Help picking programs to fit my research goals

[Rockerika]

I will be finishing my MA in Political Science in Fall of 2016/Spring 2017 (depending on questionable funding situation with my dept.). I've begun preparing the schools I will be applying to this winter, and am hoping to get some advice on which departments might fit my research interests. I'm not married to getting my PhD in Political Science, and am looking at Anthropology, Sociology, and History programs as well. However, I want to teach Political Theory courses, so Poli Sci is the field I am most interested in continuing my career in.

My research has focused heavily on late career Foucault, as well as the Control Thesis of Deleuze. Using their concepts like discipline, control, technologies of power, govermentality, etc I have done in depth analyses of applied subjects. For instance, this year I am working on 3 major papers in this vein, one looking at contemporary Europe, another a literary topian comparison between Walden 2 and Brave New World, and the final being analysis of contemporary American governing practices. It is my hope to continue work on the final paper, using Foucauldian analysis to engage in a larger American Political Development work.

I'm looking for a department that will be conducive to these kinds of projects. In addition, I am hoping to go somewhere with a qualitative focus, or at least somewhere that balances qual/quant requirements. I've done a bit of research and have a good list of potential places to apply. Does anyone have any further suggestions to look into? I know "help me hunt down a good qualitative program" is a common question, but I thought I should be more specific. Thanks in advance.

Here are the departments I'm already considering, from a wide variety of USNWP rankings:

Johns Hopkins

University of Virginia

University of Oregon

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Washington

UC Berkeley (PSCI and Anthropology)

Northwestern

U of Minnesota

Indiana U-Bloomington

Wisconsin-Madison (PSCI and Sociology)

Rice (anthropology)

[smallaxe]

Check out Social and Political Thought at York U in Canada if you're not opposed to international studies..

[biggoalies]

Don't have much to suggest, but... for Rice, I would contact Jim Faubion to have a chat with him. They tend to do stuff in collegiality, as it is such a small department with small cohorts,* but he would most likely be the main professor for you (right?), so I would want to make sure he's pumped about your project. Great department; it was heartbreaking to turn down their offer.

* (we were five admittees this year,  but two of us rejected, bringing it to three, which was the initial number that they said they would accept)

[Rockerika]

York looks great! One of my UG degrees is in Interdisciplinary Social Science. The only thing I couldn't see is whether they offer tuition waivers with their funding options. Do you know if it is included?

Faubion is the reason I am looking at Rice, for sure. A lot of the other big Foucault scholars are in bioethics or literature departments. As it gets closer, I will for sure start reaching out to particular faculty.

[smallaxe]

16 hours ago, Rockerika said:

York looks great! One of my UG degrees is in Interdisciplinary Social Science. The only thing I couldn't see is whether they offer tuition waivers with their funding options. Do you know if it is included?

I'm 90% sure there is no tuition waver. On the plus side, you're guaranteed funding for 5-6 years instead of 4.