created by Ok_Effect_6954 on 15/01/2025 at 13:54 UTC
3 upvotes, 4 top-level comments (showing 4)
Hi everyone,
I am graduating from my PPE BA this summer and thinking about doing a master's in Political philosophy/ Political theory . I'm really interested in critical theory, postructuralism, continental philosophy and feminist and decolonial studies (currently writing my diss on the clash between postructuralist feminist philosophy and the essentialism of current feminist policy). I don't really know where to go from here but I know I love academia and want to continue learning. Has anyone on this thread completed their master's in Political theory or something similar and/or do you have any advice?
Comment by ServalFlame at 15/01/2025 at 15:54 UTC*
12 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I completed an MA in critical theory and now I’m doing a PhD in political theory. If you’re planning on applying for a PhD eventually, an MA is a great opportunity to develop a solid writing sample and get good recs.
It also gives you space to narrow down your research interests. Concentrate on a thinker or two or a very specific intersection of ideas.
Finally, I’d consider programs in even other countries. I’m an American, but I did my MA in Canada. An MA is a great time to spend significant time abroad. It’s just the right length (1 or 2 years), right after graduation when you are still young and without many obligations, etc.
Comment by throwRA454778 at 15/01/2025 at 15:51 UTC*
4 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Doing this kind of work in my english cultural studies program, my research areas are explicitly political theory- critical theory, poststructuraliam, and feminism in relation to IR (bottom-up political peace-building focused on a regional study). My undergrad is pol and when searching for a masters several pol professors said it would be a ‘hostile environment for someone like [me].’
My program (and other cultural studies, comparative literature, some anthropology, geography, and interdisciplinary programs such as yorks social political thought and ucsc’s hist of consciousness) work with all of these theories, although some english programs are more open than others in using the theories beyond textual analysis (study of cultural artefacts, case study, comparative historical analysis, historiography, etc).
Comment by swamptunes at 15/01/2025 at 21:21 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I did a political science MA with a theory concentration in the mid 2000s. I then went on to a philosophy PhD program which was way more conservative and analytic focused so I bailed after a year.
In retrospect I wish I’d initially applied to a PhD program to get the funding because I took out an insane amount of loans to pay for the MA. I’ll be paying them back unto death. PhD with funding is the way to go even if you bail and just take a terminal MA.
Comment by [deleted] at 15/01/2025 at 14:36 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I did am MA in political philosophy and it was very analytically dominated, though I managed to eke out a continental path through it. Depends very much on where you study so look closely at the program. In a lot of anglophone universities political philosophy means Rawls, Nozick, Cohen etc. rather than critical or continental theory