably in the US. I'm also interested in working in public service, preferably the federal government. Since I don't feel ready to apply for a Ph.D. quite yet, and many have advised me to take a few years to do something else before doctoral study, I'm trying to think about what I should apply for in the next year. The job market seems as though it well be very unkind to a graduating social science major, so I am applying to fellowships in addition to some master's degree programs. Unfortunately I spent much of my undergraduate career figuring myself out - changing majors, taking classes I ended up disliking, being generally "late to the game", so I feel like I haven't really honed my interests much. Much of the coursework I took relates to American politics, and while I do enjoy learning about American politics, I am becoming increasingly interested in European affairs and French/Francophone studies. My hope would be that if/while I do my Ph.D., I can incorporate some French fieldwork as part of my dissertation. I was able to study abroad this semester in the UK and thoroughly enjoyed being abroad.  My primary academic interests are in comparative politics and political methodology (specifically I enjoy studying elections and voter behavior as well as political culture). I am beginning to research and choose schools to submit applications for this fall, and I am soliciting any advice from graduates or current students in these programs. My main criteria include: the ability to continue language study (many US programs lack this), study abroad (similar issue), offer merit aid and/or partial tuition scholarships, and have faculty whose research interests align with mine (either as a potential connection at a future doctoral program and/or someone who can advise me on doctoral applications in the future and how I can incorporate my interests into my career). The programs I am currently considering match some or all of these criteria: 

  • Sciences Po: MA in European Affairs
  • Oxford: MSc in Politics Research
  • Oxford: MPhil in Comparative Politics
  • Cambridge: MPhil in Politics in International Studies
  • University of Chicago: MA in Social Sciences
  • Duke University: MA in Political Science
  • NYU: MA in European and Mediterranean Studies
  • NYU: MA in French Studies
  • UVA: MA in European Studies

It feels like I have a million questions. Some of the most burning ones are:

  • What are the relative benefits of doing a MA in a lesser-known or more niche field (i.e., European or French studies vs. Political Science or Comparative Politics)? Does this set me apart and/or benefit me at all in the Ph.D. application process down the road?
  • Is it worth applying to programs that I *know* will not allow me to study language or study abroad, since these experiences are really important to me?
  • How are the French and British degrees perceived to employers and doctoral programs in the US? 
  • If you were an American student who went to one of these programs in Europe, what was it like adjusting to student life abroad? 
  • If I don't have a lot of international affairs and comparative politics coursework from my undergraduate career, is that a major detriment to my masters application (let's say for all programs except the Duke and UChicago ones)? 
  • I recognize that all of these programs are highly competitive. How do they compare with each other? If you have suggestions for other programs to look at, please feel free to say! 
  • If you are a current student or alum from any of these programs and are willing to share more with me about your experience, career path, etc. - please reply or reach out! I would love the chance to speak further and more specifically with you!

 

 

I did an MSc in International and European politics at a UK university (not Oxbridge, but only one peg below). Like you, I studied abroad in UG and it lit a fire within me to go back. I had the benefit of being able to take both Europe-focused courses and general IR, which I think helped to keep my profile broad. I actually discovered there that I don't really care for EU politics and wanted to focus more on IR in the broadest sense. I will be starting a PhD in the US this Fall (though this does not qualify anything that I say beyond mere personal experience).

I am not really going to answer your questions on competitiveness, as I don't feel qualified to speak on that level (and frankly neither is anyone else on this forum who will likely chime in at some point). I think any of the schools you listed would qualify you for great PhD programs should you chose to do that later on. I will say though, given that you are are unsure about the PhD route, its likely that you could do an MA and then decide, 'this isn't really my thing'. I think an MA is a worthwhile endeavor in its own right, and end-in-itself for some. But I think the experience you could gain from living abroad beyond only adds to the value of doing a degree in Europe. This is just one guy's opinion, but I feel it was even more life-enriching than the UG experience I had. If being immersed in another culture is important to you, as you say, then I say go for it. 

Also, I did not go there, but you should maybe consider the joint MSc through LSE and Sciences Po. I think it could be a really cool fit for you given your interests.

