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So I have just finished my first year of my Ph.D. program and have hit a stuck point. I initially expressed interest in studying macroeconomics but have found that I am more interested in political economics (particularly voter behavior and the formation of public opinion). I especially like the idea of looking at the overlap between politically economy and poverty in the United States (especially Appalachia). There is a professor in my department whose specialty is political economics and has also spent time on the Joint Center for Poverty Research at University of Chicago. Unfortunately, he is also the department chair. I believe he has advised Ph.D. students before, but I am concerned I will not get as much advising and I would from other professors in the department. I do not mean that as any slight to him, but simply from a pragmatic standpoint. The other faculty members I am considering are in macroeconomics (which is the department's strength). I know one professor who is very invested in the student's success and whose research has a more theoretical bent, which I prefer. Another (who's relatively new) who has an especially strong overall research track record (regarding number of publications, journals they are published in, and other institutions he is affiliated with. This second professor is also the sole author of an article on political polarization that was published in a Fed Journal (though most of his research in in real estate macroeconomics). My question is would I be better off going with the department chair and make best of the fact that I will probably not get as much attention as I would otherwise, or should I go with one of the macro professors? Also, it there a way to overlap political economy and macroeconomics (even if I leave poverty out - since that's not my only interest and I can come back to that later on in my career).

Hello, I am quite torn between these two programs, both of which I feel are strong choices with a lot to offer. I figured I'd list out my pros and cons for each school, and see whether or not others had any insights! For context, I am mainly interested in political economics and public economics (although that can always change down the line). I am coming in without a ton of Math, so I would definitely be doing a bit of catching up during the first year (especially since I've been working for a few years since graduating undergrad). I would eventually like to work either in some government or public policy-oriented research position, and if I do go into academia I would see myself working at a small, liberal arts college with a strong emphasis on teaching. VANDERBILT Pros: - Small department, really take a personal interest in their students - Strong Law School/Political Science program (given my interest in political economics/law and economics) - Lots of female faculty members, which is really unique - Hamilton Scholar Award (extra 5000 dollars in addition to the standard stipend) - Nashville is a much more affordable city than Boston University Cons: - Far away from my friends, family and boyfriend (I'd have to fly home, which is less than ideal for me) - Few public transit options in Nashville (which I sorry about since I don't have a car) - Political economics professors do more theoretical work, while I'm interested in more applied/empirical work) - Smaller program means less course offerings, which could be an issue down the line BOSTON UNIVERSITY Pros: - Great location for me, close to friends and family members (also I just love Boston) - Seems as though the faculty and students are all pretty happy with BU and living in Boston, which is important to me - Strong job placement, particularly into positions that I see myself pursuing in the future - Political Economy masters option, which is something that I find very compelling - More course offerings that Vanderbilt (also proximity to Harvard, BC means potentially being able to audit/take courses there as well) Cons: - With a bigger program, I may get less personal attention - Much smaller stipend amount compared to Vanderbilt (especially relative to the cost of living) - Law School/Political Science Department is not as strong as Vanderbilt's - Not many professors who focus specifically in Political Economy (although others who do PE in addition to their main field) If anyone has any advice/insights about these two programs, that would be super helpful in the decision-making process. I am sure I would be happy and successful at either program, which makes the decision even more challenging. Thanks in advance!

Hey guys I'm a master student in Economics and want to do a PhD after I graduate. I have the opportunity to apply for a RA but it's not in Economics but in Political Science (Negotiation Management). I haven't worked as a RA so far and was wondering if doing one in political science will still be useful when it comes to applying for my PhD? Thanks for your help!

Hi all, I have planned for some time to apply to PhD programs in economics a year from now after I finish a two-year RA stint. I’ve recently been debating, however, if I should also look into applying to political science PhDs. I’m primarily interested in political economy, so I believe that I would enjoy doing either program (although I realize that there are trade-offs in choosing one program over the other). I know that it’s not uncommon for econ applicants to also apply to PPOL PhDs, but I rarely hear of them also applying to political science programs. My question then is this - would it look bad in anyway to apply to both programs potentially at the same school(s)? I don’t want to give off the impression that I’m not serious/committed enough to one particular field, but it’d be nice to keep my options open and learn more thoroughly about the pros/cons specific to each department. Thanks for any advice!

I am interested in pursuing a PhD in Political Economy, Institutional Analysis, and Political Economy of Development. Originally, I was convinced that Economics schools were the best route to study these fields coming from a Bachelor's degree in Econ, but the more research I've done, the more schools outside of Econ departments I've found that specialize in Political Economy. Several Economics schools like George Mason, Florida State, Clemson, and West Virginia were suggested to me for my research interests, and they certainly do have scholars interested in those fields at each of those schools. But I've come to find that several Public Policy (UChicago) schools and many Political Science (MIT, Duke, Columbia, etc.) schools offer Political Economy as concentrations. If this is what I want to study, which route would offer me the best opportunities after graduation, going into an Econ, Public Policy, or Political Science PhD? Any suggestions would be helpful, thank you!

