How is Carleton

[sammo3182]

I got three admissions to phd programs in political science so far, which from Carleton, Catholic University of America, and South Carolina. I know none of them is first-standard, while is Carleton a little better? I heard it can be regarded as a good university (in Canada at least), especially in International Relations. Is anyone who is or was in any of the three? Could you give me some more details? How are the programs going? Thank you~

Edited February 24, 2011 by sammo3182

[slacktivist]

I'd have to think that South Carolina actually has the best reputation of the three. Other things being equal, an American PhD is typically more valuable both in the United States and in most countries.

[Count de Monet]

I know people who did their MAs at Carleton and enjoyed their time there. Carleton does have a very good reputation in Canada; however, I think I have to agree with the poster above. Unless you are going to Toronto or McGill I'd think a PhD from an American university would be of better value.

[Lokyar]

I am just finishing my Political Science MA at Carleton:

By Canadian standards its a high quality department. It is quite large; in my first year i felt a bit lost in it all because it can be hard to make connections with the faculty in such an enviroment. But if you work hard and participate in department life its not so bad.

Large department also means lots of little talks and conferences going on, so if you want to there are many opportunities to get involved.

Graduate offices leave something to be desired, to say the least...a dozen or so people crammed into a single large room with desks is the norm.

Grade inflation is something of a 'problem' in many classes, especially some of the related interdisciplinary departments. "A-" grades are handed out so commonly that to many top students its considered a slap in the face. I once knew a student who handed in a paper that was little more than a barely comprehensible list of disconnected facts, so they really hit her hard and gave her a “B.” I myself have gone from a 3.62 GPA in undergrad to a 3.91 for my total masters program. I have even heard that other schools like Toronto informally deflate the grades of their Carleton applicants a bit to compensate. I suppose this is not a bad thing if you are a mediocre student looking to eventually get into a professional program such as Law.

I got a pretty good education here, I can’t complain too much...but in retrospect i should have taken the offer from Western.

Edited February 25, 2011 by Lokyar

[sammo3182]

Thanks for you sharing your experience with me! Yet, I have a problem now: why I usually saw people (such as the replies above including yours) making their master there rather than phd? Does it mean the Phd in PS is not so usual in Carleton?

I am just finishing my Political Science MA at Carleton:

By Canadian standards its a high quality department. It is quite large; in my first year i felt a bit lost in it all because it can be hard to make connections with the faculty in such an enviroment. But if you work hard and participate in department life its not so bad.

Large department also means lots of little talks and conferences going on, so if you want to there are many opportunities to get involved.

Graduate offices leave something to be desired, to say the least...a dozen or so people crammed into a single large room with desks is the norm.

Grade inflation is something of a 'problem' in many classes, especially some of the related interdisciplinary departments. "A-" grades are handed out so commonly that to many top students its considered a slap in the face. I once knew a student who handed in a paper that was little more than a barely comprehensible list of disconnected facts, so they really hit her hard and gave her a “B.” I myself have gone from a 3.62 GPA in undergrad to a 3.91 for my total masters program. I have even heard that other schools like Toronto informally deflate the grades of their Carleton applicants a bit to compensate. I suppose this is not a bad thing if you are a mediocre student looking to eventually get into a professional program such as Law.

I got a pretty good education here, I can’t complain too much...but in retrospect i should have taken the offer from Western.

[wtncffts]

Thanks for you sharing your experience with me! Yet, I have a problem now: why I usually saw people (such as the replies above including yours) making their master there rather than phd? Does it mean the Phd in PS is not so usual in Carleton?

No, that's not it, I don't think. If you look at the results page, Canadian universities in general have fewer postings, probably because there are simply fewer Canadian applicants. The results for Carleton, such as they are, are mostly for PhDs. As far as I can see, Carleton has a robust PhD program. BTW something which hasn't been mentioned is that it's in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, which may afford greater opportunities.

[Poppet]

Well, if you're interested in International Relations, I would suggest that Carleton is one of the best universities you could choose to go to for that subject in Canada, because Carleton is the only Canadian school which has a professional school of International Affairs recognized by APSIA. The Norman Patterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) is very prestigious in Canada because of its APSIA affiliation, and while you are not taking that program, many of the professors in Political Science are affiliated with NPSIA. So that connection, combined with the fact that you will be in the national capital means that I imagine your access to resources and the education you receive, will be quite decent.

As an American however, I'm not sure how that degree would crossover once you choose to return home to teach though and it would be something worth considering.

[ElanMorin]

I got three admissions to phd programs in political science so far, which from Carleton, Catholic University of America, and South Carolina. I know none of them is first-standard, while is Carleton a little better? I heard it can be regarded as a good university (in Canada at least), especially in International Relations. Is anyone who is or was in any of the three? Could you give me some more details? How are the programs going? Thank you~

From what I've heard from people at the program, as well as the general sense I've gotten from seeing which professors are prominently represented at Conferences etc, Catholic is a great place to study theory. It's also in DC, which presents its own opportunities. If you want to study other subfields though South Carolina is probably better.

Also, the cost issue is very important to keep in mind. I've lived in both DC and Columbia, South Carolina and you can get an apartment in Columbia for literally 1/4-1/3 the cost of an equivalent apartment in DC. Columbia is a very, very cheap place to live, which is great if you're living on a stipend and don't want to take out a lot of loans.

[Lokyar]

Thanks for you sharing your experience with me! Yet, I have a problem now: why I usually saw people (such as the replies above including yours) making their master there rather than phd? Does it mean the Phd in PS is not so usual in Carleton?

Lots of people get their PhD for political science from Carleton; including some moderately renowned Canadian scholars. Its more of a "big fish in small pond" thing, i think: Carleton is a heavy hitter and her Political Science PhDs are respected and can find academic work within Canada...but beyond our modest Dominion, particularly the United States, i would be alot more hesitant. I have heard several horror stories of good post-doctoral grads from top Canadian schools such as Queens or U of A being put on the same level by American faculty hiring committees as the graduates of the worst American programs simply because they weren't from either U of T, UBC, or McGill.

I personally know some of the Political Science PhDs here, and in terms of program satisfaction they cover a wide spectrum, but few if any seriously entertain the idea of getting a decent job outside of Canada, especially the US, after they graduate.

As for the Normal Patterson school of International Affairs, its not what it used to be. DFAIT has had a hiring freeze for years, yet the department keeps upping the cohort size every year, denying funding to most (masters level at least) students, et je pense que si vous ne parlez pas le francais aussi, Ottawa n'offre pas beaucoup d'avantages

Edited February 28, 2011 by Lokyar