Doing a PhD in Political Theory at Stanford

You should apply to Stanford if you’re interested in political theory in/and/as political science. In some political science doctoral programs, political theorists can choose to be relatively insulated from the empirical and methodological sides of the discipline.  This is not the case at Stanford. We see political theorists, empirical political scientists, and methodologists as contributors to the shared endeavor of answering fundamental and important political questions. Every student (including political theorists) has to complete a two-course quantitative methods sequence, a political theory seminar, and gain exposure to empirical political science.  In short, you will be trained as a political theorist and as a political scientist.  

I see this as both intellectually and practically valuable. Intellectually, it prepares students to tackle important political questions, most of which have normative, empirical, and methodological dimensions.  Practically, it trains students to be able to engage with the entire discipline, not just other political theorists.  This can be an asset both when framing one’s work for general political science journals, when applying for jobs, and (with any luck) when working in a political science department.

The sort of training Stanford offers is not for everyone.  That’s OK.  Your job is to think about whether it’s right for you.

If you think this sounds like a good fit for you and your interests, you can find out more about the application requirements here. The part of your application over which you have the most control is your statement of purpose.  Some applicants are tempted to write overly biographical statements explaining how they have loved Plato since they were in kindergarten.  Please don’t do this!

Instead, write a statement that answers the following questions.

1. What question(s) are you interested in pursuing?

2. Why are these questions interesting and important? (Think about why someone who is interested in political science, though not necessarily political theory, should care about these questions).

3. What makes you a good person to address these questions? What skills and background knowledge do you bring to these questions?

4. Why is Stanford’s Department of Political Science the best place for you to pursue these questions?  Perhaps there are faculty working in the relevant area.  Perhaps Stanford has special intellectual resources or programs that might help you pursue these questions. Do some research and make your case.