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The 'Math Prefresher' and The Collective Future of Political Science Graduate Training

Gary King, Shiro Kuriwaki, Yon Soo Park. 2020. "The 'Math Prefresher' and The Collective Future of Political Science Graduate Training". PS: Political Science & Politics, 53, 3, Pp. 537–541.
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Abstract

The political science math prefresher arose a quarter century ago and has now spread to many of our discipline’s Ph. D. programs. Incoming students arrive for graduate school a few weeks early for ungraded instruction in math, statistics, and computer science as they are useful for political science. The prefresher’s benefits, however, go beyond the technical material taught: it develops lasting camaraderie with their entering class, facilitates connections with senior graduate students, opens pathways to mastering methods necessary for research, and eases the transition to the increasingly collaborative nature of graduate work. The prefresher also shows how faculty across a highly diverse discipline can work together to train the next generation. We review this program, highlight its collaborative aspects, and try to take the idea to the next level by building infrastructure to share teaching materials across universities so separate programs can build on each other’s work and improve all our programs.

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