Ranking International Relation Programs

<p>I still say Columbia. Their poli sci department has great IR people, and you can take some good political economy. Sharone, please trust me on this: tons of people take IR classes, but the best IR scholars know economics.</p>

<p>Wow, so you've been really focused on IR! Does that mean you want to be an academic in the field? Or do you want to be a diplomat? Or do you want to just do something international whether it's in business or ngo's or public sector?</p>

<p>If you want to be an academic, go to Columbia for sure.
If you want to be a diplomat, go to Columbia for sure.
If you want to be in something international, go to Columbia for sure.</p>

<p>If you really can't stand Columbia or NYC, fair enough, you shouldn't go there. Then choose between Tufts and GW. I have always thought Tufts ranks above GW.</p>

<p>I second what UCLAri says: if you want to do IR, learn economics (as well as the field of IR). Even poli sci these days is getting more and more oriented toward mathematics and modeling based on what friends I know in the field have told me. I have a friend who went to a top 3 PhD department in poli sci and opted to take some time out to study economics and statistics classes so that he could be more effective in his chosen field.</p>

<p>Don't worry on being so specialized in IR right now. If you really want to pursue it, recognize that it's an amorphous and cross-disciplinary field that basically encompasses anything that begins with the word international.</p>

<p>The people who I've known that have done best in all the areas of IR are the smart ones who went to reasonably prestigious schools and who had a good general education. Personally, I think all 3 of your options are great, but one is Ivy League and offers a great undergrad experience according to folks I know who have been there.</p>

<p>It is entirely legitimate to choose the other two based on comfort level and other factors, and I would do so if you don't like C. or NYC. But DO NOT choose to go to one or the other based on a narrow interpretation of what an IR focus entails. IR is too broad of a field for such thinking.</p>

<p>It would really help us pitch a perspective to you if we knew what you wanted to do post IR undergrad.</p>

<p>anotehr question UCLAri
well
im not incollege yet, but if i go to a very competetive top college,
what kind of grades would IR programs expect for me to be accepted to grad programs.</p>

<p>so basically
what was ur gpa (if ur willing to disclose that) at UCLA?</p>

<p>and
are u in a PHD programs at UCSD
or just a Masters program?</p>

<p>thanks</p>

<p>I'm in a MA program because I'm not going academic after this. I plan on working in a field where the PhD is not a worthwhile investment.</p>

<p>My GPA was 3.72, but I was on the high end for a lot of programs.</p>

<p>I'm not too interested in going into academia. I've always wanted to go into diplomacy, but lately I've been considering international business as well. So, depending on which I decide to pursue, I'd get an MBA or a MIA after undergrad.</p>

<p>I actually love NYC, but I'm not too sure about Columbia. I visited both last year, and liked both, but I remember that Tufts felt like a better fit. But NYC>Boston.</p>

<p>I am definitely very interested in economics, but I heard that Columbia's econ program was geared towards grad students, and undergrads get the leftovers. I don't know how true this is, and I also don't much about Tufts program.</p>

<p>One more question: I know that SIPA is amazing. But how many opportunities do Columbia undergrads get? When I visited, I met with a professor of Chinese politics, and in speaking about the IR/East Asian program, he something that stuck with me: "we tend to forget that the undergrads exist here." Columbia would be amazing for grad school- but would Tufts, which seems more focused on its undergrads, be better for a BA?</p>

<p>I hear pretty good things about the Columbia undergrad experience. Tufts is definitely a cozier experience, but you will get tons of access to really great professors even at the Columbia behemoth.</p>

<p>What's the funding like at both? Are any one of them offering radically better financial aid packages?</p>

<p>tufts is actually giving me a better financial aid package.</p>

<p>Well, here's something that I'm not always in agreement with people on this site about: no school is worth $120K in debt. I just don't see any reason to graduate with over $100K in debt for any school. If Tufts is offering you a decent package, I think it may be worth it to either push Columbia to match it, or to consider Tufts.</p>

<p>Especially for an IR wonk. We don't make that much money. Well, not usually at least...</p>

<p>Just wondering, what would be considered alot of money?</p>

<p>lemme guess
u either are going to, used to go to, or want to go to Berkeley law^^^
or,
ur name is just kinda random?</p>

<p>California-Bolt,</p>

<p>In income, or for a school's tuition?</p>

<p>Income (10 charrrrrrrr)
wait, whose name is random?</p>

<p>
[quote]
I've always wanted to go into diplomacy, but lately I've been considering international business as well. So, depending on which I decide to pursue, I'd get an MBA or a MIA after undergrad.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>This is EXACTLY why I say Columbia. I think you'll have more opps for internships in NYC especially coming from Columbia.</p>

<p>I have heard Columbia is actually a good undergrad experience where one is much more coddled than at the behemoth grad school. I also heard undergrads have access to the SIPA courses, at least upper division.</p>

<p>Focus in on these issues; ask for the opinions of many and ask a lot of questions to find out the truth. Don't just go with an off-hand comment one professor made. Tufts is a good school and follow UCLAri's advice, but it also depends on the magnitude of the financial differential.</p>

<p>UCLAri said previously that you need to remember your interests may shift. COMPLETELY ADAMANTLY AGREE. So you want to put yourself in a position to EXPLORE as much as possible while you have the most options on the table. And I still say Columbia is better for that.</p>

<p>Unless the financial differential is really significant (and once again I basically agree on UCLAri on that issue), go to Columbia.</p>

<p>does anyone know how good U of Chicago is for PoliSci and or International relations (if they have it)
both undergrad and grad would be nice</p>

<p>Chicago is excellent for IR and poli sci. Easily a top 10 program in both.</p>

<p>Man this thread is almost 2 years old.</p>

<p>To 'BIGTWIX'. The LSE IR undergrad program is pretty competetive. The official stats are 923 applicants and 52 people accepted. That works out at about 1 in 19 getting accepted. But they probably offer a few more places than the amount of people that get in to cover people missing the required grades or choosing to go somehere else, so it's probably more like 1 in 15. I'm lucky enough to have got in this year but i'm probably going to Oxford to do geography instead</p>

<p>I'm a high school soph. and i'm already looking into potential colleges.My two areas of study that i have been looking into are journalism and IR.I'm wondering where the better IR undergraduate programs are?It seems so many schools spend more time on their graduate programs.So far i am leaning towards GTOWN.I was wondering about how the UG programs at these following schools are:
College of William and Mary
Boston College(Political science program)
University of Denver
Wellesley(i'm not too sure if they have an IR program)</p>

<p>I'm looking to focus on middle eastern or african relations.Any help with any well known programs specifically for these would also be greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>sonjanicky29,</p>

<p>I'm glad that you're interested in IR, but I wouldn't worry so much about specific programs. Most people who do something "IRish" for a living have MAs at the very least. You'd be amazed how variable the undergrads are for top IR programs. Worry more about getting into a good university/LAC that will offer you the resources you need to be well-rounded. Good IR people do math just as much as they do IR theory.</p>

<p>Do certain areas of study make you more appealing to graduate IR programs?I travel quite a bit and and i speak/learning a few different languages.Do things like that help you get into the better programs?I just really have a passion for politics and international relations and i'm almost that is what type of career i want to be in.</p>