<p>thanks UCLAri</p>
<p>hi everyone, i've just started to browse what options exist in IR MA programs and this one has really been helpful. I currently work in a government agency in Turkey and i could really use some more information or exchange of information on international admissions. Furthermore, much have been said about prominent IR programs like SAIS, SIPA, SFS or MALD of fletcher but I would also like to hear what you guys have to say programs like syracuse maxwell's MA-IR, fordham's IPED, pittsburgh's MPIA or even virginia's IR program in dep. of politics.. can anyone help on these?</p>
<p>Hello everyone (first post here) :-)</p>
<p>I was wondering if anyone's heard of the LSE/PKU program? Any comments on it? It requires two thesis, so I suppose people go into academia after graduating?</p>
<p>I'm doing a top 50 IA masters program and then <em>hope</em> or maybe will one day do an international law school...
The Masters is more to get the leg in the door as "qualified" I don't expect it to make me a lot of money. I already have the experience working for NGO and NFP's however, and now just going for the degree to get a higher up position...
I did MIS/Poli Sci undergrad though, and worked in IT for 5 years with NGO/NFP stuff on the side. I think I'll have an easier job with a computer oriented (intel) job in the organizations given that, not really the direction I want to go (I want to get away from IT) but will do it to get a leg in the door for now. I am looking to relocate to NYC or Geneva for this as well and taking intensive french. Studying abroad in London, Prague and The Hague...
So hello to all the other IR/A folks, and thanks for the information in the thread, good read.
It is just 2 years though, so not like I am blowing THAT much investment on it... if I eventually do law school, an entire different story.
Personally I see money as more of a means to an end, I'm more of a foreign policy/travel junkie, thus my reasoning for getting into the field from IT.</p>
<p>hey everyone,</p>
<p>What is the reputation of GW's Elliott school? I know it's usually ranked in the top 10, but rankings in IR tend to mean less than other disciplines. Is it more prestigious than American, and if so, how much?</p>
<p>Will a gwu student be laughed at in dc circles? Are schools like sais so superior that the sais student will always win out over elliott? </p>
<p>I know that these questions can seem petty since much of grad school is what you make of it, but every school name conveys a message and impacts first impressions. Is Elliott impressive or just so-so?</p>
<p>thanks.</p>
<p>Geoff,</p>
<p>You're right, that question is rather petty. I wouldn't worry about it too much...I go to friggin Denver (also a top 10 school but obviously at a lesser standpoint in the "connections" game) and I'm not at all worried about how my educational background will look. If people choose to judge you based on where your degree is from (especially when the differences between GWU/Gtown/American/SAIS/whoever are relatively small, in my opinion), then they're not worthy of your attention in the first place.</p>
<p>Hi! I'm an undergrad Poli Sci major and I graduate in May. I want to work in IR (either be a diplomat or work in a think tank) and I want to go to grad school, but not right away. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should do in my year off?</p>
<p>Geoff,</p>
<p>Elliot is very good, and you'll be well-positioned for good jobs. How's the aid package? </p>
<p>flyers29,</p>
<p>Well, if the current market is any indication, we're all in the same boat right now. By that, I mean "wet."</p>
<p>futureplans17,</p>
<p>Diplomats are generally political posts. What you probably would rather be doing is foreign service. For that, you have to apply for, take, and pass the foreign service exam. That's no small feat. Start studying early! :D</p>
<p>Think tanks are another tough nut to crack. One person I met at Brookings put it best:</p>
<p>Employment opportunities at think tanks are hourglass shaped. Lots of people at the bottom doing low-paid work, very few middle/MA-level people, and lots of PhDs.</p>
<p>For a year off, consider maybe a non-profit or working abroad. Right now I'd say just be happy to be doing anything that pays well enough to get by, honestly.</p>
<p>So I've been reading the tread, and I'm starting to get a little worried. I want to apply to some of the top schools like SAIS and SFS, but my background is not the strongest. I graduated from UCSB with an alright gpa, I taken the GREs and did fair, I know that I have very strong letters of rec, and my statement of purpose will stand up on its own. I've seen that a lot of schools require some level of econ as a prereq, and I took econ when I was a freshman and I didn't particularly care about the class so I didn't do so great. I'm doing general admin work right now in something that has no relevance to IR. I passed the foreign service exam, and they're suppose to be sending out whether or not we get to interview soon. I do really want to go back to school and get my MA though and I had planned on doing it before I joined the foreign service. I was curious as to whether my background would keep me from getting into some of the higher ranking schools or whether its pretty much a crapshoot either way? Will the econ matter that much? Would pursuing the foreign service help me get into a higher ranking school sometime down the road?</p>
