<p>Hi im an undergrad student right now and im planning on graduating in 3 years (i knowww i know why would I want to leave college early?!!) :0 --- anyway so my question is that since i can comfortably graduate in 3 years saving my self time & money i dont really have the extra time to go study abroad .. so i wanted to know what, if any benefits are there for doing a grad school program in IR field abroad somewhere? Can my graduate degree from abroad translate into america once i come back in terms of finding a job? or should i stick to schools in the us? i appreciate all feedback :)</p>
<p>I would think that it depends strongly on the foreign school that you're talking about. For example, I know plenty of people who have attended graduate programs at elite top foreign schools like Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, etc. and have nothing but good things to say about their experience. A major benefit is obviously the rich multicultural experience, and the exotic international prestige of those schools. It also helps your networking; for example, if you ever meet a Brit, then the fact that you went to a British university gives you a convenient conversation icebreaker. </p>
<p>As far as taking a foreign degree and bringing it back to the US, again, I think it depends very heavily on which school you're talking about. Some foreign schools have glittering worldwide reputations. For example, I would posit that Oxford and Cambridge are the only 2 schools in the world whose brand names maybe, just maybe, match Harvard's.</p>
<p>I think with IR, studying overseas is more practical than other fields. In addition to sakky's schools, you should looking into the program at American University Paris (if you speak any French) and Lieden University in Holland.</p>
<p>You should also consider US grad schools with strong overseas exchange programs (or campuses owned by the US school). For example, Johns Hopkins IR students have the option of spending one full year studying at the university's campus in Italy. Overseas experience, US brand name. If what you are looking to do is get your grad degree while making up the study abroad experience you've missed during undergrad, most great US schools have ties to great schools overseas for focused, relevant post-graduate study. </p>
<p>And you can still party your ass off.</p>
<p>so ive been thinking about LSE and i know its a long shot since its ridiculously hard to get into.. but do any of you know what kind of stats it takes to get in there?</p>