convex Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 I think some people on this board are students at UIUC. I have some questions about the program, so I am throwing them out there and hoping someone answers. 1. I see that methodology is not offered as a major or minor field, despite stellar methods faculty such as Jude Hays, Wendy Tam Cho, etc. What is up with this? Can students who want to do methods research (i.e. develop new statistical models/tests, write the software to implement them, write the kinds of papers that appear in Political Analysis) be successful at UIUC? 2. Do faculty co-author a lot of papers with students? How would proportion of students who co-authored a paper with a faculty member compare to other institutions? 3. How many people are in a typical graduate seminar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingwalrus Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 I'm not at Illinois, but... http://www.pol.uiuc.edu/graduate/progra ... ools-47857 I applied there last year. Could have sworn they offered methods as a field, but maybe they've changed the structure of their program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAPoliSciPhD Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 flying walrus - you're at UNC now, right? How do you like it? Glad you woudn up there? I've applied...but who knows what the future holds for me.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingwalrus Posted December 27, 2008 Share Posted December 27, 2008 flying walrus - you're at UNC now, right? How do you like it? Glad you woudn up there? I've applied...but who knows what the future holds for me.... Yep. It's a great department, especially for Americanists who are interested in public opinion and mass behavior. Plus it doesn't really get cold here and the cost of living is relatively cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polisciphd Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Sorry I didn't respond sooner, have been crazy busy. Illinois does not, at this point, offer methods as a subfield. This may change in the not too distant future however. That being said, we are very methods heavy, as are most of the big ten schools. The IR program, for instance, requires 5 graduate classes in methods. This means you will take a methods class almost every semester until you start your dissertation. We are also members of the Committee on Insitutional Cooperation, a consortium of schools that among other things offers advanced methods classes via the web that poli sci students at any of the member institutions can take. So if U Michigan is offering a class in HLM or Advanced Bayesian, you can take it via the web. While comparative does not do as much methods training as we do, American certainly does. So either IR or American and you will get plenty of methods, I assure you. Please write me if you have any other questions about the school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
convex Posted January 13, 2009 Author Share Posted January 13, 2009 Thank you for your response, tidefan. I am pretty interested in UIUC, and will definitely be considering it if they don't reject me. (If they do reject me, I will probably decide that they are overrated ) Have you heard of people who enter with advanced statistical training fulfilling some of the methods requirements with courses in the statistics department? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polisciphd Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 The way it works is that everyone is required to take "at least" five methods courses. If you already know stats at the level of an advanced graduate student, then there are more specialized classes you can take, such as hierarchical linear model, advanced bayesian stats, game theory, etc. so that you aren't wasting time taking classes you already know. on the other hand, you might just want to take the methods sequence and enjoy a class where you don't have to kill yourself trying to keep up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
convex Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 By the way, could you tell me who taught the last formal theory course offered in the department? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polisciphd Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Svolik, fall 07, but it was taught through ITV last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesson Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 In answer to the 2nd and 3rd of the original questions, yes, there is a good bit of coauthoring between faculty and graduate students at UIUC. I'm not sure how it compares with other places, but I'd guess UIUC is toward the high end. They have some information on it here: http://www.pol.uiuc.edu/research/grad_pubs.html . As to seminar size, substantive seminars seem to average around 8-12; some of the early courses in the methods sequence can be up toward 20. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
convex Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 Thank you. Are you a current graduate student? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesson Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 No, I'm a retired graduate student. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polisciphd Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 If anyone gets admitted to the U of I and is planning a visit, please let me know and I would be happy to meet with them, or answer any preliminary questions they may have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plisar Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Tidefan, Illinois should be due any day now based on historical trends. Do you know if they will be notifying this early again and if so, how were you notified? Do you remember when? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polisciphd Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 I was notified by email on Jan. 31st of last year. I know the adcom has met and several profs that came in for the process have now left (on sabbatical or to conferences, etc.) so I imagine it would be sooner than later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruBru Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 This is one program that I am very excited to hear from (fits my interests very well)... hopefully it'll be good news and I can begin to pick through your brain Tidefan. Thanks for the offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
convex Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 Someone reported being accepted via phone today on the results board. Edit: I am mildly skeptical about this though, since a.) they would have got this call after offices should normally be closed and b.) it seems that nobody got phone calls from this school last year. I do, however, WANT to believe it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polisci09 Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I got my phone call at 7:15 Eastern time, so 6:15 there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polisciphd Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Congratulations! Let me know if you have any questions about the program or about the CU area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catchermiscount Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I got the call, too - 8:15pm. I'm sure I'll be hitting you up for info as we go, tidefan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
convex Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 I take back my skepticism. Still, why no love, Illinois? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plisar Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I'm in too. Call around 7:20 Eastern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
convex Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 I'm much more nervous than a few hours ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruBru Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I'm much more nervous than a few hours ago. I'm with you on this... no phone call came my way. Hopefully they called their favorites today, and will be contacting us sometime tomorrow with some decent news. Probably not... but hey, wishful thinking never hurts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
convex Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 Lame... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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