Faculty perspectives

[PoliSci2016]

Hi BFB, 

I'm about to sign a funding offer & I need to sign an intellectual property agreement that basically says the university is part-copyright holder & will split any profits with the inventor/author while they're a student (or faculty member) -- I'm guessing this is standard for most universities, right? And obviously applies more to science & technology, but just wanted to double check on that before I accept my offer.

Thanks!

[BFB]

5 hours ago, PoliSci2016 said:

Hi BFB, 

I'm about to sign a funding offer & I need to sign an intellectual property agreement that basically says the university is part-copyright holder & will split any profits with the inventor/author while they're a student (or faculty member) -- I'm guessing this is standard for most universities, right? And obviously applies more to science & technology, but just wanted to double check on that before I accept my offer.

Thanks!

That's a new one on me. Universities often operate this way, and to my mind it's not unfair. But I've never seen an agreement like that for grad students.

[GradSchoolTruther]

If you make any profit as a political science grad student, that would be a first.

[Hopeful23]

Is it possible to work as an RA for a professor at another university even if you've never met them and they are in another state? I know it is common for economics professors to offer RA jobs to recent graduates that are looking to boost their chances of getting into a better PhD program, but I have never seen it in political science. For me, I will be working for a year or two and want to keep my skills sharp and boost my profile. So is it possible to contact a professor at a top program and offer to help with there research in some way? 

[BFB]

4 hours ago, Hopeful23 said:

Is it possible to work as an RA for a professor at another university even if you've never met them and they are in another state? I know it is common for economics professors to offer RA jobs to recent graduates that are looking to boost their chances of getting into a better PhD program, but I have never seen it in political science. For me, I will be working for a year or two and want to keep my skills sharp and boost my profile. So is it possible to contact a professor at a top program and offer to help with there research in some way? 

It's certainly possible. It's not a given, but it's worth a shot.

[30rus]

Dear BFB, i would be ever so thankful if you could give me your feedback on my case.

 

i have been accepted for a PhD in Political Science at a University in Belgium and will start this September, now the thing is that neither my B.A nor my M.A was in political science, i Did my masters in an interdisciplinary field, Indian Studies, but did a IR thesis for that and i'm continuing the research and extending it in my PhD. now i want to be more competitive in job markets (Not the U.S. Apparently) like Europe or Australia/NZ and other places. i was thinking about applying to a Funded M.A., for e.g. there's one in UBC which is funded and its only a year, now my supervisors are okay with me leaving for a year or 18 months and working on my doctorate on the sidelines, so by getting this M.A. in Politics, from a good school, i think i'll have a better chance of obtaining a job, now how do you think admission committee's would look at my case? would the fact that i got into a PhD be a positive factor or a negative one? i'm trying to improve my resume, now i know publishing can do that but having another M.A. in the field that i'm getting its PhD wouldn't hurt either. looking forward for your suggestion

[BFB]

On May 22, 2016 at 11:52 PM, 30rus said:

I have been accepted for a PhD in Political Science at a University in Belgium and will start this September, now the thing is that neither my B.A nor my M.A was in political science, i Did my masters in an interdisciplinary field, Indian Studies, but did a IR thesis for that and i'm continuing the research and extending it in my PhD. now i want to be more competitive in job markets (Not the U.S. Apparently) like Europe or Australia/NZ and other places. i was thinking about applying to a Funded M.A., for e.g. there's one in UBC which is funded and its only a year, now my supervisors are okay with me leaving for a year or 18 months and working on my doctorate on the sidelines, so by getting this M.A. in Politics, from a good school, i think i'll have a better chance of obtaining a job, now how do you think admission committee's would look at my case? would the fact that i got into a PhD be a positive factor or a negative one? i'm trying to improve my resume, now i know publishing can do that but having another M.A. in the field that i'm getting its PhD wouldn't hurt either. looking forward for your suggestion

This is more about job market prospects than graduate admissions, so it's not something that I'm more qualified to opine on than other faculty. In this case, I suspect that your own faculty members can better advise you. My impression here is that the quality of work trumps everything else, so the real question isn't whether it adds a line to your cv -- it's whether it makes your work better.

[davet73]

So, my question is about potential supervisors. After being accepted to a university, how should I go about approaching prospective PhD supervisors? I have heard nightmare stories about professors hijacking a students research and that research basically mimicking the research interests of the professor instead of that of the student. I want to make sure that I have a great level of autonomy with guidance. Can I be direct in asking about autonomy, or would it come across badly? 

Thanks,

Dave

[BFB]

On June 8, 2016 at 9:10 PM, davet73 said:

So, my question is about potential supervisors. After being accepted to a university, how should I go about approaching prospective PhD supervisors? I have heard nightmare stories about professors hijacking a students research and that research basically mimicking the research interests of the professor instead of that of the student. I want to make sure that I have a great level of autonomy with guidance. Can I be direct in asking about autonomy, or would it come across badly? 