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13 hours ago, bibble1998 said:

I'll be a senior in the fall finishing my BA in Government at Cornell. I ultimately want to teach and do a bit of research on the side; my ultimate career goal is to pursue a Ph.D. and end up at a teaching college, probably in the US. I'm also interested in working in public service, preferably the federal government. Since I don't feel ready to apply for a Ph.D. quite yet, and many have advised me to take a few years to do something else before doctoral study, I'm trying to think about what I should apply for in the next year. The job market seems as though it well be very unkind to a graduating social science major, so I am applying to fellowships in addition to some master's degree programs. Unfortunately I spent much of my undergraduate career figuring myself out - changing majors, taking classes I ended up disliking, being generally "late to the game", so I feel like I haven't really honed my interests much. Much of the coursework I took relates to American politics, and while I do enjoy learning about American politics, I am becoming increasingly interested in European affairs and French/Francophone studies. My hope would be that if/while I do my Ph.D., I can incorporate some French fieldwork as part of my dissertation. I was able to study abroad this semester in the UK and thoroughly enjoyed being abroad.  My primary academic interests are in comparative politics and political methodology (specifically I enjoy studying elections and voter behavior as well as political culture). I am beginning to research and choose schools to submit applications for this fall, and I am soliciting any advice from graduates or current students in these programs. My main criteria include: the ability to continue language study (many US programs lack this), study abroad (similar issue), offer merit aid and/or partial tuition scholarships, and have faculty whose research interests align with mine (either as a potential connection at a future doctoral program and/or someone who can advise me on doctoral applications in the future and how I can incorporate my interests into my career). The programs I am currently considering match some or all of these criteria: 

  • Sciences Po: MA in European Affairs
  • Oxford: MSc in Politics Research
  • Oxford: MPhil in Comparative Politics
  • Cambridge: MPhil in Politics in International Studies
  • University of Chicago: MA in Social Sciences
  • Duke University: MA in Political Science
  • NYU: MA in European and Mediterranean Studies
  • NYU: MA in French Studies
  • UVA: MA in European Studies

It feels like I have a million questions. Some of the most burning ones are:

  • What are the relative benefits of doing a MA in a lesser-known or more niche field (i.e., European or French studies vs. Political Science or Comparative Politics)? Does this set me apart and/or benefit me at all in the Ph.D. application process down the road?
  • Is it worth applying to programs that I *know* will not allow me to study language or study abroad, since these experiences are really important to me?
  • How are the French and British degrees perceived to employers and doctoral programs in the US? 
  • If you were an American student who went to one of these programs in Europe, what was it like adjusting to student life abroad? 
  • If I don't have a lot of international affairs and comparative politics coursework from my undergraduate career, is that a major detriment to my masters application (let's say for all programs except the Duke and UChicago ones)? 
  • I recognize that all of these programs are highly competitive. How do they compare with each other? If you have suggestions for other programs to look at, please feel free to say! 
  • If you are a current student or alum from any of these programs and are willing to share more with me about your experience, career path, etc. - please reply or reach out! I would love the chance to speak further and more specifically with you!

 

 

I think you are asking the wrong questions. I think the right questions you should be asking is.

1. From a pure undergrad perspective are you competitive to get a Master's Degree in the short term + PhD in the long term?

A. If you don't have 3.66 GPA (at least) you can kiss a PhD at a top school goodbye... Yes, that takes into account that you are coming from Cornell as well. If you are close, I hope you really have the boiler plate standard items be really really strong. i.getting published in an academic journal, ii. Professors who will refer you, iii. at least one kind of an impressive extracurricular of a leadership or organizational capacity.

2. What do you really want to do in life and what are you willing to risk (in terms of money, time, and effort) to figure It out.

A. Is money an issue?

B. Do you need to stay close to family? a significant other? 

3. What type of academic experience do you want to acquire?

A. A research heavy one.

B. Basically a focused one (undergrad on steroids) to figure yourself out + getting better methods training

C. Exposure to UK pub academic culture?

D. Exposure to continental Europe?

4. Who are academics or set of academics you want to work with + you realistically have a chance to work with (so you can scratch out celeb professors) if you went to their grad programs?

I recommend that you identify academics that you think you would like to connect with and see what schools they are in. You can also do this in reverse whereby you look at the schools you are interested in to see if they have the academics you think you would want to do research for. Make sure there are at least 3 (non celeb academics) whose line of work you are interested in.