Claim: The emergence of the online "blogosphere" has significantly weakened the quality of political discourse in the United States. Reason: When anyone can publish political opinions easily, standards for covering news and political topics will inevitably decline. Write a response in which you agree or disagree with the claim and the reason on which that claim is based. Online blogs are at the forefront of connecting people from various communities, cultures and race. They provide a platform where people can post their views on a particular topic with utmost freedom and others can read these views easily. These blogs very often contain posts where people put forward their political views and these may influence readers into following the ideals of the writer. I agree with the claim that the "online blog culture" has weakened the quality of political discourse as the standards for covering news and political topics declining is inexorable due to the freedom online blogs provide to present political views. People all over the country are glued to their mobile phones and computer screens and are reading blogs all the time. Blog writers who are cogent in their writing can be great influencers and would tie a blindfold on the reader's reason. Hence a reader who is influenced by a particular writer's view will turn blind eye to anything said opposite to it. Since everyone in world has the liberty to write a blog, the quality with which information should be covered declines tremendously. Untrained individuals are swayed by bias and would cover news with prejudice which would not present the complete picture to the reader. For example, a person who supports a particular political party will present how the party is involved in something good to such an extent that the readers will credit the party immensely even though the actual participation of the party was miniscule. Similarly, they would draw curtains on the not so good things done by the party and create a parallel track to blame it on the opposition. Trained professionals on the other hand, cover news holistically without any undue bias. They do not try to support a particular group in their coverage but try to provide enough information for the audience to reach a conclusion by themselves. Due to the freedom of online blogs, it is very difficult for all these professional voices to reach the masses effectively as with useless noise, these posts tend to get blurred with the audience. Hence, I would say that the political discourse in the United States is weakened by the emergence of online blogospheres. It is absolutely necessary that audiences are presented news of the highest standards which they deserve.

Type of Undergrad: top 15 Econ Programme Undergrad GPA: 3.7 (but only 3.4 in Economics, 3,7 in Poli Sci, and 3.6 in Math - i did a double major in econ and poli science and econ, with a math minor). Math Courses: Calc II, Calc III, Statistics, Linear Algebra Econ Courses: Macro I, Macro II, Micro I, Micro II, Money and Banking, International Econ, Urban Econ, Econometrics I and Financial Econ Political Science Courses: Comparative politics, International Politics, Political Theory, German Politics, French Politics, Political Science Honors I and II, American Primacy, Political Economy GRE Scores: 165V, 166Q, 5.0 AW Letters of Recommendation: I understand one should be professional as I have been out of academia for a bit... This one shouldnt be a problem, as my bosses and directors have been very willing to write a good letter. The two others, one will be from a professor I took an intermediate course with, and got an A. The other from an associate professor who i took several classes with. Research Interests: Macroeconomics (more specifically monetary and fiscal policy), Political Economy, Financial Economics, Development economics g SOP: general, pretty confident about it actually. Research Experience: wrote some papers while at school, only one published (political science honors thesis), and did write another at the bank i work in. Teaching Experience: None whatsoever Other: Been working at a bank for the last few years. Speak five languages, and have some very light experience with coding (only VBA). I am scared that my application is weak, in particular my letters of recommendation, and my Math. I am applying to most top schools, in particular the ones focused in macro and political economy. But I am thinking of applying to some masters programs as backup - notably NYU, Columbia, LSE and some european ones.... But I have recently heard that Some of these masters programs arent well-rated. Does anyone have any tips? Do you think I'm getting scared over nothing, or should I really go for the masters? Going for a R.A. position is probably a no-go for me, as I'm a foreigner, and I think the idea of getting the visa just for that seems quite improbable for me.

Type of Undergrad: top 15 Econ Programme Undergrad GPA: 3.7 (but only 3.4 in Economics, 3,8 in Poli Sci, and 3.6 in Math - i did a double major in econ and poli science, with a math minor). Math Courses: Calc II, Calc III, Statistics, Linear Algebra Econ Courses: Macro I, Macro II, Micro I, Micro II, Money and Banking, International Econ, Urban Econ, Econometrics I and Financial Econ Political Science Courses: Comparative politics, International Politics, Political Theory, German Politics, French Politics, Political Science Honors I and II, American Primacy, Political Economy GRE Scores: 165V, 166Q, 5.0 AW Letters of Recommendation: I understand one should be professional as I have been out of academia for a bit... This one shouldnt be a problem, as my bosses and directors have been very willing to write a good letter. The two others, one will be from a professor I took an intermediate course with, and got an A. The other from an associate professor who i took several classes with. Research Interests: Macroeconomics (more specifically monetary and fiscal policy), Political Economy, Financial Economics, Development economics SOP: General Research Experience: wrote some papers while at school, only one published (political science honors thesis), and did write another at the bank i work in. Teaching Experience: None whatsoever Other: Been working at a bank for the last few years. Speak five languages, and have some very light experience with coding (only VBA). I was thinking of applying to top phd programs, but the more I look at these forums I realize I had been underestimating the difficulty. I’ve since pivoted into applying to schools in the 15-30 range, and to masters programs that can help me get into PhD programs later. I am scared that my application is still weak though- what are my odds of getting into TSE, GSE, LSE, Bocconi, Mannheim, UBC, UWO or U of T- if these would be hard to get into, what are realistic Canadian/European options? What are good American masters programs to help for PHD that would be within my range?

