Intermediate MA/MS Programs

[Poli92]

Hey all, 

 

I have probably been posting on here way too much lately, but I guess there are worse problems, right? 

 

ANYWAYS, I'll be heading into my first app cycle next fall and I want to add a few masters programs to my application roster just to diversify my options should things not pan out ideally with doctoral apps.  

 

I'm doing this as somewhat of a hedge because many grads from my LAC in recent years have struggled initially to get into top notch programs, but have often either completed or transferred out of mid-tier masters programs and gotten into exceptional programs and have seemingly excelled. Many of them think that they were somewhat hamstrung by our school's lack of a major rep and more methods-rigorous grad schools having an understandable apprehension about the qualifications of outbound LAC students (on the other hand this is something I plan to address in my SOP). 

 

Because I ultimately wish to pursue my doctorate I'm not really interested in more policy-oriented programs, but instead programs that really prepare you with the chops and mindset to dive into a Ph.D. Thoughts on this?

 

On a broad level I'm interested in IR and have a poli sci and econ background and would be willing to look at anything in either of those realms. 

[cooperstreet]

look at Chicago & Columbia

[victorydance]

Would you be interested in going abroad? Countries like Canada and the UK have good masters programs that are cheaper. They also follow a more BA-MA-Ph.D. route so there are lots to choose from.

[AuldReekie]

Would you be interested in going abroad? Countries like Canada and the UK have good masters programs that are cheaper. They also follow a more BA-MA-Ph.D. route so there are lots to choose from.

 

Many people might argue against this. I would personally only look at MRes courses if you were to come over to the UK as they're effectively the first year of a UK PhD with the methods & research training component.

 

It's probably not an optimal route, but perhaps worth considering if grades/finances preclude one of the the US Political Sciece/Methods Masters that seem to operate as a good route for many, although I can only think of Chicago/Columbia QMSS etc?

[IRToni]

The Graduate Institute, Geneva with its 2-year MA springs to mind that's probably one of the cheapest programs around, and regularly offers full funding to its students. I did my MA there, after a BA from a no-name university in Germany, had no methods/RD to speak off, and got accepted to a Top 10 this year. Others from my program got into good UK schools, though our US placement was relatively weak (small sample size, though).

 

If you're sure of an academic career, you could also look into more theoretically-oriented programs at well-ranked state schools without PhDs that are often much cheaper than the big-name programs, and do not have you competing for resources the same way.

 

NYU is another big-name, expensive program that apparently places reasonably well.

[victorydance]

Many people might argue against this. I would personally only look at MRes courses if you were to come over to the UK as they're effectively the first year of a UK PhD with the methods & research training component.

 

It's probably not an optimal route, but perhaps worth considering if grades/finances preclude one of the the US Political Sciece/Methods Masters that seem to operate as a good route for many, although I can only think of Chicago/Columbia QMSS etc?

 

 

I don't believe Chicago offers a terminal masters program, but Columbia does.

 

The reason I suggested it was because having a few MA applications along with your Ph.D. application cycle is I think a sound move (something I am doing myself). 

 

That being said, there aren't many great political science MA programs in the US. Columbia's is strong, heard NYU's is poor, and then you hit smaller schools like Marquette or Northeastern or along these lines. If you are looking to 'boost' your prospects, getting a MA from some mid-ranked school isn't going to really get that for you. You can also do a interdisciplinary MA program, which gives you a few more options.

 

On the other hand, countries like Canada and the UK offer some good options. Schools like Oxford, LSE, Toronto, and McGill are all top schools that offer MA programs. It really doesn't matter what type of program either, because almost all of them offer some quant/methods classes if you wish (and they should definitely stock up on them if this is the route someone takes). And of course, there is the additional benefit of these programs being lower cost (plus these countries have more funding options for MA students) than American programs so the drawback of cost of MA programs is reduced.

Edited May 9, 2014 by HopefulComparativist

[kalorama]

Would an MPP help, or would you say that it contributes to the sense that the applicant isn't serious about academia/research?

[IRToni]

I don't believe Chicago offers a terminal masters program, but Columbia does.

 

The reason I suggested it was because having a few MA applications along with your Ph.D. application cycle is I think a sound move (something I am doing myself). 

 

That being said, there aren't many great political science MA programs in the US. Columbia's is strong, heard NYU's is poor, and then you hit smaller schools like Marquette or Northeastern or along these lines. If you are looking to 'boost' your prospects, getting a MA from some mid-ranked school isn't going to really get that for you. You can also do a interdisciplinary MA program, which gives you a few more options.

 

On the other hand, countries like Canada and the UK offer some good options. Schools like Oxford, LSE, Toronto, and McGill are all top schools that offer MA programs. It really doesn't matter what type of program either, because almost all of them offer some quant/methods classes if you wish (and they should definitely stock up on them if this is the route someone takes). And of course, there is the additional benefit of these programs being lower cost (plus these countries have more funding options for MA students) than American programs so the drawback of cost of MA programs is reduced.

Chicago actually has two programs, the Committee for International Relations (CIR) and the MAPSS. Oxford and LSE, BTW, only offers very limited methods courses in their MA. If you're doing the Research MA at LSE, you might get better access, but in general, UK MAs are not nearly as methods-heavy as US PHD programs require.

