Doctor of Philososphy [Ph.D] [Politics] From The New School

The Politics curriculum at The New School represents four major fields of political science in the United States: political theory, American politics, comparative politics, and global politics. Graduate students are trained in these fields, especially at the PhD level, through departmental field seminars and field examinations. Research and teaching in politics at The New School for Social Research are informed by historical, comparative, and theoretical frameworks that bring people together across these fields. Historical knowledge and understanding provide an indispensable base for judgments about contemporary issues and problems. That big political questions have important comparative referents is taken for granted. As political life entails concerns about cultural horizons and forms of inequality, students are encouraged to learn and use a wide range of theoretical approaches, including feminist thought, critical theory, and cultural studies.

Most members of the faculty and many of our students pursue projects that cross fields within political science.

The Department of Politics at The New School for Social Research takes a distinctive approach to the study of politics. We emphasize the theoretical dimension of political analysis with regard to both political explanation and normative evaluation. We focus on the historical roots of contemporary political forces and problems. Faculty members are interested in how institutions shape political life, in the intersection of political and cultural processes, and in classical and current conceptions of political economy.

The Department of Politics contributes to the scholarly community that is The New School for Social Research through joint courses, research projects, and conferences. For example, the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility, founded by Professor Aristide Zolberg and now directed by Professors Miriam Ticktin and Alexandra Delano, engages in research, policy analysis, and education bearing on international migration, refugees, and the incorporation of newcomers into host societies.

Distinguished visiting scholars from other institutions join our faculty on a regular basis. Visiting professors are an important part of the department’s life; they assist the regular faculty by helping supervise dissertations and other student work. The Politics Department welcomes proposals to visit from faculty and advanced graduate students, which we review once per term (fall and spring) each academic year. All approved visitors have access to the university library and public seminars, lectures, and conferences, as well as the general IT services at the university.