I am currently in a BA program in Political Science, but am considering switching to the BS program. Essentially, the BA requires third semester proficiency in a foreign language, while the BS requires a few courses in political methodology.
I am interested in American politics and public policy, and am very interested in a PhD program after graduation. I am considering switching to the BS in an effort to gain some knowledge in methodology, which is a very important aspect of PhD programs. Also, public policy requires a lot of quantitative work.
I have always been somewhat good at math, though I had a harder time with pre-calc in high school (B+ or A- avg.). I want to improve my math/stats skills because I know it is a vital aspect of research. Should I base my success in methodology courses on how I did in high school math classes?
It won’t make a lick of difference what your degree is- it makes a difference what courses you took and what skills you have.
I chose a BS over a BA in anthropology and it hasn’t made any sort of difference in anything- not when I applied to graduate programs and not in anything else. What mattered was my research experience among other things. .
The methodology classes are going to vary considerably based on what type of methodology classes you’re taking. Methodology can range from learning how to construct surveys to doing extremely advanced statistical calculations. “Methodology” means nothing. Look at the pre-reqs for those classes and it should tell you how much (or little) math you need.
^This. Plus, some PhD programs require or strongly recommend foreign language proficiency and test that through an exam. So honestly, both will be useful to a PhD program. You may want to take a peek at some programs’ requirements, because some lean more quantitative and will prefer the methodology and others lean more qualitative and will prefer or require the language component. It also depends on the kind of work you want to do with the PhD. (And even Americanists often need reading knowledge of another language.)
Something to keep in mind is that most Poli-sci grad programs…including US Politics/Government will require proficiency in at least one foreign language and/or proficiency in quantitative skills like stats depending on the sub-field and dissertation topic. Sometimes one can substitute proficiency in quantitative skills for one of the required languages. Sometimes not. Depends on one’s department and perceived needs of one’s dissertation topic.
As for methodology, while that’s helpful, what is considered important in one politics subfield even in the same general area like US Politics in your undergrad department may not be given the same emphasis in another department you may end up in for grad school.
Also, depending on one’s own personal methodological approach(i.e. Heavy Qualitative emphasis vs Quantitative emphasis), the methodology courses one learns in undergrad may or may not accord with the graduate department one ends up going into. This is one major reason a friend applying to Poli-sci PhD programs was strongly advised by his adviser and other grad/undergrad Profs against applying to certain otherwise respectable/elite graduate programs in his area of Politics.
I have read that for many PhD programs in Political Science, a minor in Mathematics may serve you more than taking specific methodology courses that may not correspond with the focus of a potential graduate program.
I would find out more about what specific programs favor what, but I can’t imagine it would make a huge difference. Some schools only offer one or the other after all.
Couldn’t you do either the BA or BS program but take the higher level foreign language courses and the additional political science methodology courses? (And perhaps other courses in math and statistics if needed.)
Only if the department sub-field/dissertation topic heavily emphasizes the quantitative aspect of poli-sci. If one ends up in a subfield and/or a topic which heavily emphasizes the qualitative aspect, that minor may not make much…if any difference.
Yes for the poli-sci methodology courses and possibly math/stats courses if one’s topic isn’t extremely heavy in emphasizing the quantitative aspects of poli-sci.
As for foreign languages…unless languages come easily to the given student it’s strongly recommended that most get a minimum of 3+ years in at least one foreign language required for one’s subfield/topic before entering a Poli-sci…or any other humanities/social science where at least 1 or more foreign languages are required.
While one can try taking them in grad school, one will need to pick up the languages quickly enough to be proficient to at least the 3rd year or higher and demonstrate it by passing a translation/reading exam along with all the other requirements beginning PhD students need to fulfill.
Older relatives and some grad student/Prof friends/acquaintances in academia knew of many grad school classmates who ended up being forced by their advisor/department to leave their PhD programs because they failed the required relevant foreign language exams after a certain number of allowed chances* which is one of the things one needs to pass before being advanced to the dissertation stage.
Most of the ones older relatives/friends in academia were in/know of seem to provide 2 or sometimes even 3 chances before the candidate is in danger of being kicked out of the program.