<p>I've heard this as a common criticism from people outside the University but I was wondering if any current SFS students or prospectives who have looked into the school could let me know what they think. I know the focuses do seem quite specialized which leads me to wonder if you get a limited, although in depth in one area education or if they have ways of making sure you're getting a broad range of IR education... if that all makes any sense at all...</p>
<p>I was wondering that too when I was trying to decide where to go...but if you look around the website, at the core classes, the general classes you can take, etc. you see that it's pretty interdisciplinary-- meaning you get a different range of subjects...also, if you really decide you don't like what you're working towards, you can always transfer out to the college or other school if you want. I hear it's easier to transfer out of SFS than to transfer in. But you should just keep exploring...i haven't even attended a class yet so I really can't say for sure..:D (I'm an incoming freshman.)</p>
<p>That's the criticism heaved at it by people whose curricula is a) too general or b) who don't know if they absolutely want to do international politics/relations type stuff. Will you be narrow minded if you attend the SFS? Absolutely not. Is the program right for everybody? No. </p>
<p>We get a mix of history, language, economics, anthropology and goverment. IR in and of itself is a HUGE field and consists of all sorts of subfields-- Security Studies, Policy Processes, etc. If you are positive that you want to do IR, the SFS offers a diverse spectrum of IR-related majors. The STIA major (Science and Tech in Int'l Affairs) is the first of its kind (now Harvard and a few other universities have added them). You can do regional focuses, security focuses, etc. </p>
<p>Also, many SFS grads end up very successful in places that are not related to international politics. My mom, who works for a big biotech company, attended a seminar run by a woman half her age (or even younger) who was an SFS grad-- my mom said she was extremely impressed.</p>