'Changing Academic Track Is a Chance to Make a More Informed Choice'
Can you enrol in a master's programme in political science without a bachelor's degree in the same field? What prospects does a change of academic track open up? Nikita Zubarev, graduate of the Master's programme 'Comparative Politics of Eurasia,' shares his experience. After a bachelor's in history, he chose to pursue political science: finishing the master's programme, defending his PhD thesis in political science, and now combining teaching with research work in a sociological laboratory. Read on to find out about the track change, admission to a PhD programme, and work at the crossroads of sciences.
Choice and Motivation
Enrolling in the bachelor's programme, I relied on my long-standing interest in the historical books and encyclopaedias we had at home—about life in the ancient world, armies, research, discoveries, and expeditions. The most memorable for me was the story of Franklin's Lost Expedition. This love and interest in history, special respect for past events which have influenced our current life, encouraged me to apply to the history programme in the first place.
My educational background in history helped me and provided additional motivation. I would say that it taught me not to perceive existing institutions and practices as a matter of course, natural, or something that appeared without human intervention. History prompted me to think about how important it was to remember the development paths which shaped our present. Why do we live according to these norms and not others? Why do people have these kinds of differences, and why do the differences exist at all? History helped me to see these questions.
My further choice of political science was more deliberate and also connected to my long-standing interest in current developments in politics. Back in high school, I started following the news because I wanted to understand how and who makes the decisions that influence the lives of many people. It seemed vital to me to follow political events to understand how the development of the world was related to my values.
Changing Track and Master's Studies
In the master's programme, I managed to adapt to studies with a new major quickly because our programme offered special courses designed for students without previous experience in political science: we read the classics of political science to master all the basic theories which are a must for all political scientists.
Besides, I studied in the bachelor's programme at HSE University–St Petersburg, so I was already familiar with the specifics of training and the focus on research work. Even the courses which were completely new to me—like data analysis or the basics of statistics—were taught as introductory, preparatory ones. Moreover, these were the courses which later inspired me to use a certain methodological base, that is, the choice of the tools which I would like to use to study politics.
I applied for the master's programme more deliberately, knowing that I wanted to choose the academic track. The master's programme only proved what I had realised during the bachelor's studies: science is not something inaccessible. It is a sphere where you can develop, and you don't have to be a superhuman to enter it. If you go into it, prepare, read a lot, are interested in the world around and curious, you can grow in this field.
There is another side, a more applied one, of what I gained from the master's programme. I realised that mathematical methods of explaining social reality can be quite accessible. Of course, mastering them requires considerable effort, but with their help, we can try to identify certain patterns in people's behaviour, relying on clear and strict rules.
The programme offered several introductory courses in various quantitative methods. I found them truly interesting, and they convinced me that it was worth developing in this field.
Admission to the PhD Programme
The main thing which attracted me to an academic career in political science is the development of my early interest in observing the political sphere and an opportunity to move from the role of observer to the role of explainer—a person who tries to identify patterns in politics and its developments.
The introductory courses on the master's programme greatly helped me to prepare for the entrance exams. Many authors whose works we read during the classes were included in the exam questions for enrolling in the PhD programme.
Also, the internship at the Laboratory for Comparative Social Research gave me a chance to network with colleagues. One of them—my future thesis supervisor—agreed to coordinate my dissertation research. Training and professional contacts became key factors for me in transitioning from master's to PhD studies.
PhD Dissertation
My dissertation, 'Affective Sources of Trust in the President of Russia,' belongs to the field of political sociology. In short, when trying to explain political trust, political scientists often forget that voters do not always act rationally and do not always objectively assess events in the outside world.
My work was an attempt to study, using the example of one specific institution—the institution of the presidency—why and how people emotionally assess their trust in politicians. I tried to check the mechanism whereby national pride and subjective well-being together influenced the level of trust in the president. Though I didn't manage to prove that they work precisely in tandem, testing this hypothesis was important.
I also looked into how different values and socio-demographic characteristics of Russians can explain trust in the president. It turned out that the value-based and socio-demographic characteristics of those who trusted the president and those who were proud of being Russian coincided.
My dissertation is related to what I am doing now, primarily because I worked with survey data. For instance, during one of our laboratory's research projects on the ecological culture in Russia, I also worked with surveys and tried to explain how various conservative attitudes in the sphere of ecology were related to Russians' behaviour in this field.
Of course, I am planning to continue working with survey data, but at the same time, I don't want to limit myself in methodology. I intend to continue to research the topic of identity, in particular, of how it can be built in texts with the help of computer-based analysis methods.
Work at the Ronald F. Inglehart Laboratory for Comparative Social Research
I started my attempts to get into the laboratory right after enrolling in the master's programme in autumn 2018. At first, I helped as a volunteer at the autumn conference, and then I helped to collect data. I didn't have an official job there—this was volunteering to show that I was ready to work.
In spring 2019, I proved myself to be a good student in the course on inequality supervised by Nika Kostenko. I was invited to a job interview at the laboratory, where I shared my career plans and desire to develop in academia. My interview was a success, and since then, I have been working as a research assistant.
My tasks are quite diverse: helping to organise events, drawing up documents for research projects, and participating in research reports. Having become a more experienced employee, I started to work on grant applications and participate in project planning. Our laboratory doesn't have a strict hierarchy: any employee can suggest ideas, which are discussed at general meetings and, if supported, are included in applications.
I also participate in writing research papers both with colleagues and on my own, and get some advice on how to develop my research. The main value of working in the laboratory is the support and exchange of experience with more experienced colleagues.
We also regularly hold seminars, usually once a week, where we can ask questions and discuss research results. It helps to maintain a consistently high academic level.
Social Sciences
I prefer to think of my profession through the English term 'social scientist,' which cannot be fully translated into Russian.
Setting strict boundaries between different fields of social sciences is pretty hard. But it is the diversity of research topics and methodology which truly attracts me: from explaining social processes at the individual level to attempts to analyse modern trends based on historical data. For instance, some theories state that the level of modern social and economic development of different societies is related to their access to water. In the research of social processes, even geographic approaches come in handy.
Advice for Prospective Students
If you are thinking about changing academic track, the main thing is to understand yourself, determine your interests, and not be afraid to follow your heart. Of course, you have to consider more practical factors as well: for example, what career prospects can open up after changing your major.
But it seems to me that the most important thing is to listen to your desires and choose a career that will bring you joy in the long run. Often, when we are 17–18, we have to make a choice which can influence the rest of our lives. However, we don't have enough time and experience to understand ourselves well.
Changing academic track is a chance to make a more informed choice. When we understand ourselves better, we can follow a path that can boost our level of happiness.
Interview for the website of the Master's programme 'Comparative Politics of Eurasia'