It's sort of hard to get that information out of potential advisors, in no small part because we may not be aware of our own flaws :-) But when you visit a campus you'll have a chance to talk to the graduate students there as well. I'd seek out an advisee or three and ask them. I'd also ask grad students in your subfield who the best advisors are.

[Hopeful23]

So I took a PhD macroeconomics course and got a B- (so pretty bad for a grad class), how would a political science admissions committee view this? I have taken other grad classes in polisci, econ, and math and firm A's in them , so would that properly offset them ? Or would it be prudent to retake the class to get a better grade? In particular i want to have some political economy in my future research. How would this effect admissions to a CHYPMS or higher political economy programs? Thanks!

[BFB]

19 hours ago, Hopeful23 said:

So I took a PhD macroeconomics course and got a B- (so pretty bad for a grad class), how would a political science admissions committee view this? I have taken other grad classes in polisci, econ, and math and firm A's in them , so would that properly offset them ? Or would it be prudent to retake the class to get a better grade? In particular i want to have some political economy in my future research. How would this effect admissions to a CHYPMS or higher political economy programs? Thanks!

Basically impossible to predict. Some adcomm members will latch onto it, others will shrug it off in the larger context of better grades. If macro is a huge part of your statement of purpose, then it gets easier to predict -- it'd be a problem.

[curvilineardisparity]

Dear professors,
Thank you very, very much for all your posts here! They are extremely helpful!

I was accepted by two different universities. A high ranked one, which offered 5 years of funding, including two years of either TA or RA (second and third years), and the rest without any work obligations; and a low ranked one, which offered a renewable 1-year TA, 4 years of summer TA and an additional scholarship from the department. Both universities have at least one professor that I'd love to work with, and in both I'd earn fairly the same amount (the second one pays a little more).

Whereas I'm very tempted to take the first offer, I really want to do a TA for as long as possible. I've been a lecturer before in my home country, and I believe that being a TA for longer increases my chances of being hired at a university afterwards.

My questions are:

1) Is it true that being a TA increases one's chance of being hired after graduation?

2) Taking into consideration the first case, do you see any chance of becoming a TA, let's say, in the first year, during summer courses, after the third year, etc, other than the two assigned years?

3) In case the answer to (1) is yes, does it make sense to prioritize the university with a lower rank that offered me more possibilities of being a TA?

[BFB]

1 hour ago, torschlusspanik said:

1 hour ago, torschlusspanik said:

Dear professors,
Thank you very, very much for all your posts here! They are extremely helpful!

...

My questions are:

1) Is it true that being a TA increases one's chance of being hired after graduation?

2) Taking into consideration the first case, do you see any chance of becoming a TA, let's say, in the first year, during summer courses, after the third year, etc, other than the two assigned years?

3) In case the answer to (1) is yes, does it make sense to prioritize the university with a lower rank that offered me more possibilities of being a TA?

You're welcome!

1) If you're hoping for a job at a teaching college, being a TA for longer might improve your chances, I suppose. But research institutions care more about the quality of your dissertation.

2) I'd be very surprised if they didn't allow you to TA for money rather than giving you money for free, but you should ask the DGS to be sure.

3) I doubt it, personally.

 

[HermioneWannabe]

I have an interview next week.  I know who I'm interviewing with an have come up with a list of questions, but from your perspective - what do you think potential students should ask in interviews?

Thanks!

[BFB]

1 hour ago, HermioneWannabe said:

I have an interview next week.  I know who I'm interviewing with an have come up with a list of questions, but from your perspective - what do you think potential students should ask in interviews?

Thanks!

"What will you do to help me produce the best dissertation I can produce in the shortest amount of time possible?"

There are others (like "What percentage of your students at any given time are unfunded, and who are they?") but this is, to my mind, the big question that everyone should ask.

[HermioneWannabe]

2 minutes ago, BFB said:

"What will you do to help me produce the best dissertation I can produce in the shortest amount of time possible?"

There are others (like "What percentage of your students at any given time are unfunded, and who are they?") but this is, to my mind, the big question that everyone should ask.

Thank you!

[as2472]

Also just started a thread about this, but thought it could be helpful to get a faculty perspective on this particular issue. After multiple e-mails, calls, and a verbal confirmation that she had sent in my reference, I just saw on the application portal that one of my referees actually did not send it in. I've e-mailed both her and the school to ask if it is still possible for it to be considered, but is there really any hope of that happening at this point? It is my top choice and even though she has a reputation for being down to the wire, I never expected her to put me in this situation. Honestly just so hurt and worried right now. 

Is there anything I should be doing besides e-mailing and calling on Monday? Will this ruin any shot I had? Thank you in advance! 

Edited February 5, 2017 by as2472

[BFB]

1 hour ago, as2472 said:

Also just started a thread about this, but thought it could be helpful to get a faculty perspective on this particular issue. After multiple e-mails, calls, and a verbal confirmation that she had sent in my reference, I just saw on the application portal that one of my referees actually did not send it in. I've e-mailed both her and the school to ask if it is still possible for it to be considered, but is there really any hope of that happening at this point? It is my top choice and even though she has a reputation for being down to the wire, I never expected her to put me in this situation. Honestly just so hurt and worried right now. 

