<p>Hi, I'm a potential international student (I know we have a separate bit of the forum, but I thought this was a better place to post on the whole). I'm looking for advice on potential grad schools to apply to for a Political Science PhD course. I can find whether they offer funding easily enough from their websites, but you, the glorious public, will know more about their difficulty to get into and their atmospheres than I, a mere foreigner. So I'm asking.</p>
<p>Ideally I want somewhere that's at least a bit liberal and at best Berkeley. My scores and info are:</p>
<p>GRE: v710 q760 aw6.0</p>
<p>I don't have an undergrad GPA because we don't mark that way, but my references estimate me in the top 2%. The university is St Andrews in Scotland. It's not Oxbridge, but is definitely in the UK's second tier (and Prince William, the future king goes here too).</p>
<p>Past extra-curricular activities:
- Vice-President of university student union
- PR officer for campus charities campaign
- senior student of a 300-person student residence
- convener of a campus political party
- held a paid summer internship with the UK equivalent of the IRS (boo, taxman, etc)</p>
<p>I've so far applied to Berkeley and Michigan-Ann Arbor. Where else should I look?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance for any help.
M</p>
<p>Cal-Berkeley and Michigan-Ann Arbor are excellent, particularly in Political Science (both are among the top 4 Poli-Sci programs in the US), so they should certainly be among your top 4 or 5 choices. </p>
<p>Also look into Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Chicago, Yale and Duke. All have excellent Political Science departments. Other strong programs are Wisconsin-Madison, UC San Diego and Columbia.</p>
<p>But since it is a PhD you are seeking, do a lot of research to see which university is best in exactly what you wish to do your research on.</p>
<p>Your GREs are strong and graduating a First Class First out of St. Andrews will certainly be a big help.</p>
<p>As far as funding goes, it depends on your need and how quickly you need it. Many universities would rather have a student pay for the first year and then give that candidate a TAship or RAship the rest of the way. They may give you some aid, but it is unusual for a top program to give a student a full ride from the get go.</p>
<p>I hope this answers some of your questions.</p>
<p>What branch of political science are you interested in? What do you intend to do afterwards with your Phd? Harvard is strong in every poli sci field. I would sugguest UCSD for comparative politics or institutions. UMich for American politics. Cal is also fairly strongly in everything. A friend of mine though dropped out of their Phd program after the first year but he was under Nelson Polsby before that. Columbia is good. I dont know if Sartori is still there. If you want to do political theory, Oxford is the place to be.</p>
<p>Actually Gradstudent, Michigan is extremely strong in American Politics (Possibly the best in the US) and in International Politics. It is also very respected in Comparative Politics and in Political Theory. Same goes for Cal and Harvard.</p>
<p>Hmm, isnt that what I said? UMich for American politics?</p>
<p>I must have missunderstood you. When I read your post, it seemed like you were saying that Harvard and Cal are good in all branches of Political Science whereas Michigan was only strong in American Politics. I was merely pointing out that like Harvard and Cal, Michigan is strong accross the branches of Poli Sci.</p>
<p>Actually the most sound advice I can give you is to look at the political science department websites and look at the faculty and their areas of research. It is possible that even at Harvard or Cal or UMich, that you may not find the specialist that you are looking for. They will probably be in your area but might not be the most helpful on a certain topic you are interested in. Since you are doing a Phd, you will be embarking on a substantive piece of academic work. It is always helpful to have someone as close to your interest as possible to guide you in terms of literature, relevant issues and methodology. In some instances your interest may overlap, for example, you are interested in the process of democratization in latin america. It would be helpful to have a specialist in democratization of latin america but barring that, it will also be helpful to have a department where there are several democratization specialists and latin america specialists so that when you put together your phd dessertation committee, the resources would be readily accessible.</p>
<p>I agree 100%. No department is strongest in all the branches of Poli Sci. You should definetely do extensive research into the top programs in order to find your ideal department.</p>