International Relations Graduate Schools .. ?? oigh

College Search & Selection
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<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I’m currently an International Studies undergraduate at the University of South Florida. I’m graduating early and I’m looking for really good graduate schools for International law, war studies and international relations in Europe or the US . I need to have a job while going to school as well. Research or something with a think tank or NGO or the government. </p>

<p>Thus far King’s College is my top choice; however, I need more schools to apply to as backups.
Additionally, I was wondering how the job outlook is within think tanks or governmental (UN!! Or NATO!) after a PhD or a MA. I know its really competitive, but I have quiet few internships and good recommendations.</p>

<p>Any advice would be helpful.
Thank you.</p>

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<p>The two best are Johns Hopkins SAIS, and Georgetown SFS; other very reputable ones: Princeton WW, Tufts, Harvard (Kennedy?). These will probably land you jobs in think tanks and the UN. Good luck! (Sorry I couldn’t comment on safeties :[ )</p>

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<p>LSE (UN & Think tanks recruit there a lot and students get UN jobs but students going in have lots of work experience)
Sciences Po (though you need to know some french and they are touchy about what undergrad you went to)
UChicago IR</p>

<p>Back up . . .I think Brandeis has a decent program, problem is it will still be competitive. Consider European programs: St Andrews, Edinburgh, SOAS (if you are interested in Africa or Asia). </p>

<p>I personally dont know about your chances for a job but they would not be bad if you plan to do a Phd afterwards and they are recognizable schools when you apply for a PhD which is very important. They are also not as selective as the big IR names in the US who expect you to have language fluency and 5 years experience working abroad at age 22 lol.</p>

<p>As for IR research jobs, publish, publish and publish and I hope your economics skills and grades are top notch</p>

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<p>First, you have to decide whether you are primarily interested in a career in academica or a professional career in government, ngo’s, international businesses, international organizations, etc. The reason is that, while there is some overlap, the best schools differ widely depending upon that career choice. If you are more interested in the professional/policy side of things, the best graduate schools are specialized schools in international studies:</p>

<p>1) Johns Hopkins’ Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). This is in DC near Dupont Circle but SAIS also has full campuses in Bologna, Italy and Nanching, China. SAIS has a strong economic focus and is the best place to go if you are interested in things like the World Bank, the IMF, international business and banking, and international development.</p>

<pre><code>2) Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, also in DC. This is the best place for a career in the State Department (Foreign Service).

  1. Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School. In Princeton, which is beautiful but a real disadvantage for part-time work and internships. Woodrow Wilson includes both international studies and domestic policy studies.

  2. Colombia’s School of International and Public Affairs–in NYC. Good for UN agencies and international business

  3. Tuft’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy–Boston area. Some jobs and internships available but not like DC or NYC. Good school though.

  4. Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government–also Boston area. The Kennedy School is large and most students are studing things other than international affairs. The best thing going for it is the Harvard name. If you want Boston, I’d choose Fletcher over Kennedy unless the main object is to impress your friends.

  5. GW’s Elliot School of International Affairs–not as presigious as the above schools but a good, practical education. DC location is an advantage.

  6. AU’s School of International Service–ditto.
    </code></pre>

<p>A two-year MA is the normal credential for policy/professional careers. Some of the above schools also offer Ph.Ds–but these are policy oriented Ph.D’s, not really academic ones. The are designed mostly for people in think tanks, etc. If you want to be a professor, you are much better off going for an academic Ph.D.</p>

<p>If you are more interested in an academic career, you want to go for a Ph.D (a master’s won’t help much unless you are only interested in community colleges) in Political Science at a school where the subfield of international relations is very strong. These would include Harvard, Yale, MIT, Princeton, Stanford, etc. These programs are very very selective. Other very good but slightly less selective programs would include Johns Hopkins (political science department, not SAIS), Brandeis, Duke, GW (political science dept, not Elliot School) and AU.</p>

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<p>Syracuse Maxwell School & Penn Fels Institute of Government.</p>

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<p>Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs</p>

<p>[Member</a> Schools](<a href=“http://www.apsia.org/apsia/members/allMembers.php?section=member]Member”>Members of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs)</p>

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<p>Thank you for your suggestions they were really helpful. But I’m curious what type of work is expected from a college undergraduate. It’s nearly impossible to receive anything substantial without an MA except for internships. We all don’t have amazing connections and we have to start somewhere. Therefore, how much are internships worth in the world of professional careers?</p>

<p>I would hope they are worth just as much as some wok experience.</p>

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<p>They generally group students according to:</p>

<p>Work experience abroad/Internships abroad
Language Knowledge
GPA
GRE
Grades in Economics especially begineers- micro and macro</p>

<p>Yeah Internships are actually very important from what I have seen. Try and get something in DC/New York or internationally. Study abroad is a major and expected plus</p>

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<p>Ok great. Thank you for the quick reply. I have been almost paniky thinking that I havent done enough. Your post has been a relief. :)</p>