Need a CP Poli Sci degree focusing on the Middle East

[wannabee]

I am looking for a doctoral program in Poli Sci/Comparative Politics, preferably with a qualitative slant, that lets me focus on the Middle East. I was not a poli sci major although many of my classes emphasized politics of the Middle East and South Asia (including an honors thesis). My BA (4.0 gpa) is in Middle Eastern Studies from a top twenty university. I took four years of Arabic, plus summer study abroad under a State Department scholarship and another semester at the American University in Cairo. Now I am at CASA(Cairo)in advanced Arabic for a year because I need strong language skills for the type of field research I hope to do.

My GREs are mixed -- 730 verbal, 680 quant., 5.5 writing. I took statistics in college but no other math. I had great references and luck with Middle Eastern Studies/Arabic last year, turning down partial/full funding from several masters programs in order to accept CASA. However, poli sci is a new trail for me.

I have been pouring over faculty rosters of Poli Sci departments. I was surprised that so few have faculty at the associate or full professor level specializing in the Middle East. There are some assistant professors and a few emeritus but I can't rely on that. So far I've found one or more tenured person with that specialty in these departments: U Chicago (best of the best with Wedeen!), UCLA with Steven Spiegel(although I am wondering if he will retire soon), Georgetown (with several faculty in this area but it looks as if they have little funding), University of Michigan with Mark Tessler.

Anyone with any other suggestions on CP programs with faculty specializing in the Middle East? Plus, how much will I be hurt for my undergrad major and/or comparative weakness in math?

[Penelope Higgins]

You may or may not like the focus of these folks/departments, but here are a few more places with senior folks doing at least partly qualitative work on the Middle East. I am sure that there are others - I am not a Middle East person myself.

Brown (Melani Cammett)

Princeton (Amaney Jamal now has tenure)

UMass (Jillian Schwedler)

Berkeley (Kiren Chaudhry)

Your lack of poli sci background will not be a hindrance to you in applications, so long as you can explain your interest in a poli sci PhD. The math background will be more of an obstacle some places (Princeton, UCLA, maybe Michigan) than others. You might also look at Middle East Studies PhD programs at places like Princeton, where you could work with Poli Sci faculty but get in through a different door.

I am looking for a doctoral program in Poli Sci/Comparative Politics, preferably with a qualitative slant, that lets me focus on the Middle East. I was not a poli sci major although many of my classes emphasized politics of the Middle East and South Asia (including an honors thesis). My BA (4.0 gpa) is in Middle Eastern Studies from a top twenty university. I took four years of Arabic, plus summer study abroad under a State Department scholarship and another semester at the American University in Cairo. Now I am at CASA(Cairo)in advanced Arabic for a year because I need strong language skills for the type of field research I hope to do.

My GREs are mixed -- 730 verbal, 680 quant., 5.5 writing. I took statistics in college but no other math. I had great references and luck with Middle Eastern Studies/Arabic last year, turning down partial/full funding from several masters programs in order to accept CASA. However, poli sci is a new trail for me.

I have been pouring over faculty rosters of Poli Sci departments. I was surprised that so few have faculty at the associate or full professor level specializing in the Middle East. There are some assistant professors and a few emeritus but I can't rely on that. So far I've found one or more tenured person with that specialty in these departments: U Chicago (best of the best with Wedeen!), UCLA with Steven Spiegel(although I am wondering if he will retire soon), Georgetown (with several faculty in this area but it looks as if they have little funding), University of Michigan with Mark Tessler.

Anyone with any other suggestions on CP programs with faculty specializing in the Middle East? Plus, how much will I be hurt for my undergrad major and/or comparative weakness in math?

[wannabee]

Thank you for telling me that Jamal got tenture. I was looking at Princeton Near Eastern Studies and specifically looked at him. He was listed as an assistant. They NES requirements said you could take one field with someone from a different department so this looks possible. I will check out the other schools.

[Penelope Higgins]

You're welcome. And Amaney Jamal is a woman. The Middle East Studies (or whatever it is called) also has at least one poli sci PHD on the faculty.

Thank you for telling me that Jamal got tenture. I was looking at Princeton Near Eastern Studies and specifically looked at him. He was listed as an assistant. They NES requirements said you could take one field with someone from a different department so this looks possible. I will check out the other schools.

[wannabee]

You're welcome. And Amaney Jamal is a woman. The Middle East Studies (or whatever it is called) also has at least one poli sci PHD on the faculty.

Ach! Than you. There was no picture on the site when I looked. I will check further.

[Charlie2010]

You sound competitive for a top department, although you might want to give the math GRE another shot to raise that score. There are so few departments with Middle East specialists that you should probably broaden your range to consider other places with good comparativists who will help you ask and answer interesting questions about the region. You've already got the language and cultural background, and you'll spend another year or two in the region during your PhD, so you don't really need that in your department. (Not that it's a bad thing, but given the slim pickings you shouldn't view it as essential).

[Gradstudent1985]

I would advise as well looking at:

Fawaz Gerges (London School of Economics)

Avi Shlaim (University of Oxford)

John Sidel (London School of Economics)