I advise postgraduate students in several academic fields at Cornell:
Each program has its own admissions criteria. You may consult the websites listed above for more details. Students whose interests are more aligned with disciplines like History, Global Development, or related fields should consult Cornell faculty in those fields.
The Government and Public Policy PhD programs at Cornell are fully funded for the duration of your PhD, through a mix of fellowships and teaching and research assistantships. Full funding covers tuition, a salary, and health insurance. You do not need to contact me before applying, although you are welcome to. Nor do you need to secure my permission to apply; we are always accepting PhD students, and funding is guaranteed for any accepted student regardless of your background or personal circumstances. I can give advice on which program is right for you, but I have no role in the PhD admissions process. Admissions decisions are made by an admissions committee, which means that I cannot guarantee you a slot in one of our PhD programs.
The Asian Studies PhD program at Cornell concentrates on Asian Literature, Religion, and Culture, but most Asian Studies PhD students have a primary advisor whose faculty appointment is in the Department of Asian Studies. The Asian Studies MA program at Cornell is a general degree in the interdisciplinary field of Asian Studies, broadly understood, and primary advisors may be any faculty member in the Graduate Field of Asian Studies. As with the Government and Public Policy PhD programs, admissions decisions for the MA program in Asian Studies are made by a committee.
I am able to host visiting postgraduate students from other universities on a limited basis, although I cannot provide a stipend or funding to support their time in Ithaca. Students take classes in the Government Department and join the department as a community. I have recently hosted visiting PhD students from institutions such as Bocconi University, Central European University, Fudan University, and the University of Hong Kong.
Tom Pepinsky 