If you want to do a PhD in the long run, it is all about with Professors will mentor you and bring you under their wing. 

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11 hours ago, Theoryboi said:

I did an MSc in International and European politics at a UK university (not Oxbridge, but only one peg below). Like you, I studied abroad in UG and it lit a fire within me to go back. I had the benefit of being able to take both Europe-focused courses and general IR, which I think helped to keep my profile broad. I actually discovered there that I don't really care for EU politics and wanted to focus more on IR in the broadest sense. I will be starting a PhD in the US this Fall (though this does not qualify anything that I say beyond mere personal experience).

I am not really going to answer your questions on competitiveness, as I don't feel qualified to speak on that level (and frankly neither is anyone else on this forum who will likely chime in at some point). I think any of the schools you listed would qualify you for great PhD programs should you chose to do that later on. I will say though, given that you are are unsure about the PhD route, its likely that you could do an MA and then decide, 'this isn't really my thing'. I think an MA is a worthwhile endeavor in its own right, and end-in-itself for some. But I think the experience you could gain from living abroad beyond only adds to the value of doing a degree in Europe. This is just one guy's opinion, but I feel it was even more life-enriching than the UG experience I had. If being immersed in another culture is important to you, as you say, then I say go for it. 

Also, I did not go there, but you should maybe consider the joint MSc through LSE and Sciences Po. I think it could be a really cool fit for you given your interests.

Thank you!! While I do feel, at the moment, that I ultimately really want to go the Ph.D. route, I've always thought about what might happen if I decide I don't want to continue post-masters. n your opinion, then, is it better to avoid certain programs because they might not be an asset in getting a job? In particular I'm concerned that it's only worth doing a MA in French, or Social Sciences, for example, if I'm planning to leverage it later on for doctoral applications. I've been warned by college career advising that it might actually be harder to get a public service/nonprofit/think-tank job with a masters if the minimum job requirement is a BA (employers might prefer to hire someone with a BA to avoid having to cough up extra money for someone with a masters). Some MA I understand are definitely an asset (those in international affairs or public policy/admin, for instance). I think my apprehension stems from unfamiliarity with the job market for social science grads. Would love to hear what you think.

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3 hours ago, GradSchoolGrad said:

I think you are asking the wrong questions. I think the right questions you should be asking is.

1. From a pure undergrad perspective are you competitive to get a Master's Degree in the short term + PhD in the long term?

A. If you don't have 3.66 GPA (at least) you can kiss a PhD at a top school goodbye... Yes, that takes into account that you are coming from Cornell as well. If you are close, I hope you really have the boiler plate standard items be really really strong. i.getting published in an academic journal, ii. Professors who will refer you, iii. at least one kind of an impressive extracurricular of a leadership or organizational capacity.

2. What do you really want to do in life and what are you willing to risk (in terms of money, time, and effort) to figure It out.

A. Is money an issue?

B. Do you need to stay close to family? a significant other? 

3. What type of academic experience do you want to acquire?

A. A research heavy one.

B. Basically a focused one (undergrad on steroids) to figure yourself out + getting better methods training

C. Exposure to UK pub academic culture?

D. Exposure to continental Europe?

4. Who are academics or set of academics you want to work with + you realistically have a chance to work with (so you can scratch out celeb professors) if you went to their grad programs?

I recommend that you identify academics that you think you would like to connect with and see what schools they are in. You can also do this in reverse whereby you look at the schools you are interested in to see if they have the academics you think you would want to do research for. Make sure there are at least 3 (non celeb academics) whose line of work you are interested in.

If you want to do a PhD in the long run, it is all about with Professors will mentor you and bring you under their wing. 

All very valid points and things I have considered/will consider (didn't want to make the original post too long!) Thank you!!

I think (?) I am a more-or-less competitive applicant. I have some strong recommendations and ˜4.0 GPA. What I'm really lacking in is coursework geared toward international and comparative politics... my background is much heavier on the American politics side, so I recognize that it might not *look* like I'm interested in IR/CP if someone just glanced at my transcript.

