Columbia or Yale (PhD)?

[sec_guy]

I got admitted with fellowship to both. I am interested in IR/security with particular focus on intra-state violence... any suggestions?

[Canadianpolsci]

I got admitted with fellowship to both. I am interested in IR/security with particular focus on intra-state violence... any suggestions?

What about Stathis Kalyvas? He does ethnic conflict, his work (that I have read) is outstanding, he is a rising star, and he is at the centre of Yale's new "initiative" on order, conflict, violence and fundraising. Ok, I added "fundraising", but that is really something to consider as they have a centre, will bring in people, etc.

His profile is:

http://www.yale.edu/polisci/people/skalyvas.html

At Columbia there is Jervis, and others. Columbia for IR is maybe the best in the world. Very powerful and respected group of scholars in IR and IR theory there.

If you can, visit, meet the people, the grad students. See the cities. For instance: you can decide if you prefer NYC or New Haven (I'm kidding).

Reputation-wise I think its about even. Yale better name than Columbia overall, but Columbia is REALLY well known in IR. As a political theorist interested in IR and American politics, I can tell you that even I was thinking of Columbia in part to study with these razor sharp nuclear weapon strategy dudes. I was rejected from Columbia (I think in part because their theory people's interests do not match my own.)

Anyway, its a tough decision but a wonderful set of IR programs. Congrats!

[polisciphd]

I know Richard Betts at Columbia, he would be great to work with. However, Yale has a new initiative on Order, Conflict, and Violence which looks very interesting and could provide some great research projects.

Order, Conflict, and Violence

Possible concerns: revolution, riots, civil war, genocide, international war and peace; what makes conflict more or less violent; classical theorists of order and conflict such as Thucydides, Machiavelli, Hobbes, or Kant; the evolution of national; non-national, or transnational political orders; the politics of crime; the legitimation of order; or the state as an instrument of political order.