Resources

Please browse this page to find resources, professional communities, and funding opportunities relevant to Graduate Students. If you know of a resource but do not see it below, please share it with us here.

Accessing APSA eJobs

APSA eJobs is the most comprehensive database of jobs related to political science. But it is accessible to members only. The eJobs platform is updated daily with new job listings and candidate resumes. It is fully searchable by field of interest, employer or candidate name, region, keyword, position, salary, institution type, and most recent postings. 

Click here to view resources and initiatives providing individuals access to eJobs information at reduced and waived fees.

APSA’s Mentor Program

Mentorship is an important part of career growth and professional development. The APSA Mentor Program connects interested graduate students and junior faculty with political scientists who have made themselves available as mentors. This program is a member benefit. Learn more about the APSA Mentor Program.

Opportunities Across the Discipline

This Graduate Student Committee page features a regularly updated list of grants, fellowships, and awards for Graduate Students. View here. 

Resources By Subject

Academic Job Market Resources

• Three blogs covering the job market stages in detail.
  • Part 1: You’ve Decided to Go on the Job Market. What Might Your Next Year Look Like? By Kelsey Shoub
  • Part 2: You’ve Decided to Go on the Job Market. Now It’s Time to Put Together Your Packet By Kelsey Shoub
  • Part 3: The Phone Rings. Now What? By Kelsey Shoub
• Preparing Teaching Materials for the Job Market, Sondra Richards – An 80-minute presentation and slide-show explaining the components of a successful teaching portfolio and providing guidance for teaching-oriented campus interviews.
• “The Job Talk” (by Eric Min) – A slide-show detailing how to construct and present an effective job talk during a campus visit.
• “Academia 101: Writing a CV” (by Steve Saideman) – Advice on writing an academic CV for the job market.
• “Writing the Faculty Job Application Cover Letter for Political Science Ph.D. Students” (by Paul Musgrave)– Advice on writing a cover letter for academic job.
• “The Unofficial Guide to Academic Interviews” (compiled by K. Anne Watson) – A detailed guide to the job market with an emphasis on interview preparation.

Applied Career Resources

• Careers Outside of the Academy: An APSA Careers Diversity Committee Roundtable Webinar
• Turning Your Academic CV into a Resume: An APSA Careers Diversity Committee Workshop
• Handouts:
  • CV Resume Resource Guide
  • Converting Your CV to a Resume – Columbia University
  • Transferable Skills In Practice Handout
  • Ross Action Verbs
  • Harvard Resume Examples
• Career Planning & Training Tools
  • ImaginePhD
  • BeyondProf
  • How to translate your skills outside of the academy, a Twitter thread
  • 5 places to find diverse jobs in mission-oriented organizations, a Twitter thread
  • The Professor is In: Professionalization resources

Graduate Student Teaching Resources

• APSA’s teaching and learning resource library: APSA Educate
• Advice for TAs and graduate students just starting:
  • How to Teach American Politics (and Other Subjects) Effectively, Third Edition, by Marjorie R. Hershey. After spending several decades leading her department’s graduate seminar introducing the mechanics of political science education, Dr. Marjorie R. Hershey shares her ideas, experiences, and perspectives in this free APSA e-booklet.
  • Serving as a Graduate Teaching Assistant: Tips and Strategies, by Zoe Nemerever and Christina Boyes
  • Preparing for the First Solo Teaching Experience: An Alternative to Learning as You Go, by Mario Guerrero, Matt Lamb, and Mary Anne S. Mendoza
  • What We Wish We Knew: Reflections of Brand-New Teaching Assistants, Journal of Political Science Education, by Nakissa Jahanbani, Charmaine Willis, and Donnett Lee
  • Teaching as an International Graduate Student, by Irmak Yazici
• Classroom ideas:
  • Podcasting as Asynchronous Learning, by Rachel Torres
  • Playing Politics: Using Games to Help Students Prepare for Final Assessments, by Justin Zimmerman and Kumar Ramanathan
• Select APSA Educate Resource Collections:
  • Foundations of Quantitative Analysis in Political Science
  • The Game of Politics: American Government Simulations
  • Teaching Intro to American Politics
  • Teaching Race, Ethnicity, and American Politics
  • Teaching Political Science at a Community College
  • Innovate Approaches to Online Learning
• Select APSA Educate teaching & learning webinars:
  • Building an Inclusive Syllabus
  • Strategies for Success in the Online Classroom

Time Management and Mental Health

• APSA’s Mental Health Awareness Resource Page
• APSA RESPECT
• Free and low-cost resources for graduate students, postdocs, and early career researchers (or really anyone else) covering time management, note-taking, transcription, and more (compiled by Jaclyn Siegel)
• The Essential Health and Wellness Guide for PhD Students, PhDs.Me
• Vortherms, Samantha A., and Coyle Neal. 2022. “Practicing Effective Time Management.”
• If you struggle with the following, take a look at Dr. Mushtaq Bilal’s Twitter page for helpful advice:
  • Procrastination
  • Imposter Syndrome
    • Developing Resilience
    • Strategies and Resources
    • Belonging

International Students Based in the U.S.

• Advice for international PhD applicants
• Boston University International Graduate Student Guide
• Concerns for International Graduate Students in Political Science, by Thomas S. Benson and Silviya Gancheva
• Forbes List of International Student Resources
• In-depth discussion of challenges international doctoral students face
• International Student Resources Hub

Conference Resources

• Unpacking the Hidden Curriculum of Conferences: A 2024 virtual workshop from the Graduate Student Status Committee
  • “How to Conference” by Kimberly N. Turner, Christina Boyes, Elizabeth Bennion, and James Newman
  • “Conference Talks” by Jessica Calarco
• Six Pieces of Advice to Get the Best Out of Conferencing From the 2023-2024 Graduate Student Status Committee
• 2019 Grad Student’s Guide to the APSA Annual Meeting (made by the Graduate Student Status Committee)
• Surviving Your First Academic Conference
• ISA’s “Writing a Great Abstract: Post
• Andy Stapleton’s How To Conference Presentation
• Lucy Kissick’s Tips for Conference Presentation

Resources for Graduate Students of Color

• Decolonial Politics Collective
• The Latinx Guide to Graduate School, by Genevieve Negrón-Gonzales and Magdalena L. Barrera
• National Conference for Black Political Scientists, NCOPS
• Politics of Race, Immigration, and Ethnicity Consortium, PRIEC
  • Note that this is a conference for those studying REP, though is a welcoming space to build community among individuals of minoritized backgrounds.
• Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Society, SACNAS
  • SACNAS is an inclusive organization dedicated to fostering the success of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans, from college students to professionals, in attaining advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership in STEM. They offer mentorship opportunities.

Resources for First-Generation Graduate Students

• Concerns for First-Gen Political Science Students, by Thomas S. Benson and T. Mark Montoya
• First Gen Scholars
• Rise First, an online community that centers and supports first generation and first generation low income (FGLI) graduate students
• Things I wish I’d Known on Day 1 of my PhD, Twitter thread
• Enrica’s Guide for 1st Generation Graduate Students, a thorough website with podcasts, resources, videos, and more.
• Jess Calarco’s Field Guide to Grad School
• Raul Pacheco-Vega’s website

Resources for Disabled Graduate Students

• Disability Visibility Project
• Margaret Price – Crip Spacetime: Acess, Failure, and Accountability in Academic Life
• Margaret Price – MAD at School: Rhetorics of Mental Disability and Academic Life
• University of Illinois Chicago – Accessibility Resources & Guides
• Miami University – Disability Justice