Undergraduate studies in philosophy, graduate studies in the social sciences. Chances?

[Lkl]

I am almost done with a Ba in Philosophy at an european university and want to study something Political/social Science-related at graduate level.
 During the past 2 and a half years, I have taken many purely philosophical course such as theoretical philosophy, logic, philosophy of language, but also others which are more related to the field I want to focus on in the future such as political philosophy, political theory and IR, international political economy, economics of the Euro and will take some more Poli Sci courses next semester as well.


Once I´ll be done at my current university, my degree will more or less be 2/3 focused on philosophy (including political philosophy) and 1/3 in social science-related stuff.

Do I have any chance of getting into a grad course in a social science?

 

I´m especially considering LSE (I already took two summer school courses there), maybe UCL as well.
My GPA is very high at the moment (most of my grades are top grades, I think they corresponds to A+s in the US) though I still have two exam sessions available to ruin it all 
The problem is that for instance at LSE almost all courses require a "2:1 in any of the social sciences" or "2:1 in politics, economics, history, international relations or similar discipline". How do you define a "similar discipline"? Will I automatically be put aside in the "Humanities" category with a Ba in Philosophy? 

 

[TakeMyCoffeeBlack]

My guess is that you wouldn't be disqualified purely on your previous philosophy studies, especially at British or other European unis. 

[catchermiscount]

It's anecdotal, but one of the best graduate students we've had in recent years was a philosophy major.  He got into a number of excellent programs, and his philosophy training was very helpful in acquiring skills in formal theory and (to a lesser degree) methods.

[jazzrap]

It's anecdotal, but one of the best graduate students we've had in recent years was a philosophy major.  He got into a number of excellent programs, and his philosophy training was very helpful in acquiring skills in formal theory and (to a lesser degree) methods.

Did the guy come in with a lot of math courses already on the transcript?

[catchermiscount]

I think he had taken a graduate methods course or something like that.  Maybe a micro course?  Nothing super duper extensive.

[eponine997]

Also anecdotal, a friend of mine majored in philosophy and literature, after some RA work and professional (research related) experience, got into a number of good programs and then did very well on the job market. Similar, this friend also ended up with a strong focus on formal theory and methods.

From what I gather (when coming from outside the discipline) you need to be able to tell a compelling story about how your previous experience led you to pursue a PS PhD, how that experience and background has shaped your research interests, and that you know enough about political science as a discipline to know what you are getting yourself into. 

[jeudepaume]

In my experience (BA in Philosophy, then Masters in Political Science) it shouldn't be a problem. However, it also depends on what type of research you want to pursue and the type of program you are applying to (PhD or Master's; with coursework or not). 

 

I agree with eponine997 that you should be able to tell a compelling story about your background and the transition you're making. If you want to continue with political philosophy that should be easy, since much of theorizing is done in PS departments anyway. You can also always tell that you're willing to back up your studies on politics (that you have done so far at your philosophy program) with an empirical methodology. (I did so)

 

Another important thing is the 'magnitude' of transition. Again, applying to do political theory is not as dramatic as if you want to switch to quantitative methods. And depending on this, some programs are going to be more willing to grant you the time and training for this transition, whereas others are not. As far as my understanding of the European system goes, PhDs in Europe are much more research oriented (compared to the States), and most schools will expect you to be prepared for the project you propose. I don't have experience applying to UCL, but my last year PhD interview with LSE Government Department was very much focused on the research proposal. 

I think, MA programs would be more suitable to change majors, as well as more probable in accepting someone with a different major.