[Poli92]

How about attending schools outside of North America or Europe? I know that appreciation of in depth area knowledge has kind of waned over the years, but is there any value doing a program at somewhere like American University of Beirut or something along those lines? 

[victorydance]

Chicago actually has two programs, the Committee for International Relations (CIR) and the MAPSS. Oxford and LSE, BTW, only offers very limited methods courses in their MA. If you're doing the Research MA at LSE, you might get better access, but in general, UK MAs are not nearly as methods-heavy as US PHD programs require.

 

Well those are interdisciplinary programs, but okay. The MAPSS looks interesting.

 

That actually is not true. Here is the course offerings in MPhil at Oxford:

 

• Research Methods in Political Science
• Introduction to the Advanced Study of Politics and International Relations
• Statistical Methods for the Social Sciences
• Applied Statistics for Political Scientists
• Philosophy of the Social Sciences
• Research Design in Comparative Political Science
• Research Design in Political Science Workshop
• Visual Ethnography in Politics and Law
• Formal Analysis
• Intermediate Social Statistics
• Archive Research
• Public Law and Legal Sources
• Field Interviewing
• Interview Analysis
• Elite Interviewing
• Social Research and the Internet
• Measurement in the Social Sciences
• Multilevel Modelling
• Network Analysis
• Panel Data
• Structural Equation Modelling
• Time Series Analysis
• Content Analysis
• Focus Groups
• Ethics
• Constructing the Text: The New Bentham Edition
• Problems of Method in the History of Political Thought
• Text and Interpretation

They also offer a MSc which is almost straight methods and a thesis component.

 

LSE offers a bunch of MSc programs, but for example, the MSc of political science and political economy, has these compulsory courses:

 

Compulsory courses

(* half unit)

• Political Science and Political Economy* provides an introduction to political science and the ways in which it illuminates the political and policy processes of advanced liberal democratic states.
• Game Theory for Political Science* introduces game theory and its applications to political science.
• Applied Quantitative Methods for Political Science* provides an introduction to the most commonly used methods for causal inference in the social sciences.
• Applied Regression Analysis* covers linear regression modelling and binary, multinomial and ordinal logistic regression (or another option if student can demonstrate they have taken a course with multivariate regression) 

 

And of course, many methods/stats electives to choose from.

 

So I really don't understand what you are saying.

 

Lastly, US Ph.D. programs don't 'require' you to have any advanced methods or stats training; just to show that you are capable of doing them. Plenty of undergrads go straight from BAs in political science with little methods training into a political science Ph.D. program, but it definitely helps to have experience with some methods and the more the better.

[DKSL]

Well those are interdisciplinary programs, but okay. The MAPSS looks interesting.

 

That actually is not true. Here is the course offerings in MPhil at Oxford:

 

• Research Methods in Political Science
• Introduction to the Advanced Study of Politics and International Relations
• Statistical Methods for the Social Sciences
• Applied Statistics for Political Scientists
• Philosophy of the Social Sciences
• Research Design in Comparative Political Science
• Research Design in Political Science Workshop
• Visual Ethnography in Politics and Law
• Formal Analysis
• Intermediate Social Statistics
• Archive Research
• Public Law and Legal Sources
• Field Interviewing
• Interview Analysis
• Elite Interviewing
• Social Research and the Internet
• Measurement in the Social Sciences
• Multilevel Modelling
• Network Analysis
• Panel Data
• Structural Equation Modelling
• Time Series Analysis
• Content Analysis
• Focus Groups
• Ethics
• Constructing the Text: The New Bentham Edition
• Problems of Method in the History of Political Thought
• Text and Interpretation

They also offer a MSc which is almost straight methods and a thesis component.

 

LSE offers a bunch of MSc programs, but for example, the MSc of political science and political economy, has these compulsory courses:

 

Compulsory courses

(* half unit)

• Political Science and Political Economy* provides an introduction to political science and the ways in which it illuminates the political and policy processes of advanced liberal democratic states.
• Game Theory for Political Science* introduces game theory and its applications to political science.
• Applied Quantitative Methods for Political Science* provides an introduction to the most commonly used methods for causal inference in the social sciences.
• Applied Regression Analysis* covers linear regression modelling and binary, multinomial and ordinal logistic regression (or another option if student can demonstrate they have taken a course with multivariate regression) 

 

And of course, many methods/stats electives to choose from.

 

So I really don't understand what you are saying.

 

Lastly, US Ph.D. programs don't 'require' you to have any advanced methods or stats training; just to show that you are capable of doing them. Plenty of undergrads go straight from BAs in political science with little methods training into a political science Ph.D. program, but it definitely helps to have experience with some methods and the more the better.

This is a great post.

I did not go down the MA route, but when I was comparing programs, I found the UK ones to be superior when it comes to the # of substantive and methods courses available. 

[IRToni]

I stand corrected, thanks a bunch. I only looked at IR programs back in the day, and was disappointed by the methods training in these programs in the UK. Of course, the division between IR and poli sci is much more pronounced in the UK, which explains these differences, I think.

And of course US PhD programs dont require a M.A. at all, but if you are doing a M.A., getting one with significant methods training is a smart idea for admission, IMO.