Is there anything I should be doing besides e-mailing and calling on Monday? Will this ruin any shot I had? Thank you in advance! 

From the admissions side, we generally do consider files with only two letters rather than the required three. YMMV, but it's quite possible that it won't matter in the end.

At this point I'd write to the DGS there and ask the same question. I suspect you'll get the same answer, but you deserve the reassurance.

[Quick Questions]

Hey there BFB,

Long time listener, first time caller. I'm looking for some advice. I completed a B.A. at a Canadian University last year (4.0 GPA, GRE V166/Q161/AW5.5; multiple teaching assistant positions, no publications). I was hoping to jump into a direct PhD in political theory but I've all but struck out, so it appears that I will be doing an M.A. (thesis-based) at my alma mater. I have strong relationships with numerous professors in the department. Given that I've got just under 2 years before the next set of deadlines for PhD applications, I want to make sure that I use my time efficiently and productively (while still enjoying my forays into grad school along the way). In your view, is there anything I can - or absolutely should - be doing during my M.A. to make my application more competitive in the next round? (beyond the obvious improvements to the application package - better SOP/writing sample coming out of a grad seminar or thesis chapter or whatnot) 

Thanks very much. And thanks for taking the time to answer questions here - it's very helpful! 

 

Edited February 19, 2017 by Quick Questions

[BFB]

On 2/19/2017 at 0:57 PM, Quick Questions said:

Hey there BFB,

Long time listener, first time caller. I'm looking for some advice. I completed a B.A. at a Canadian University last year (4.0 GPA, GRE V166/Q161/AW5.5; multiple teaching assistant positions, no publications). I was hoping to jump into a direct PhD in political theory but I've all but struck out, so it appears that I will be doing an M.A. (thesis-based) at my alma mater. I have strong relationships with numerous professors in the department. Given that I've got just under 2 years before the next set of deadlines for PhD applications, I want to make sure that I use my time efficiently and productively (while still enjoying my forays into grad school along the way). In your view, is there anything I can - or absolutely should - be doing during my M.A. to make my application more competitive in the next round? (beyond the obvious improvements to the application package - better SOP/writing sample coming out of a grad seminar or thesis chapter or whatnot) 

Thanks very much. And thanks for taking the time to answer questions here - it's very helpful! 

 

Honestly, the MA will be 90% of the game, I think -- not just for the degree but for the additional professionalization that it implies. I'd perhaps ask your mentors for feedback on your application packet, but other than that, hit the books and do your best in the interim.

Also, keep your MA syllabi and apply for transfer credit at your Ph.D.-granting institution, but you didn't hear that from me.

[Quick Questions]

Thanks very much! Figured that not actually having the M.A. (especially as a Canadian student) was going to be the biggest problem with my packet, but I'll definitely look for some other feedback as well. As I said before, I really appreciate you taking the time to give everyone here a hand. 

[rougeetnoir]

Hi BFB,

I've been lucky enough to be accepted at a few PhD programs ( including a CHYMPS) and I've been blown away by how helpful the professors everywhere are. I've made my decision, but I'd love your perspective on something. One of the things I've been discussing with them is the possibility of interdisciplinary research ( since I'm pol Econ in the sense I want to look at Econ problems through a pol lens) and a couple of them mentioned the ability to do a simultaneous MA or even PhD in Econ. However, a couple of professors advised me against pursuing this since it sends the wrong signals to the hiring committee when you go on the job market  ( apparently that you're not committed enough to the discipline.) Any advice would be much appreciated!

[BFB]

This is one of those issues on which reasonable people differ. It's like asking whether the people on the hiring committee prefer coffee or tea -- some prefer one, some prefer the other, and you can't predict which is which. Your best path is to do what you want to do and let the chips fall where they may.

[Hopeful23]

I made a post about this and didn't get too much response, so I was hoping you could shed some light on it. It is fairly common for prospective phd economics students to complete a full time RAship for a year or two to get more research experience, better letters, etc in the hope of boosting there chances to getting into a better program. Is their an equivalent in political science? Is there a place you would recommend looking for full time RA positions or predoctoral fellowships for political science? Thanks!

[BFB]

1 hour ago, Hopeful23 said:

I made a post about this and didn't get too much response, so I was hoping you could shed some light on it. It is fairly common for prospective phd economics students to complete a full time RAship for a year or two to get more research experience, better letters, etc in the hope of boosting there chances to getting into a better program. Is their an equivalent in political science? Is there a place you would recommend looking for full time RA positions or predoctoral fellowships for political science? Thanks!

Well, predoctoral fellowships are generally for advanced graduate students, so those wouldn't help someone hoping to get into graduate school. As far as RAships are concerned, there are undergraduate RA positions in political science at many universities, but how you sign up for them or advertise your availability varies from one place to the next. Often it's simplest to email professors and describe your relevant experience and availability. I'd ask your department's program coordinator for more details.