Would it be a good idea for me to try and go straight into a security studies phd?

[omniascio]

Hey guys,

I have an undergraduate poli sci degree from UCF in poli sci with emphasis on IR. I am currently pursuing an MA in theology with the desire to one day get a phd and go into academia. However, before I go into that career I plan to enter a phd program in security studies or a poli sci degree that is security intensive when my MA in theology is finished. My intent is to eventually work in DC, although I am still unsure if the think tank thing is for me. My main interests are counter terrorism, humanitarian intervention, nation building, military acquisitions, and anything related to soft power options (such as global aid or organizations) that help reduce the appeal and reach of terrorism the world over. Later on I plan to get my phd in theology (likely from the London School of Theology) and go into academia after I feel I have accomplished something God put me here to do which seems pressing: security policy.

I managed to study under Stephen Sloan at UCF for terrorism and intelligence classes and I did area studies with John Bersia. However, apart from interning with Senator Bill Nelson I have little experience with DC in general. I am wary of think tanks primarily because I have not interned at one yet and don't know if they'll be a good fit for me, but I am definitely going to try and intern at one as soon as I reasonably can given the busyness of school.

I have a 3.4 gpa in my political science undergrad (3.98 in major which I hope counts more) and I so far have a 3.7 gpa in graduate theology form Asbury Theological Seminary. I only took the GRE once a number of years ago and got a 1250 under the old rubric but I feel I'd do much, much better now that I have grad experience under my belt. I also did two major undergraduate papers. One, a treatise on how to win the global war on terror that Dr. Sloan thought was excellent which I wrote back in 2005 and another an even longer paper on the theoretical pros and cons of humanitarian intervention done in 2007 with analysis of both sides of the debate. 2007 is the year I graduated with my undergrad degree. I lost two years to a medical condition shortly after graduating though which is why my papers are so old and I lost a year of time in which I took more undergrad classes after graduating reflecting on what I'd like to do with my life.

Now that I've given you my info here are some questions I would please ask for some input on:

1. Would my current academic record even allow me to be competitive at first rate security studies schools?

2. Do I need an MA in poli sci, an MPP, or an MA in security studies before trying to move onto a phd program in security studies? A major worry is that poli sci MAs seem to offer very little to helping me learn how to do policy instead of preparing me for straight academic work. Also would I need a top notch school to get my masters from to be competitive for a phd program?

3. Would a paper on how to win the war on terrorism written in 2005 be a good writing sample for a phd security studies program? Is the 2007 paper better at all? Could I just try and update my terrorism paper to contemporary events and send that?

4. What programs would you recommend other than the usual suspects for security policy given my interests? After searching it seems the best fit for me may be the Naval Postgraduate School but with no military or intelligence background I doubt I'd get accepted. However, MIT's poli sci phd with heavy focus in security looks promising given my interests and I think Georgetown may be amenable to what I want to do.

5. Given I already live in Orlando, may it be best to apply to UCF's upcoming security studies phd program? My concern here is that they don't seem very interested in my areas of interest if their current course list is indicative of their interests as a university.

6. Lastly, I have heard that if I get accepted to a school for a phd in security studies but don't get significant financial aid to pay for the costs that I should just avoid the school since they likely think I'm not cut out for their program but accepted me because they still want my money. Is this at all true?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Zahar Berkut]

First, I should say that I'm confused by your goals. Do you want to be a professor? Do you want to work in DC and gain policy experience? Neither one of these are necessary to do the other. Some people work first to gain experience and to help them decide if they want to get a PhD. It sounds like you want to attain the milestone of having worked in security policy so you can go on and reach your other goals. But you're not going to reach the position where you can make any serious impact as an individual unless you stay in the policy world for years, maybe decades.

Also note that very few PhD programs are oriented toward policy work-- those tend to be PhD's in public policy, as opposed to political science. RAND's graduate program is ideal for that option, for instance. As a rule, polisci programs train you to be a professor. Also-- are you saying you want to get two PhD's, one in theology and one in political science? Because that sounds way excessive to me.

So, regarding your questions-- you should pose these first and foremost to your undergrad adviser, who will be able to assess your abilities and chances far more accurately. Generally you can compensate for a weak undergrad record with a strong GRE score and a well-crafted personal statement that demonstrates your scholarly aptitude and seriousness and proves why you fit well with the given department. You do NOT need a master's before entering a PhD program, though some people do those to further make up for a weak undergrad record. But again, if your concern is that a master's in polisci/security studies will not train you to do policy work, you shouldn't be looking into a PhD in the same area that will most certainly not acclimate you to the policy world. What you would want is a degree in international/public affairs, the kind that SAIS and Fletcher offer.

So, I'd say clarify your goals, and talk to your adviser at length to figure out what works best for you.