<p>I'm new to this forum, but I've been reading the previous posts. It seems that there's a wealth of information here!
In the next months I will be applying for a masters in IR or an MPA. I will only apply to five schools and I need help to pick among the following six schools:</p>
<p>I would like to focus on economic development. Ideallly, my goal is to work for an international organization like the UN, World Bank, etc. I have almost 3 years of work experience, but it's not directly tied to international development. I work for consulting company that provides advice to the energy sector. I'm interested in studying the energy challenges/opportunities of developing countries, and I think my experience would help me a lot.</p>
<p>Any advice?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>P.S. Does anybody know how hard it is to get into Oxford or the MPA/ID program at Harvard?</p>
<p>I think all six of those programs are excellent, and that you should probably concern yourself more with funding and location now. Nice position to be in, if you think about it. :)</p>
<p>If I were you, I'd look to verify first if every one of those 6 programs has an EcDev program. Then look at the course trajectory -- what interests you more? Also look at how many grads go into the field you'd like to be in -- a strong alumni network might help you upon graduating.</p>
<p>Since when does US News rank IR? I need proof of this. NYU cannot be ranked over so many programs -- like those at JHU, Harvard, Princeton, Tufts, Georgetown, and all the military academies. I call b.s.</p>
<p>UCLAri, what do you think aobut the USC program? Who are the outstanding USC IR faculty? Can undergrads take 500 level courses? How is the USC grad school? Any other private universities on the west coast with better IR programs--attached to a grad school?</p>
<p>Appreciated your interesting comment about JHU campus locaitons. I know a student who started drifting into 500 level IR courses when he was a sophomore. Restricting him to lower level courses would have been hard yacker.</p>
<p>Just out of curiosity, UCLAri, only because I see you around IR threads dispensing your wisdom -- where do you study or where does your IR expertise come from? </p>
<p>The only guy I know over at USC is Aronson. As far as I know, the MA program is largely or completely limited to current USC BA students who want to do a 5 year integrated BA/MA. </p>
<p>The West Coast's best professional IR programs are UCSD IR/PS and Monterey. However, I'd say that IR/PS is the only true standout program on the West Coast. Colorado's program is good, but I dunno that I'd consider it "West Coast."</p>
<p>It's hard to find exact "rankings" of IR professional programs, but IR/PS is ranked in the top 10 by Foreign Policy and well-respected in both political science and IR in general. Some of the names here are incredibly famous in the field, too.</p>
<p>What I think that IR/PS offers that others don't is a dedicated faculty who are focused on the Pacific Rim alone. For some of us, that's a godsend.</p>
<p>just out of curiosity, what's the difference between Global Studies, International Relations and International Development Studies? I'm currently an undergrad at UCLA w/IDS and probably going to concentrate on East Asia(China) and Middle East(???)</p>
<p>Global studies is usually a generalist program, focusing on the globe and the variety of issues facing it. IR focuses on how nations and global actors interact with one another. IDS focuses on the development of states, economies, and global actors.</p>
<p>What type of degree would you need if you wanted an analytical position with Homeland Security. I looked on their website, but it didn't specify.</p>
<p>My experience with analytical positions is that there is not a "one-size-fits-all" degree requirement for getting a job. However, there are certain skills that are high demand. Economics, key languages, quantitative abilities, and area expertise are all desired.</p>