Hi all - I was hoping to get a little feedback/insight regarding my profile, since mine seems to be the kind of background that will produce highly variable results, in terms of admissions/rejections. A little info on me, I originally received my political science BA and then MA at a large state school. I realized while doing my MA that I wanted to do my PhD in economics, so I went back to school at a small liberal arts school to obtain my economics and mathematics degrees. I will be applying this Fall for Fall 2019. I have concerns about 1) coming from an unknown liberal arts school, 2) having so-so grades in my calc sequence and analysis; 3) having a mediocre GRE score; and 4) not having economic internship / RA experience in academia or with a fed branch. I've seen profiles similar to mine get into good programs, while I've also seen them receive a large proportion of rejections. As such, I'll be casting a wide net - 15-50 rankings, and am hoping to get into ~30-40 ranked programs. I was just hoping I could get some feedback from you guys - all feedback is welcome. Thanks! Type of Undergrad: Large state school (Political Science); unranked liberal arts school (Economics, Mathematics, ) Undergrad GPA: 3.75 Type of Grad: State School (Political Science) Grad GPA: 3.9 Math Courses: Calc I/II/III (A-/B+/A-), Linear Algebra (A-), Statistics & Probability (A), Advanced Engineering Stats & Probability (A), Diff EQ (A), Number Theory (A), Combinatorics (A), Modern College Geometry (A), Linear Dynamical Systems (A-), Real Analysis (B-), Group Theory (A) Computer Engineering Courses: C++ Progamming (A), Advanced C++ Programming (A) Econ Courses: All A's - Intermediate Macroeconomics, Microeconomic Theory (Intermediate Microeconomics), Introduction to Econometrics, Applied Econometrics, International Economics II, History of Economic Institutions and Thought, Game Theory and Behavioral Economics, Managerial Economics, Money and Financial Institutions, Independent Study - Focus on Building Econometric Models Letters of Recommendation: Two from economics professors, one from mathematics professor. These will be very solid - I have very good relationships with them. Research Experience: Master’s Thesis on Cuban Political Economy (275 pages). My MA committee chair made four chapters of my thesis reading in an upper division political science course at my alma mater that focuses on the Cuban political economy. These chapters pertain to monetary duality in Cuba, Cuba’s integration into the world economy, Cuba’s recent economic reforms, and US-Cuba relations. My thesis is also required reading for honors students at my alma mater studying US-Cuban relations. GRE: 163 Q, 162 V, 5.5 AW Teaching Experience: TA'd during Masters Degree Research Interests: Econometrics, Macroeconomics SOP: Working on

Hi all, I'm wondering if a joint PhD program means 2 PhDs or just choosing 1? I'm specifically looking at Harvard's Economics & the joint PhD for that with Political Economy & Government. Does that mean you'd get both PhDs or you choose one and take classes in both? Thank you!

Hey guys, I think I will soon be getting an offer to do a PhD Public Policy (I plan to major in comparative political economy and write my dissertation on that) from a uni at home. I basically can continue to live at home, no need to rent and they are giving me a good stipend (almost equal to what a fresh graduate makes in a full time job). I can save a very decent amount of money, not too different from working a full time job. My worry is the tenure track job market later as I heard Public Policy PhDs find it harder to land jobs. But I will write my dissertation on Comparative Political Economy hoping to go on the Comparative Political Economy job market. I also have a Masters in Political Science (majored in Political Economy, covered all coursework for PhD in Political Science already). I got another offer to do a PhD in Business Strategy overseas. I heard the tenure track job prospects for Business Strategy is good (strong demand) but it still feels risky to me. The stipend is quite low, I wont save any money and I feel it is a little hard to live on it (minimal entertainment and I eat a lot). I am fretting a little about these major choices now. I quit my job 2.5 months ago to focus on PhD applications so I can get time off for interviews and research the programmes properly and I am kind of sitting around pondering about these stuff ~~~ I think 2.5 months without a job is getting to me, interviews are mostly over and I plan to find a temp job asap. Both unis are ranked QS top 50 in the world.