It was definitely hard finding fully-funded masters programs on merit aid alone (nothing turned up, though I wasn't surprised). Many of the programs I listed have partial scholarships, and the price point of going to university at Sciences Po (and to a lesser extent, universities in the UK) is comparable to a partial (˜50%) scholarship in the US programs. I'm willing to cough up the application costs in order to cast a wide net. But funding will definitely be a factor once I know which programs, if any, I am accepted to.

I think I am more inclined toward a focused MA to solidify my interest in IR/CP and get methods training that might benefit me later on. I really do want to have the opportunity for either language learning and/or immersion - I feel that this is much more plausible in continental Europe than in the US. 

In your opinion (I might have misunderstood your point in #4), is it really important to conduct research as a masters student? I've always wondered how realistic this is given that many MA programs are so short (and many of the ones I'm interested in include an experiential/internship semester or semester's study at a different institution). Curious what you think. 

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4 hours ago, GradSchoolGrad said:

1. From a pure undergrad perspective are you competitive to get a Master's Degree in the short term + PhD in the long term?

A. If you don't have 3.66 GPA (at least) you can kiss a PhD at a top school goodbye... Yes, that takes into account that you are coming from Cornell as well. If you are close, I hope you really have the boiler plate standard items be really really strong. i.getting published in an academic journal, ii. Professors who will refer you, iii. at least one kind of an impressive extracurricular of a leadership or organizational capacity.

 

Hahah yeah that’s just not true. GPAs lower than 3.5 make it significantly harder to get into a top 20, but not impossible. 
 

18 minutes ago, bibble1998 said:

All very valid points and things I have considered/will consider (didn't want to make the original post too long!) Thank you!!

I think (?) I am a more-or-less competitive applicant. I have some strong recommendations and ˜4.0 GPA. What I'm really lacking in is coursework geared toward international and comparative politics... my background is much heavier on the American politics side, so I recognize that it might not *look* like I'm interested in IR/CP if someone just glanced at my transcript.

It was definitely hard finding fully-funded masters programs on merit aid alone (nothing turned up, though I wasn't surprised). Many of the programs I listed have partial scholarships, and the price point of going to university at Sciences Po (and to a lesser extent, universities in the UK) is comparable to a partial (˜50%) scholarship in the US programs. I'm willing to cough up the application costs in order to cast a wide net. But funding will definitely be a factor once I know which programs, if any, I am accepted to.

I think I am more inclined toward a focused MA to solidify my interest in IR/CP and get methods training that might benefit me later on. I really do want to have the opportunity for either language learning and/or immersion - I feel that this is much more plausible in continental Europe than in the US. 

In your opinion (I might have misunderstood your point in #4), is it really important to conduct research as a masters student? I've always wondered how realistic this is given that many MA programs are so short (and many of the ones I'm interested in include an experiential/internship semester or semester's study at a different institution). Curious what you think. 

I really think your best route is trying to find a research based position related to your interests. In my opinion, the added value of a masters is low, especially for someone with a strong academic record from a top political science program. I know you are worried about not having a background in Comparative- so take more classes at Cornell! You can also explore these things on your own. Public opinion/behavior research Is also dominated by the American context, so having a background in undergrad in American doesn’t necessarily eliminate you from contention or being able to show interest if you combine it with some comparative classes this year. 
 

My biggest piece of advice though- GO TALK TO YOUR PROFESSORS! You go to a school with a top PhD program, who read applications every time and have colleagues at almost every top PhD program. They will be able to advise you way better then any of us (including me) on what you should do.  

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22 minutes ago, munch22 said:

Hahah yeah that’s just not true. GPAs lower than 3.5 make it significantly harder to get into a top 20, but not impossible. 
 

I really think your best route is trying to find a research based position related to your interests. In my opinion, the added value of a masters is low, especially for someone with a strong academic record from a top political science program. I know you are worried about not having a background in Comparative- so take more classes at Cornell! You can also explore these things on your own. Public opinion/behavior research Is also dominated by the American context, so having a background in undergrad in American doesn’t necessarily eliminate you from contention or being able to show interest if you combine it with some comparative classes this year. 
 

My biggest piece of advice though- GO TALK TO YOUR PROFESSORS! You go to a school with a top PhD program, who read applications every time and have colleagues at almost every top PhD program. They will be able to advise you way better then any of us (including me) on what you should do.  

