About PhD Program,
The Ph.D. program in Politics is an intellectually vibrant home for students interested in pursuing academic careers focused on the analytically rigorous study of politics. The program offers a wide range of opportunities to learn from and work with leading scholars in American Politics, Comparative Politics, Political Economy, International Relations, Political Theory, and Methodology, through substantive and methods seminars, research workshops, closely supervised research projects, and scholarly collaborations that often extend well past the end of graduate training.
Our program is unusual in its international diversity. Almost 70% of our current students come from places outside the U.S., including from countries as far-flung as Benin, Korea, Chile, China, Mexico, Russia, and Italy – just to take some examples.
Our job placement record is one of the most successful in the discipline. Recent placements include tenure-track appointments at Stanford, University of Chicago, University of Rochester, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Southern California, UCSD, Georgetown, UC Berkeley, ITAM, Texas 2 A&M, Emory, Vanderbilt and other leading research universities, and postdoctoral appointments at Princeton, LSE, the Harris School, UCSD, IAS-Toulouse, and others.
This Handbook, which was put together with invaluable help from our Ph.D. program staff, lays out some details of the expectations and requirements of the program and provides a guide for students and faculty to various logistical details related to the doctoral training in the Department.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
- Grades: If your GPA is less than 3.5, we would be looking for other measures to indicate likely success in the program.
- GRE Scores: If your GRE scores are not in the 90th percentile we would be looking for other indicators of likely success in the program. We make allowances for lower verbal GRE scores for non-native speakers of English.
- The Writing Sample: A writing sample demonstrating academic work in social science is required. This would most likely be a paper or chapters of a thesis from your undergraduate career. It should be between 25 and 50 pages, double-spaced in the English Language, exclusive of references or appendix tables. It should demonstrate your ability to think analytically about some social science question and communicate it clearly. The best writing sample is a completed paper that lays out a hypothesis and presents evidence.
- Letters of Recommendation: We are looking for three letters from people who can evaluate your ability to do social science, or can comment on your academic performance. Letters from people you have worked for outside an academic or research setting generally have little value to us. The letters are very important, so getting letters from people familiar with your academic work is extremely valuable.
PhD Funding Coverage,
Henry Mitchell MacCracken, a professor of philosophy, served as the sixth chancellor of NYU. As chancellor, he established one of the first graduate schools of arts and science in the United States. He was committed to expanding the university’s schools and departments, improving academic standards and increasing enrollment. The GSAS doctoral fellowship program is named in honor of him and his visionary leadership.
The MacCracken Program provides multi-year full funding support to most new GSAS doctoral students [1]. The minimum MacCracken doctoral support package includes:
- A four- or five-year award term.
- A scholarship for full tuition and registration and services fees for courses required for the degree.
- Full coverage of the premiums for mandatory NYU student health insurance for an individual under the NYU comprehensive plan.
- A nine-month academic-year stipend for living expenses. Some departments offer either a stipend or research assistantship.
- A one-time Dean’s Supplementary Fellowship Grant of $1,000 that may be used at the student’s discretion.
A number of these awards are enhanced by the department with other features; please review your department’s web page for more information about their MacCracken package. Students who receive funding from an external agency also are awarded the MacCracken award, if necessary, to insure they receive an award package with full funding.
Many departments offer their students the opportunity to teach as an adjunct instructor during the course of their studies. If students teach, the compensation is in addition to the MacCracken fellowship package, and not a part of it.
For more information on the MacCracken Award funding and other potential employment opportunities, visit the PhD Financial Calculator.
New and continuing students may find the following materials useful:
- MacCracken Housing Program for Doctoral Students
- MacCracken Program Reserve Application and FAQ
- Other Graduate Student Fellowships
The following GSAS affiliate doctoral programs do not fund students through MacCracken awards. Applicants should consult with the program directly to learn about their funding opportunities: Basic Medical Sciences and Environmental Health Sciences, housed in the School of Medicine; Cinema Studies and Performance Studies, housed in the Tisch School of the Arts; Data Science; Institute of Fine Arts; and Institute for the Study of the Ancient World
Application Requirement,
- · Academic Transcripts
- · Test Scores(if required)
- · Applicant Statements
- · Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
- · Letters of Recommendation, and
- · A non-refundable application fee.
Application Deadline,
Dec 18, 2024
Application Fee,
The application fee for most programs is $110.
