Faculty Training in Political Science: Results from a Survey of Department Chairs

Abstract

In recent years, increased attention has focused on how doctoral programs prepare graduate students to become faculty members at colleges and universities. One reflection of this interest is the development of such training programs as Preparing Future Faculty (PFF), which the Association of American Colleges and Universities and the Council of Graduate Schools founded in 1993. With financial support from the Pew Charitable Trusts, the National Science Foundation, and the Atlantic Philanthropies, and with the participation of several professional associations, including the American Political Science Association, PFF has grown to include nearly 300 colleges and universities nationwide. In the recent past, 21 doctoral departments, including four from political science, have received funding for PFF. In addition to formal PFF programs, the literature on graduate education suggests that many doctoral departments have established their own training routines to assist graduate students as they prepare to teach and/or to assume faculty responsibilities.