@bibble1998

1. I agree with @munch22 's main premise --> talk to your professors (or virtual talk to your professors I guess). 

2. I also agree that the added value of Master's degrees is quite low from a pure getting into PhD perspective.

However, I think it has value (although very expensively derived value) of long term career clarification just by virtue of having more time and experiences to figure out what you want in life. What people want to do in life changes from what their thoughts are at the end of their undergrad career and the worst place to be is being a PhD who realizes that they don't want to be a PhD a few years in the program. I know a lot of people who went to an a Master's program (both American and UK) mostly as a means of academic clarification to better target what they what they want to do in life + gain some cool new interesting life experiences.

I will also warn that I know people who were likely competitive coming from undergrad but completely went off the deep in grad school and came out of it barely graduating, which really hurt their chances for a PhD (let alone a solid PhD). 

3. So absolutely, people have been able to get into top 20 (even top 10) PhD programs with less than 3.5 GPA with a compelling story and lots of other achievements, but you want to swim with the ocean rather than against --> granted for you it doesn't seem to be an issue. 

4. As for research --> I would clarify this with your Cornell professors first. HOWEVER... it is my understanding that with the exception of Political Theory (which you don't seem to be interested in), the #1 thing that matters for Political Science PhD is methods training and continued exposure to it. Most people I know who went to a top rate Political Science PhD (i.e. Princeton) were able to easily fill the methods gap. Some of them honestly weren't even Political Science majors, but Econ majors as stats/econometrics (as you can imagine) is of growing importance in Political Science. Research --> doing it yourself or supporting it is a great way to view methods up front and helps with a compelling story. 
 

It is not that difficult to do research within 1 year. When my sister went to Oxford for her MPhil, she arrived knowing what he research topic would be up front and narrowed it down quickly. Again, this all goes back to knowing what you want to do academically speaking. 

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9 hours ago, bibble1998 said:

Thank you!! While I do feel, at the moment, that I ultimately really want to go the Ph.D. route, I've always thought about what might happen if I decide I don't want to continue post-masters. n your opinion, then, is it better to avoid certain programs because they might not be an asset in getting a job? In particular I'm concerned that it's only worth doing a MA in French, or Social Sciences, for example, if I'm planning to leverage it later on for doctoral applications. I've been warned by college career advising that it might actually be harder to get a public service/nonprofit/think-tank job with a masters if the minimum job requirement is a BA (employers might prefer to hire someone with a BA to avoid having to cough up extra money for someone with a masters). Some MA I understand are definitely an asset (those in international affairs or public policy/admin, for instance). I think my apprehension stems from unfamiliarity with the job market for social science grads. Would love to hear what you think.

So long story made short, in the 21st century, the is no longer any "defined job market" for anyone anymore. You have social science grads who go to coding and coders do consulting and everything in between. There are definitely legacy pathways for certain job that are strong and robust, but that depends on what you want to do.

I'll answer your question very very very broadly.

1. What your college career advisor is saying isn't completely inaccurate. If you went and got an MPP straight from undergrad for example, you would be competing with those with at least 2 years or so experience and that would put you at a competitive disadvantage, while some firms might be reluctant to pay for a grad school salary, especially if they have automatic pay triggers (so for example, minimum salary at XYZ amount given this level of education). However, there are plenty of exceptions that are abound. At the end of the day, it is about how well you network and how much value people think you have.

2. Generally speaking, getting an MA is an asset period, you just may not realize the benefits of the asset immediately (again it also depends on what job you have). So for example, some of my sisters got a grad degree straight off the bat. That means they had access to a graduate school network on top of their undergrad network that they could pluck for career opportunities. Also, when their peers had to go to graduate school to check the box, they were already complete and not bothered with managing families and significant others. 

Bottom Line: In your 20s, these days its okay if you explore around as long as you making general upward trajectory in your career, that is all that matters. An MA buys you time and can add a network + brand + new experiences that can help you in the long run. If you manage to leverage those opportunities into real tangible career gains (PhD or otherwise --> depends on.

That being said, if you know you want to get a job in the US, but uncertain about the PhD route, going to grad school outside of the UK or US might not be the best decision just by virtue of lack of brand recognition. For example --> I know Sciences Po is super prestigious and highly regarded and shame on me for not knowing better, but I had no idea what it was until a month ago. 

