second Ph.D

[evilmickey]

good evening smart people, I need your opinions,

 

I got a Ph.D in economics at a French University and now I want to apply for a second Ph.D in Political science in some well ranked American University:

 

-first to strengthen my theorical background in this field and open a new research horizon that combinate between both sciences.  

-second to get the bless of the ivy league that will probably open to me some good opportunities to be a professor and researcher in Economics and Politics in one of the best universities in the world.

 

is this possible in your point of view? are the Politics and Economics different enough to make the admission comittee convinced that I need training in Political field ? is my first Ph.D a desadventage in my application ?

 

I thought about Post Doc but you know it's practically impossible to go in a Post Doc position at a great university AND in an other  field and I feel that I really need to get a training in political theory.

 

I love both of those fields so I hope I can get this double expertise,

 

so your suggestions ? can I convince this stubborn headed committee that I need to be formed in Political science?

 

Thank you,

[Usmivka]

I think a second PhD is a bad idea for all sorts of reasons, not least in that it keeps you in school for another 5 years when you could instead be getting job experience. Your economics degree should have produced work output (papers, books, teaching experience?) to prove that you can tackle questions in the social sciences and produce your own novel work on a specific question. If you can't get the post doc you want with that, another PhD is not probably not going to be viewed favorably the second time around either. Also, you should not be surprised if an admissions comittee is reluctant to take you on: you already have a degree, and "professional students" are sometimes shunned, and your stated desire to get into a "well ranked American University" as a means to open career doors rather than interest in the work done in the department will not be viewed favorably. This seems like a long shot.

[Miro]

You could instead consider doing two post-doc that are 1-2 yrs long. Do the first one in political science at any american school that will take you and then do the second post-doc at a more prestigious school in political sciences as well.  This way, you don't spent 5+ getting another PhD that will probably be viewed negatively.