<p>I have an urgent question:</p>
<p>I want to apply to NYU's international relations graduate program, however I can not figure out the difference between the program offered under the GSAS and SCPS of NYU. Can someone advise me? When people talk of NYU's international relations program, which specific program do they refer to?</p>
<p>karina1617,</p>
<p>Have you called any of the offices and asked? I promise you that it won't affect you negatively, and that it's probably the best way to get the right information.</p>
<p>UCLAri, I would gladly have called, but the offices are all closed for the hollidays, while the application deadline is in 3 days. I am in trouble. Perhaps anyone does know at least something?</p>
<p>karina,</p>
<p>It looks to me like SCPS is with an "adult school," while GSAS is in the main faculty. I don't know enough about NYU to say this for certain, but I think that GSAS is probably the one most people think of when they're thinking of NYU. However, it also seems to me that the GSAS program is the more academic one.</p>
<p>UCLAri, </p>
<p>Thank you so much for responding. I do agree with you. I too have read all the info on the websites. GSAS's offered program is in political sceince with a concentration in international relations while that of SCPS's program is directly called "Global Affairs". I would rather not go to an "adult school", but I wonder if, when entering the job market, a degree in political science will not look academic, and thus irrelevant.</p>
<p>karina,</p>
<p>My experience thus far has been that most employers don't really know enough about individual programs to care at that level. They're going to simply ask you, "What can you do for me?"</p>
<p>karina,</p>
<p>My experience thus far has been that most employers don't really know enough about individual programs to care at that level. They're going to simply ask you, "What can you do for me?"</p>
<p>Thanks for all the good words, UCLAri and others.</p>
<p>Couple quick questions: I'm applying for an MA in IR. I do not want a cushy job with the UN or World Bank writing policy papers. I'd like to do on the ground aid work in conflict and post-conflict zones. (I have experience in Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia and elsewhere.) Does anyone have suggestions for a Master's program that focuses on the practical means of reconstruction and development in the third world? Of all the programs I've looked at, it seems like Denver's Korbel school focuses most on this area (at least in their view book and website).</p>
<p>Second question: Is Denver's program really that much below American and Syracuse (two of my other choices)?</p>
<p>Thanks for your thoughts!</p>
<p>quick question for the board...</p>
<p>What exactly is considered "strong" quantitative skills, particularly for PhD programs in IR or Poli Sci? I have a relatively strong background in statistics with a focus on IR and I'm wondering wether or not this would work to my advantage in the admissions process.</p>
<p>Any advice is helpful</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Hey UCLAri and any others who have been through an MA in IR program-
What do you think about getting a (probably one-year) MA in area studies before moving on to the professional masters. Would this help to apply the theories and ''professional'' aspects of an IR MA or do you think it might be a waste of time? This, particularly for someone who has some background in a region but wants to gain more language skills, etc. I find that many IR MA programs don't have enough in terms of language and area studies while the area studies programs obviously lack in the more ''professional'' aspects that one would find with an IR MA.</p>
<p>Basically I think the two tracks I might follow right now are either PhD in polisci or MA in IR (I know I know just like everyone else around here...)...I feel like for either one getting an area studies MA first could be helpful whichever direction I go (especially if it could be partially funded and/or done in-state). </p>
<p>What do you all think? and what are your experiences with anyone who has gone with the area studies --> IR MA route?</p>
<p>Seems like most people here can afford to aim high and shoot for the top schools. I'm currently an international economics undergrad at a less-known FL public university (no GRE yet) and if I work hard I'll probably finish at best, with a 3.5 gpa. I also speak fluent Portuguese and Spanish now working on learning French. That being said, I'm shooting for either UF or FSU in regards to international affairs/relations graduate studies. I did a search and read numerous pages of UF vs. FSU type posts and it has only left me more confused. Which university would be better academically in this regard?</p>
<p>Also, I am currently relying on bright futures for my tuition so I'd be somewhat hesitant to apply to out of state programs. Should I bother applying to anything out of state? With a good GRE score and a GPA of ~3.5 would I have the slighest chance at a top 10 program (obviously not 5>)?</p>
<p>Any help would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Positiveg,
I think you should at least try for a top 10 program. Your GPA is good and assuming you do well on the GRE's and have a good POS, internships,and recommendations I think you have a shot. In some ways I think getting in can be a crap shoot, and you can't figure out why some people get in and others don't. Obviously you should include some "safety" schools too, just in case. As for UF vs. FSU I don't really know much about the programs so I can't recommend one over the other, but look at the concentrations and courses that are required and/or available to see what fits your interests best.
Good Luck!</p>
<p>I agree with the above post. It wouldn't hurt to try, anyway. Aside from the application fee.</p>
<p>I know someone with somewhat similar stats that applied to a mix of top schools and lower tier. They also graduated from a FL state Univ with IR, had a great GPA, decent GRE scores, and was applying straight out of undergrad. Despite the lack of WE, they had some impressive internships and a year abroad.</p>
<p>The end result, was rejections from everywhere except GW and LBJ. I think they applied to Georgetown, SAIS, and maybe SIPA as well.</p>
<p>With that said, I think you'd have a good shot at GW and UCSD. Unfortunately, I don't think you'd get any money from GW. That brings up the common question of "is this MA degree really worth the 60k+ debt that I'll likely accrue?" It's something I'm struggling with now, as I wait to hear back from schools.</p>
<p>If you look at it financially, it probably isn't worth it. If I decide to go to an expensive program, I'm probably going to be paying off debt for a good part of my life. But the hope is that you'll end up doing something that you enjoy, rather than the ******** job I have now. </p>
<p>You can really only answer that question yourself though. But I'm of the opinion that you should at least apply to the other schools, and give yourself as many options as possible.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies firefly and threetwelve. In regards to WE, I've been working since the age of 16 (although mostly at crappy retail jobs that they likely won't even consider). The only internship I've had was a software engineering co-op program I had at Motorola back when I was an engineering major. Not sure if that would count either?</p>
<p>I believe that my ultimate goal is to work for the government. I don't want to be an attorney but I wonder how a joint JD/MAIR sort of deal from a lower ranked school go against a top tier MAIR school. The JD degree would be relatively cheap and as long as it opens up somewhat the same doors, it would probably be a better choice for me.</p>
<p>Living in another country for 9 years doesn't really count as abroad experience, does it? (As in being born in another country and then just going to school there until the age of 9 before moving to the US?)</p>
<p>I wondering how much money can you expect on average with a MA in IR??? Any statistics on it?</p>
<p>positveg89:</p>
<p>Working since 16 at crappy retail jobs will not boost your resume, unfortunately. I've also had a part-time job since the age of 15, but there's really no place for it on the application. It would look pretty strange to have a resume that read "Internship with the World Bank - 3 months, Internship with the UN - 6 months, McDonalds - 5 years." I'd put the co-op with Motorola on there, though. Even if it doesn't have anything to do with IR. </p>
<p>The only way you could work in your years of work experience is in the personal statement, where you could make a remark on your worth ethic. I personally didn't do this, as I didn't feel it fit with any of the Personal Statement essay requirements. What I might do, in your situation, would be to mention your engineering background and talk about how that would provide you with a perspective that is unique from others in the IR field (where most have the traditional poli-sci background).</p>
<p>Yes, I would count your 9 years living abroad as international experience. Your first 9 years of life have a pretty big influence on you, and I think this could be used to explain your interest in IR. 9 years is a lot more extensive than a lot of people applying to IR programs, I'd imagine. I only have 2 years myself, and just because they were recent doesn't make them more valuable than yours. So, I would go ahead and put it down, and maybe even focus on it in your essay. As long as it wasn't Canada...</p>
<p>As for the joint JD/MA degree. I don't know of anyone doing this, nor have I seriously considered it, so I can't really comment on it. I'm just of the personal opinion that everyone is going for a JD it seems, and I wouldn't encourage anyone else to go that route. But, I'm hoping to get a masters in IR, so that shows what I know. Which brings me to my next point...</p>
<p>IExcite: There's a lot of information on this question, both on this board and elsewhere online. I suggest searching a little harder. The common answer is "Private sector jobs have the potential of earning large salaries. Public sector, not so much." I'm assuming that I'll incur 60-80k in debt for the degree and end up making 40-50 a year, starting salary. It makes me question my sanity.</p>
<p>IExcite - many though not all of the schools have emplyment statistics for their graduates, including starting salaries broken down by sector. I think the average starting salary for a graduate of Elliot School's MA in international affairs was 50K-60K, with private sector work being a little over that and public sector work being a little under.</p>
<p>Threet - I think alot of applicants to IR programs have the same issue with regard to the debt. The question is - if you could get a good amount of financial aid from a school like Denver, Syracuse, or Monterey - or no money at a school like GWU, American, Gtown - what would be the better investment financially?</p>
<p>Re: the JD/MA - if your ultimate goal is to work for the government and you plan on taking the state level -> Capitol Hill -> government agency/etc route, that might not be a bad investment. You'd save yourself some cash, establish local connections and hopefully move up the ranks from there on out. If your goal with the JD/MA is to work in international law, you'd be better off going to a well-known school for it.</p>
<p>Ethan321: From an economic standpoint, it probably makes more sense to go to the less prestigious but cheaper grad school. It's hard to say how much the name of a school helps when getting a job, but it's easier to see the statistics on salary rates for those in the IR field. So... no debt vs debt should be an easy decision.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, more things go into making the decision. I personally opted for the cheaper but less well known undergrad, and it'd be nice if I didn't have to repeat that experience. But we'll see...</p>
<p>Kigali, I would indeed like to specialize in international law. Does it really have to be a top program? UF/FSU are both Tier 1 schools; FSU is located in Talhahasee and I could probably get some good experience there. Any additional thoughts?</p>
<p>To threetwelve, I was only an engineering major for a little less than a year. I didn't even get to start the actual engineering courses when I switched to economics. And no, although I've been to Toronto and it was a great experience, I'm not from Cananda. I'm Brazilian, don't know if that would help me with the applications or if it really isn't a factor though.</p>