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New School for Social Research

Can democracy exist without dissent

?

Politics MA/PhD

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  • Graduate students in Politics at The New School for Social Research critically question mainstream political theory and investigate the historical roots of pervasive political forces around the world.

    Work alongside faculty members investigating how institutions and systems shape political life at the intersection of political and cultural processes. Explore the myriad dimensions of public policy and political analysis with regard to both political explanation and normative evaluation.

    Change begins with a question. What will you ask?

  • Program Highlights

    • Study and contribute to emerging forms of knowledge that interrogate systemic exploitation and inequality, emphasizing political theory, political economy, and the challenges of democracy.
    • Explore the intersection of theory and praxis, discovering the world-changing potential of what occurs when progressive scholarship is integrated with activism.
    • Choose from four areas of instruction offered by the department: American politics, comparative politics, political theory, and global politics.
    • Collaborate on the work of groundbreaking research institutes, including the Heilbroner Center for Capitalism Studies and the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility.
    • Write for Public Seminar, an online publication produced by students and faculty at The New School for Social Research.

  • Program Basics

    • Full-time or part-time study 
    • 30-credit MA, 60-credit PhD
    • Fall or spring start
    • Merit-based scholarships available
  • IMG - Marketing NSSR 15 Interdisciplinary Research Centers
  • IMG - Marketing NSSR 70 Plus Countries

  • Deva Woodly, Professor of Politics, discusses how dissonance is not just a part of democracy, but crucial to its existence.

  • Featured courses

    • Biopolitics
    • Critiques of Capitalism
    • Field Seminar in American Politics
    • Postcolonial and Feminist Theories of International Relations

    • “The way to interrogate political systems that infiltrate every aspect of modern life is through an interdisciplinary lens.”

      Nancy Fraser, Henry A. and Louise Loeb Professor of Political and Social Science

    • Why the New School?

      The New School for Social Research was founded in 1919 as a home for progressive thinkers, and housed the University in Exile in 1933, providing an academic haven for scholars persecuted in Nazi Europe. The school became the foundation for a comprehensive university – The New School –  and continues the legacy of critical thought, civic engagement, and academic freedom today.

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