Arab Studies easier than Foreign Service in SFS

<p>Is it much easier to get into specifically MA Arab Studies than the MS Foreign Service degree program? I just get the impression that the Arab Studies program isn't nearly as competitive.</p>

<p>If you're speaking about masters degree programs...to be honest, the MSFS isn't a very good program. You would be better off going for the Arab Studies MA or a program in the Government department.</p>

<p>I was mostly looking at Arab Studies or Security Studies. I know that both MSFS and Security Studies are somewhat selective (something like 15-30%), but the Arab Studies website doesn't mention anything about selectivity. That's mostly what I was hoping to find out.</p>

<p>Thanks for the heads up though. Although I imagine there are people on this forum that may want to challenge your opinion.</p>

<p>Well, there's free to challenge it, but this is something that an SFS dean said explicitly: most of the resources in SFS go to undergrad, the graduate program is very underdeveloped, many of the MSFS required classes are retreads/watered down versions of SFS undergrad classes. MSFS students tend to be people from other universities, particularly big state schools, who missed out on the international focus that SFS offers when they were undergrads, so now they come to get it as grad students.</p>

<p>Fair enough. Thank for the advice.</p>

<p>Their security studies program is pretty well-known.</p>

<p>Yea, what I said really applies only to the MSFS. The Security Studies Program is done under the flag of the Center for Peace and Security Studies, so it has a good source of support/resources through that. The other SFS MAs likewise draw upon the resources of other entities, largely their geographic departments (REES, MAGES, Latin American Studies, etc.)</p>