<p>I'm loving this thread. There seems to be lots of good but conflicting information. Anyways, heres my situation: I am currently a sophomore at a central Florida community college and am doing very well (will finish with a 3.9 in the summer). My plan is to transfer to the University of South Florida in the fall and major in International Studies. I'm confident in my ability to maintain my high GPA throughout the rest of undergrad and, consequently, have my hopes pinned on going to either a top law school or a top International Relations graduate program. However, if I choose that latter, here is where it gets tricky: I'm 29 years old, and I will be 31 (almost 32) when I graduate USF. Clearly, time is not on my side. It's not that I'll be old by any stretch of the imagination, but mid to late 30's isn't exactly the ideal time to begin a first career (total slacker through most of my 20's, it's embarrassing). So, naturally, I'm anxious to get started in a career. As you can see, I don't exactly have time to get "work experience" before entering an IR graduate program. If my numbers are high enough (GPA,GRE,LSAT,etc...), will this overcome the lack of any experience that I have in this field, or any field for that matter? I'm going to do my best to gain any experience possible over the next couple years, but the Tampa Bay area isn't exactly a hotbed of International Affairs related opportunities. Sorry for the long post, but I figured a little background on me would help yield better responses to my query. Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.</p>
<p>beebeisme: I didn't have any econ background before applying to IR schools. I took some in college but didn't do that well. I did, however, apply to schools anyway, and registered to take the required micro/macro courses over the summer to fulfill entrance requirements. At SAIS there's a pre-term econ program, too. So don't count yourself out. You're not required to be an econ person going in, and in most programs, most people definitely are NOT econ types.</p>
<p>and Volscio, if you don't mind me asking, which schools did you get into without any Econ background at all?</p>
<p>true superman,</p>
<p>I got into IR/PS and SAIS without an econ background.</p>
<p>I m currently a senior in college wishing to apply to IR MA programs. I know a lot of deadlines are already coming up, and I am not exactly the strongest applicant in the world (great GPA, but little experience in the area and very, very few related ECs). Being from Indiana, I had looked into the University of Indianapolis program, but I know it is not exactly highly ranked. How will that impact me in the long run if I choose to go there? </p>
<p>Other schools I'd been considering were NYU, Georgetown, and GWU, but those all have quickly approaching deadlines and all of the professors I've been attempting to contact over the past 3 weeks for LORs have been very difficult and unresponsive (even though some of them have written glowing LORs for me in the past).</p>
<p>brbsb,</p>
<p>Here's my take.</p>
<p>Why rush? If you're not going to be able to get yourself into a strong program, why rush just to get into ANY program? Wait a year if you can't get the package together.</p>
<p>Yeah, I understand what you mean, but I run into 2 problems if I wait...1. I have no idea what job to get (the job market right now isn't all that friendly to psychology majors) and 2. My parents are very adamant about going to grad school right away (my father is convinced I will never go if I don't go right away). </p>
<p>How much of an impact does going to a "name" school have on getting a job someday? I'd prefer not to work in academia.</p>
<p>Which NYU's graduate program in international relations in worth applying to, the one offered by GSAS or by SCPS? Ho wdo they defer. I have to apply in th enext few days, so I really need an advice. When NYU is mentioned in all the statistical lists and surveys with regards to IR, which program is refered to?</p>
<p>brbsb,</p>
<p>Name brand matters, but only to an extent. As for your two problems:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The job market is bad, true, but it may also be bad in two years. Don't go to grad school just to escape a bad market.</p></li>
<li><p>Grad school is about you. Don't do it for your folks.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>karina,</p>
<p>Like I said in another thread, I would call the two schools and talk to them directly. Get the info straight from the horse's mouth.</p>
<p>By no means anywhere near the top, but does anyone have any info on the international affairs program at FSU or the international relations program at UF? Goal is to become a FSO. I'm currently an undergrad in FL and staying in FL might not be a bad idea. Haven't taken the GRE yet and I hope to get my GPA up to 3.4-3.5 by graduation. Any help would be appreciated.</p>
<p>UCLAri</p>
<p>I applied to UCSD IR/PS, Elliott, and American. I didn't apply to others because I didn't have good GRE scores. I got 600 on Verbal and 690 on Math, also, a 3.3 GPA, but I have three years of Finance in NYC experience. what do you think my chances are? My career objective is economic policy either in state or commerce for a few years and then private industry, do you think these schools give me a good background.</p>