Students interested in pursuing a PhD in political science at Rice University should apply for admission through the Department of Political Science. Directions on how to apply can be found on the department’s admissions page.
Admissions decisions are made by a departmental committee. Students are admitted to the department as a whole, not to work with a single professor. In line with this process, I do not commit to working with specific students before they are admitted to the program.
Students who are admitted to the PhD program often do not have an advisor already selected. In your application, you should discuss which professors you would be excited to work with, but you do not need to contact those professors before you apply or secure their endorsement. For more information, see the department’s frequently asked questions for applicants.
If you’re interested in learning more about graduate study at Rice, I encourage you to consult these resources:
If you’re looking for more general guidance on how to prepare your application, I’d encourage you to consult these resources: