<p>Any comments on the MA program in IR at Boston University?</p>
<p>kigali - </p>
<p>Exactly, that’s why American is my current front-runner. It’s just hard to get away from that academic snobbery that I think all of us have to a certain degree.</p>
<p>Unfortunately (or fortunately, I’m still not sure which), I literally just found out that I’ve been accepted to Maryland’s MPP program. While Maryland is kind of in the same boat as Georgetown in terms of course work (though I need to look at it more closely now that I know I’ve been accepted), Maryland is in a completely different class cost-wise.</p>
<p>Assuming I get into the Peace Corps Fellows program at Maryland (don’t see why I wouldn’t), that means 5 credits of tuition remission per semester, a $6500 yearly stipend, and any credits past those 5 are charged at the in-state rate. Basically, after subtracting the stipend from the tuition costs, I’d be looking at paying $3000 a year in tuition at UMD assuming 12 credits per semester.</p>
<p>Whereas at Georgetown, for example, tuition is about $38,000 per year, and I didn’t get any money from them. Same deal with American, though American is somewhat cheaper than Georgetown.</p>
<p>Obviously this doesn’t factor in living expenses and room/board, but still - a difference of $35,000 a year in tuition costs between Georgetown and Maryland, to me, seems huge. That means an extra $70,000 in debt after 2 years if I chose to attend Georgetown over UMD. And on top of that, I’m sure living costs in College Park are lower than they are in the Georgetown area of DC.</p>
<p>So the conundrum I’m now facing is this: do I choose the program which is better for what I want but will cost me significantly more money, or do I choose the cheaper program? Even if graduating from American will net me a higher-paying job than if I had graduated from Maryland, I can’t imagine that the salary difference would be <em>that</em> much different that it would override the fact that I would be graduating with a ton less debt.</p>
<p>Yet there’s another consideration as well - while I do very much need to consider money, I also feel like first and foremost I should be considering which program is going to prepare me better for a career in IDEV. Not from a “what school is going to get me a better job” standpoint, but from a “which program is going to prepare me better so that I can help others better” standpoint. I’m not going into IDEV for ego reasons or to make myself feel good - I’m doing it because I have a very strong and honest desire to help people. And I feel that if I go to a less-appropriate school when I had the chance to go to a place like American, I would be selling short all the people I would be trying to help in the future.</p>
<p>Of course, there is one last option: call American, tell them it’s my first choice but that money is a real issue, tell them what I’m getting from Maryland, and see if they’d be willing to give me something. I’ve heard stories of this working for people, but does it really work in this particular field? If they’ve already awarded all their merit-based funds for 2010, will trying to bargain with them really work? I’d be interested to hear if anyone out there has had success with it, and if so how you went about it.</p>
<p>Kilimanjaro,</p>
<p>Just from someone who has been there, I’d take the money. As I said earlier, I very much enjoyed the courses I got to take at my well-regarded IR school etc, but in the end I think I would’ve been in a better position having just gotten the degree at my MUCH cheaper state-school alma mater (even if the actual work in getting the degree wouldn’t have been as interesting). I do agree with the old tenet that “the journey is just as important as the end result,” but I’ve realized now how much the bottom line really does make a difference. Plus, while it may not be the superior program between the two, Maryland is nonetheless very well-regarded and I don’t think you’ll be lacking in the training you receive there.</p>
<p>Kilimanjaro09,
I finished at AU SIS last year and I can tell you the professors are awesome. The career center will also set you up with great opportunities. I don’t know anyone in my class that is not leaving SIS with a full time job or acceptance into a PhD program. AU is expensive, but well worth the money. I also took classes outside of SIS in the College of Arts and Sciences, and I thought the professors there were just as good. And SIS is preparing to open a brand new building in the fall. I’d highly recommend AU.
Good luck!</p>
<p>Hi folks,</p>
<p>I recently got admitted to Seton Hall’s John C. Whitehead School of Diplomacy, and I really would like to hear some words of advice regarding their MA program in Diplomacy, as there seems not to be too much info anywhere in the internet. The school seems to be very proud of their UN connection, and while I’m very interested in getting some UN related work experience through the program, I wonder does the connection give any real advantage for the program compared with the other schools.</p>
<p>I have also been accepted and offered a good scholarship to Georgetown’s MSFS, but while SFS is more well-known and I would choose it from purely professional perspective, I might choose Whitehead over it because my girlfriend was accepted to an NYC school. We are moving all the way from Europe, so this is a big issue. Looking from a macroperspective, the two cities seem to be so close to each other, but after some more inquiry I understand that they are not exactly a commuting distance away from each other, haha. </p>
<p>Arrgh, the situation is really nerve-wrecking. I wish I could just be able to build my schedule at Georgetown so, that I would only have to be present in DC for a couple of days per week. Any thoughts on that?</p>
<p>The only way I’d go to Seton Hall (or any other school for that matter) for a MA in Diplomacy would be if i was free or almost free. Even if you get a UN job (which if highly doubtful if you have any familiarity with UN employment) you still might not be looking at a salary that will pay off your student loans in comfortable fashion.</p>
<p>I think you need to ask yourself what exactly you will DO with a MA in Diplomacy. This isn’t to say that such a program is useless. Heck, I have a BA in Political Science and I’m working. But you need to know what job you’re going to do with this degree and what it qualifies you to do. In the real world, employers hire you to do a specific job. They don’t just hire you off the power of a grad degree. What will a MA in Diplomacy prepare you for? A career as a diplomat? That’s doubtful since the vast majority of diplomats from western countries are culled through competitive post-secondary recruitment campaigns.</p>
<p>I’m not trying to be pessimistic. But just be sure you’ve looked at your finances carefully and you’ve considered what exactly you’re being trained for. A lot of students are signing up for vague MA degrees only to find that the degree didn’t really prepare them for any type of employment.</p>
<p>Thanks for your response. I have to say I can’t really understand your point here. Isn’t there the same problem with all the IR degrees? You will get an MS in Foreign Service from Georgetown and MA in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts, just to name a few. I can’t really notice any difference with the Whitehead school and these schools, if I just consider the names of the programs. And still this discussion is all about getting to those schools. </p>
<p>So what made you say that specifically regarding the Whitehead School? Did you mean that a degree in such a narrow field like diplomacy would only prepare one to join some country’s foreign service, and those are always really hard to get? Do you consider the degree somehow different from the others discussed in this thread, or did you just say that as a general comment regarding all the schools? My question was more to do with issues like the curriculum and international recognition, not so much with the basic reasons for pursuing a Master’s degree in IR.</p>
<p>Just to say a few words about my background. I’m already getting a Master’s degree from my European home country either before coming to the US, or while there. It’s the standard degree (Master in Social Sciences) for everybody interested in politics/IR/contemp.history related stuff, respected but very general and academic in its scope. To put it with your words, it doesn’t prepare one for any type of profession, but together with your personal orientations it can take you to the direction you want. And especially as it’s very rare just to do a BA once you decide to go to a university in my home country, things like language skills, int’l experience and work experience are really important in distinguishing you from a bunch of people. That’s exactly what I’m doing here. I think a specialized, professional degree in addition to my previous degree would be considered an asset and distinguish me from the crowd, as our own degrees are more general and academic in their scope. And of course int’l experience in itself is considered a merit.</p>
<p>And when it comes to finances, I have a fortunate situation of being offered a couple of scholarships, so I won’t be paying much for the degree. So it doesn’t affect my decision between the schools, just the other issues. </p>
<p>Any other thoughts on the Whitehead School of Diplomacy?</p>
<p>I was recently accepted to GWU’s Elliott School and to AU’s SIS program. I am waitlisted at Georgetown MSFS and have no clue if that will pan out at this point. </p>
<p>About me: graduated in 2007, and I’ve been working for 3 years in DC for a non-profit doing international economic development work (primarily as a Project Coordinator overseeing financial sector development programs in Afghanistan, Iraq, along with some work in Central America). I want to continue on this path, probably shifting over to the private sector at some point. I’m not sure if Elliott offers a significant edge over SIS, but that’s where I’m leaning at this point. Anyone in a similar situation or have advice? Thanks!</p>