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On 5/23/2020 at 8:16 AM, bibble1998 said:

All very valid points and things I have considered/will consider (didn't want to make the original post too long!) Thank you!!

I think (?) I am a more-or-less competitive applicant. I have some strong recommendations and ˜4.0 GPA. What I'm really lacking in is coursework geared toward international and comparative politics... my background is much heavier on the American politics side, so I recognize that it might not *look* like I'm interested in IR/CP if someone just glanced at my transcript.

It was definitely hard finding fully-funded masters programs on merit aid alone (nothing turned up, though I wasn't surprised). Many of the programs I listed have partial scholarships, and the price point of going to university at Sciences Po (and to a lesser extent, universities in the UK) is comparable to a partial (˜50%) scholarship in the US programs. I'm willing to cough up the application costs in order to cast a wide net. But funding will definitely be a factor once I know which programs, if any, I am accepted to.

I think I am more inclined toward a focused MA to solidify my interest in IR/CP and get methods training that might benefit me later on. I really do want to have the opportunity for either language learning and/or immersion - I feel that this is much more plausible in continental Europe than in the US. 

In your opinion (I might have misunderstood your point in #4), is it really important to conduct research as a masters student? I've always wondered how realistic this is given that many MA programs are so short (and many of the ones I'm interested in include an experiential/internship semester or semester's study at a different institution). Curious what you think. 

I don't know if others have made this point, but if you are concerned about not having sufficient coursework in international/comparative politics then I think (with all due respect) that your concern is misplaced. Political science programs admit plenty of students without any background in political science (economics majors are common, and physics majors not unheard of). And even if you do not have any background in IR/CP I really do not think it will work against you. You may be slightly more competitive with an MA degree if it comes from a non-American top university; Sciences Po, Oxford, Cambridge are decent choices. I'd add London School of Economics to the list and even Seoul National University (I my experiences, both are responsible for the majority of foreign MA holders in Top/Near Top US Phd programs in political science). I really would not waste my time at a US MA program; they simply will not make you a more competitive applicant. They can perhaps help you for other reasons (maturity, growth, figuring out what your interests are) but they will not help you in phd admissions.

Now, add to all this that you both have strong recommendations and a 4.0 GPA at Cornell. That makes you look very competitive as an applicant! I'd spend a lot of time on the GREs, writing sample, personal statement and make all these great by next December. If they are, you are in a strong position to gain admission to a top PHD program. Forget the MA program.

Since I know it is coming, I should add there there are plenty of excellent programs outside the top-10 (there really are!) so figure out where you will fit better and let that guide which programs you apply to.

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I agree with the above, with one caveat: if you say in your SOP that you want to study French politics, and you don't speak French, your application is dead on arrival.

That being said, if you are really that interested in teaching; you should just teach highschool. Doing a PhD to teach, in the current climate, is not a strategy for success. With the demographic shifts coming, as well as a global depression, SLACs and LACs either won't be hiring or will go completely under in droves by the time you are finishing your PhD.

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On 5/23/2020 at 11:45 PM, munch22 said:

Hahah yeah that’s just not true. GPAs lower than 3.5 make it significantly harder to get into a top 20, but not impossible. 
 

I really think your best route is trying to find a research based position related to your interests. In my opinion, the added value of a masters is low, especially for someone with a strong academic record from a top political science program. I know you are worried about not having a background in Comparative- so take more classes at Cornell! You can also explore these things on your own. Public opinion/behavior research Is also dominated by the American context, so having a background in undergrad in American doesn’t necessarily eliminate you from contention or being able to show interest if you combine it with some comparative classes this year. 
 

My biggest piece of advice though- GO TALK TO YOUR PROFESSORS! You go to a school with a top PhD program, who read applications every time and have colleagues at almost every top PhD program. They will be able to advise you way better then any of us (including me) on what you should do.  

I'm not sure if everyone considers a university around 20 a top university (you know, people might say that only CHYMPS are the top universities etc etc)

But in my case, my college GPA is under 3.5 and I made it to a top 20.

Other than that, I really agree with Theory007.

Edited by horololo
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