Graduate School

Should I go to Graduate School?

Students should carefully consider the prospect of going to graduate school. This article from the Chronicle of Higher Education has some important questions students should review on their own, with family members, and with their academic advisors.

What type of program should I attend?

A political science degree is excellent preparation for graduate study in the following areas:

Political Science

MA degrees in Political Science can prepare you for work in government, non-profits, think tanks, corporate lobbying, and much more.

Ph.D. degrees in Political Science are most useful for those seeking to work in research or teaching at the college level. Ph.D.-granting programs in the US can be found at the American Political Science Association: http://www.apsanet.org/

The American Political Science Association has put together an excellent list of questions to ask of graduate institutions you are interested in: http://www.apsanet.org

Top ranked political science programs can be found at US News: http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools/political-science-rankings.

To get ready for graduate school in Political Science, make sure you do the following while you’re at Radford:

  • Get great grades.
  • Establish a professional and personal rapport with your faculty members. They will be needed to write you a recommendation letter.
  • Take leadership in a student or community organization related to politics. Have accomplishments to tout on your graduate school application.
  • Intern at a policy institute, government agency, or non-profit organization in your area of interest.
  • Study abroad and learn a language, particularly if you are interested in international politics.
  • Consider conducting your own independent research through a Directed Independent Study with a faculty member. Present your research at a conference. The OURS office can provide support for undergraduate research and conference travel.
  • Keep up with a quality news source like The Economist, the New York Times, or The Washington Post in order to build up your knowledge base on politics.
     

Law School

Many students use a political science undergraduate degree as a springboard to law school.  

The most important factors in law school admissions are your LSAT and GPA. No particular major is required. Take courses that you will like and do well in. Get to know your professors, so you’ll be able to get strong letters of recommendation. Take the lead on campus and achieve something tangible during your college years.

Law School generally takes three years during which students learn to reason and argue like attorneys. Law school can be extremely expensive but also very rewarding for the right people. Inform yourself during your undergraduate years by attending pre-law events, interning in a legal office, taking pre-law classes, and other means.

Law school rankings can be found at US News here: http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/law-rankings.

Consider reading Scott Turow’s book One L on his first year at Harvard law school. It’s a classic. Susan Estrich’s How to Get into Law School is a great primer with lots to think about.

To learn more about Political Science's Pre-Law concentration please visit the Pre-Law page

Public Administration

The Masters in Public Administration (MPA) degree is the management degree for the public sector. It prepares students to manage both public organizations and non-profits. You will learn many of the management skills that you would in a business program (human resources and accounting), but you will also learn about the unique features of managing in the public (intergovernmental relations) and not-for-profit sectors (fundraising, grant writing). MPA education tends to be hands-on and very applied. Case study discussion is common. Capstone projects may involve consulting for a real-world client.

It is also possible to pursue a Ph.D. in Public Administration. This would be most useful for those wanting to teach at the university level.

Find a ranking of Public Management/Public Administration programs at US News: http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-public-affairs-schools/public-management-administration-rankings

To get ready for graduate school in Public Administration, make sure you do the following while you’re at Radford:

  • Choose the Public Affairs concentration in the Political Science major.
  • Take courses in Public Administration like POSC 300 (Public Administration), POSC 335 (Public Policy), POSC 432 (Public Organization Theory and Leadership), and POSC 435 (Contemporary Problems in Public Administration).
  • Intern at a policy institute, government agency, or non-profit organization.
  • Take leadership in a student or community organization. Have accomplishments to tout on your graduate school application.
  • Establish a professional and personal rapport with your public administration professors. They will be needed for a recommendation letter.
  • Consider adding Scholar-Citizen certification to your undergraduate study.
  • Keep up with a quality news source on US public administration/policy such as The Washington Post. For a specialized publication, see the PA Times at http://patimes.org/.
     

Public Policy

The Masters in Public Policy (MPP) degree is often highly interdisciplinary. Political science, sociology, economics, management, and policy analysis can all play a part. Case study discussion is common. Capstone projects likely involve consulting for a real-world client. Harvard’s Kennedy School has an excellent description of its MPP curriculum, the gold standard in Public Policy education: http://www.hks.harvard.edu/degrees/masters/mpp.

It is also possible to pursue a Ph.D. in Public Policy. This would be most useful for those wanting to teach at the university level.

To get ready for graduate school in Public Policy, make sure you do the following while you’re at Radford:

  • Choose the Public Affairs concentration in the Political Science major.
  • Take courses in Public Administration like POSC 300 (Public Administration), POSC 335 (Public Policy).
  • Intern at a policy institute, government agency, or non-profit organization.
  • Take leadership in a student or community organization. Have accomplishments to tout on your graduate school application.
  • Establish a professional and personal rapport with your public administration professors. They will be needed for a recommendation letter.
  • Consider adding Scholar-Citizen certification to your undergraduate study.
  • Keep up with a quality news source on US public administration/policy such as The Washington Post.
     

International Affairs/International Studies

MA degrees in International Studies or international affairs are good training for working in government, policy advocacy, activism, NGOs, development, and international institutions.

MA degrees will prepare you within 18 months to two years for work in a professional position.

Ph.D. degrees in International Studies can prepare you to teach International Studies at the college level. This is a program that is expanding exponentially at many colleges and universities.

Talk to Radford’s Director of the International Studies minor (Dr. Tay Keong Tan) to learn more about IS graduate degree programs.

To get ready for graduate school in international affairs, make sure you do the following while you’re at Radford:

  • Get great grades.
  • Establish a professional and personal rapport with your faculty members. They will be needed to write you a recommendation letter.
  • Take leadership in a student or community organization related to international affairs. Have accomplishments to tout on your graduate school application.
  • Intern at a policy institute, government agency, or non-profit organization in your area of interest.
  • Study abroad and learn a language.
  • Keep up with a quality international news source like The Economist or the New York Times in order to build up your knowledge base of international politics.
  • Choose the Foreign and National Security Policy concentration in the Political Science major.  

More Information:

The Department has pamphlets on graduate and professional school for students. Please come request one at the Political Science department, Hemphill Hall 5300.