<p>This is my top choice for an IR Master's. </p>
<p>I have to pick a Career Track, and a Regional Specialization.</p>
<p>The Career Track that most aligns with what I want to do is International Development and Nonprofit Management, as I'd like to get in with a think-tank NGO.</p>
<p>However, I've also had a long-term lifetime love affair with Japan, and currently live here. I've spent a good bit of time learning the language as well, which certainly has not come overnight.</p>
<p>I am looking at my choices as I go through the application, but to me International Development and Nonprofit Management coupled with Japan sounds like an odd, if not oxymoronic combination.</p>
<p>That said, I'd have no problems doing a SE Asia focus. Although, after how much effort I've put into learning Japanese, I'm more than a little off-put at having to learn a SE Asian language.</p>
<p>Another factor there--my long-term girlfriend is Japanese as well, so should things get more serious I also want/need to have options available to live in Japan. I'd like to live here long-term, or at least have the option.</p>
<p>The simple solution is to keep the Japan Regional Specialization and just switch the career track to something more politics/economics based, but that's not what I want to do.</p>
<p>So, would it be a wise choice to push forward with my seemingly oxymoronic combination of a Developmental/Non-profit career track and a Japanese regional specialization?</p>
<p>I should also add–I’m curious to know if my chances of getting in would be affected by going the SE Asian route, as I wouldn’t have international experience (beyond travel/vacationing) in that area nor language ability, as I already do with Japan–that’s definitely a factor.</p>
<p>Nobody?</p>
<p>FWIW I think I’ve decided to go the Japan route, and get into some type of NGO if possible.</p>
<p>On another note–any tips for how to write my essays–specifically length? Any buzzwords they like to hear??</p>
<p>I believe UCLAri went there for the MA program. You may want to send him a message.</p>
<p>I’ve nearly completed my application, sans the wave after wave of revising my essays.</p>
<p>I have a question about the third, optional essay.</p>
<p>From the basic instructions for applying, where it talks about the third essay:</p>
<p>[IR/PS</a> - Programs MPIA Program Applying to the MPIA Program](<a href=“http://irps.ucsd.edu/programs/mpia-program/applying.htm]IR/PS”>http://irps.ucsd.edu/programs/mpia-program/applying.htm)</p>
<p>“This is an opportunity for you to address a matter that is not already addressed elsewhere in your application and that you feel will help the Admissions Committee to understand challenges you have overcome or other circumstances that affected your successes.”</p>
<p>The actual online application doesn’t have anywhere to put this, except in the optional fellowship essay section. That essay does discuss talking about barriers and how you would contribute to diversity at IR/PS, but I want to make absolutely sure that this optional fellowship essay is indeed the optional essay outlined in the instructions above? I ask because in the instructions above it makes no mention that it’s a fellowship essay, nor that the optional essay should contain anything about diversity, as the fellowship instructions say.</p>
<p>For the resume, should I limit it to one page like a standard resume, or could it be an extended resume (3-4 pages) like that for SIPA?</p>
<p>Curious to hear from those who’ve applied and been accepted.</p>
<p>posts #5 and #6 are quite important to me, help appreciated. TIA.</p>