<p>How is CSU Fresno’s International Relations program? Is it hard to get in and how do they rank in terms of prestige? Thanks.</p>
<p>gradschoolgirl,</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>as a grad from the elliott school MA program, i have a biased viewpoint…but IMO there’s a fairly big gap between Elliott and SIS. even elliott is known as the “couldn’t get into georgetown/SAIS (-not- SIS) option” :)</p>
<p>as a general rule, though, elliott school is best for its east asia/national security program…</p>
<p>Hi everyone! I have a hard time deciding on programs. I am admitted into the Executive Master’s in International Public Policy and Management at USC, and the Master’s in Public International Affairs at UCSD.</p>
<p>I care about how much I can earn out of the degree’s name and knowledge gained. I had a B.A. in International Affairs. And so now I’m changing my career track to compete in the private sector. </p>
<p>I have realized that USC got more prestige- ranked no. early 20 nationally. The public policy program here is ranked no.7 in the nation. The course works focus more on applied technical tools vital to public policy with a touch of public management. Besides, the program is executive’s. It sounds like an achievement upon graduation. For UCSD, it’s less prestigious, but it seems like a very innovative gateway to a brand new arena/career. It’s ranked no. early 30 nationally. Its Int’ Politics is ranked in the top 10 nationally, and this IR/PS school itself is ranked no.12 by the Foreign Policy Magazine.</p>
<p>Do you think which one is more important in the real world- good program or prestige? Also, I would like to hear whether IR/PS is really a good program.</p>
<p>Money (tuition fees and fellowships) is not a factor here. Thank you in advance.</p>
<p>hello guys </p>
<p>looking for some help…
I am planning for masters program in international relations for next season but my undergrad was engineering in information technology from India . but since i think i ave a decent profile how difficult is it to get in good schools </p>
<p>acads : top 10% in class, private reputed college in india in IT ( had 2 eco courses ) </p>
<p>work ex:All overseas work ex 2.5 years at fortune 10 firm( finance, management role) ( Western and Central Europe) </p>
<p>outside work : traveled and lived in Antarctica as part of environmental leadership program .going to arctic this year . lived in 4 countries and travelled to 30+ countries.</p>
<p>Gre : will be writing in next few months</p>
<p>schools i am targetting : tufts , georgetown , harvard, princeton , gwu, and lse </p>
<p>Can you suggest some safer bet schools considering all these are ambitious schools </p>
<p>Regards,
silentcacophony</p>
<p>Is it as hard to get a job in international development as it is to get a job in international affairs? Because if it’s as hard as you guys make it sound, I may have to reconsider, as much as I love it.</p>
<p>Fiam,</p>
<p>Depends what you’re looking for really. If you want to work in a small NGO or non-profit it won’t be as tough to gain entry as the IMF or UN. That’s sort of obvious, but a lot of people don’t seem to realize how competitive some international affairs jobs are.</p>
<p>Be realistic but don’t let “how tough it is” determine what your ultimate goals and interests are. I always think FIRST decide what you like to do and then figure the rest out, rather than first deciding what is EASY. Too often I find people do it the other way round.</p>
<p>If you genuinely like and want to do development don’t not do it because “jobs are hard”.</p>
<p>This is a good point but you still need to be realistic about the workplace before going to grad school. If your ultimate goal is tok work in ID, there are plenty of possibilities out there. But if it’s “UN, IMF, World Bank or bust” you have to be pretty clear about how to get there.</p>
<p>This is just a comment, btw, because no one in this thread actually said that’s what they want to do.</p>
<p>How to get into the UN, IMF or World Bank:</p>
<ol>
<li>Live in DC for the IMF/Bank, live in New York area for the UN.</li>
<li>Don’t be American.</li>
<li>Get to know someone who is familiar with or has contacts with one of the institutions that can tip you off to stuff. </li>
<li>Check your ego and be willing to enter into those institutions by ANY way necessary. Clerk, intern, temp, etc. Just get in. </li>
<li>Don’t expect immediate results, be willing to apply/wait for about a year after you start this process.</li>
</ol>
<p>Most people feel theyr’e above an “admin” job, and they also want immediate results, so they’ll say it’s impossible to get into these institutions (note: it is very hard if you are American though).</p>
<p>supersaiyan,
When you say “don’t be American”, do you mean don’t be ONLY American? How does my dual US/Turkish citizenship affect that?</p>
<p>Ibo–which would you say is your “primary” country between the two? The thing is that the UN wants to have a balance amongst its staff in where they come from. So if your dual citizenship is a matter of being born and raised in the US to Turkish parents, you’re probably going to be seen as any other American. Make sense?</p>