Undergrad to Phd

[marycsullivan]

 

I am currently a senior undergraduate, and I am beginning the process of applying for political science PhD programs. I have a very high GPA and relevant work experience through out my undergrad career (research, fellowships, campaigns, etc.). I am hoping to go straight into a Phd program, but I know this can be received differently, good or bad, from different programs. 

What do I need to know about applying to a Phd program as a undergraduate? How should I tailor my application to account for this? 

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks. 

 

[FiberPotter]

I'm in the bizarre position of being the graduate secretary for a state university AND a potential graduate student (though it won't be with my university, they don't offer both of my fields) and I handle grad apps for three degrees including a PhD program.

The best advice I can offer would be to contact the universities in which you're interested, prior to applying, and ask whether they would consider an application from someone without a Masters, and what factors might make them more inclined to look at an applicant coming straight out of a Bachelor's degree.

It is very rare that our PhD program will consider an application from someone without a Masters. Yet, last year, we had two such cases apply to our PhD program. One was actually considered based on the strength of the application but in the end, was not offered admission; the other was encouraged to apply to the Masters first, initially did so, then later withdrew when accepted by another school.

You may be in luck, given your strengths, depending upon where you apply. Good luck!

[AP]

Besides contacting POIs before applying -which is excellent advice by @FiberPotter- I would add the following:

• In your SOP and (hopefully) your interview, be sure to sound graduate and not undergraduate. Show that you have matured your ideas and you are realistic about your goals
• If you consider that not having a Master's is a weakness, do not pose it a such. Use your "weaknesses" as an opportunity. In my case, I am an international student and English is not my first language. I used that to argue for adding diversity to an increasingly diverse school and department. 
• Use your experience to highlight your knowledge of methods, in social sciences this is always a plus. 
• Check the graduate students website in the department to check if there is a majority straight from undergrad or not. I would advise you against an overwhelmingly young student body because you also learn from peers: they read your work, they comment on it, they question it on seminars, etc. The most diverse your audience is, the more you may learn (of course, there is no straight correlation between age, intellectual maturity, and stage in the program).

Good luck!