<p>I've come up with a list of schools I'm interested in, but now I need to narrow it down. I going to visit some of the schools this summer and look at their websites, reviews on here, etc. before I apply to see whether they'd be good fits for me or not, but in terms of academics, which of these schools have the best English and International Affairs programs? Thanks.</p>
<pre><code>* American U
* Brown
* Colby
* William and Mary
* Columbia
* George Washington
* Georgetown (School of Foreign Service)
* Johns Hopkins
* Macalester
* Middlebury
* Skidmore
* Stanford
* Tufts
* U Calif Berkeley
* U Chicago
* U Georgia
* U of Mary Washington
* U Virginia
* Vassar
</code></pre>
<p>Thank you very much. Yeah, I was considering the last two as safeties; chances are I won't go to them, but they seem like fairly good matches for me in terms of safety level schools.</p>
<p>IA is probably the most important, because I'm most likely going into it as a career; I love English too, but there isn't much to do other than writing and teaching career-wise.</p>
<p>Well, if IA (btw, it is much more often referred to as International Relations, not IA) is what you want to go into, then Tufts, G-Town, JHU are your best choices, with GW, Vassar, and American coming after that.</p>
<p>I agree with Duffman. Most top 30 universities will have strong English departments -- but most of them don't have strong IR programs. I would go with JHU, Tufts, and Gtown.</p>
<p>I was an English and IR double-major at Tufts and have nothing but great things to say about the program. I got a lot of individualized attention in either major, and also a lot of opportunities for research, independent study, and one-on-one interaction with top faculty.</p>
<p>UChicago's International Studies major is made up of cross-lists from other departments besides the intro sequence, and IS majors don't have much freedom in what courses to choose for their major, as only a few options are available each quarter. Not surprisingly for Chicago, the major is also quite econ-heavy. At the same time, it's a popular major and the people I know who are taking it are happy with it and love the program, which requires a study abroad. I don't think it's a program with the same prestige as a Georgetown, Tufts, or Hopkins, but I think it's a good program nonetheless.</p>
<p>I'm majoring in English at Chicago, and I adore the program. A lot of students at Chicago have interests that fall far outside their intended major (the poly sci major takes Honors Analysis; the econ major studies Hittite; the computer science major loves biology) so you might like the school for its all-around strength and academically well-rounded student body.</p>
<p>Fordham University has a pretty good International Political Economy program. Also, our English department is really well respected. The faculty on both are amazing. For instance, I had a professor this semester who just wrote a book which is in its fifth printing and was a finalist for the Penn Award. I was expecting her to act like a star professor, but she didn't, she went out of her way to make sure that she was always available, even gave students her cell phone number.</p>
<p>Thanks, I'll take a look at them. My problem is, though, that although I have pretty good grades (3.85 uw GPA) and pretty good test scores (although my SAT could use some work), I'm not the sort of person with perfect grades and perfect test scores who has a hundred ECs and the like (I know I'm exaggerating, but you get the idea), so I don't want to choose too many Ivies to apply to. Do you know how many required classes (like general ed. requirements) Yale and Penn have?</p>
<p>Well you put Columbia and Stanford on your list so I figured you were aiming for the top ;)</p>
<p>Penn and Yale have requirements that are less rigid than Chicago or Columbia (that being said I'd still prefer Chicago/Columbia because I am a firm believer that everyone in a republic should know the great works of Western civilization before he/she can be called Educated).</p>
<p>If you're not into requirements, cross Columbia and Chicago off your list. Both have a core curriculum focused around seminal texts and the sciences, and you should like the idea of doing work outside your intended major alongside everybody else before you apply.</p>
<p>Thanks for the links; I'll check them out. From what you said, Yale sounds like the better school for me; I'm a lot more interested in languages than econ. I'll take a more detailed look at the programs before I make any final decisions though.</p>
<p>I'm into some requirements, such as Columbia's, but I want to have a variety of options available.</p>
<p>It doesn't matter. International affairs, as a discipline, is too hard to pin down in any meaningful way anyway. What I do at IR/PS is a far cry from SFS in terms of academic focus. Yet both IR/PS and SFS are considered "international affairs" programs. </p>
<p>I tend to eschew undergrad IR programs anyway. For one, most of the necessary skills required for a successful career in this area are best learned at the graduate level. That, and I have yet to see a really good undergrad IR curriculum. </p>
<p>Quick note: JHU's IR program is at SAIS, and is generally graduate-only.</p>
<p>My serious advice? Go where you'll get the MOST quantitative coursework. In the end, that's what gets you jobs. Someone with a year of quantitative methods is a much more valuable asset on the job market than someone who has 3 more classes on "security of ______."</p>
<p>Edit: Upsilamba, you said
[quote]
I'm a lot more interested in languages than econ.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>If I may impose my cynicism (based on my experience in this area) on you, I would find an interest in econ pretty quickly. Most of the best IR people have at least some ability in economics or political economy. You're going to want at least 3-5 quarters or 2-4 semesters of econ under your belt. Basically: microecon, macroecon, political economy, and some trade economics are all key to really being a good IR scholar.</p>
<p>I'll try to get more interested in econ. The only econ class I took was just a semester-long intro class that virtually all sophomores at my school take, and it was rather boring, but something more in depth where I actually learn about more interesting aspects of economics (instead of what the law of supply and demand is and other basic stuff) and how they affect the world, I'd probably like it better.</p>
<p>I'll have to respectfully disagree with UCLAri. While an understanding of macro and microeconomic concepts is of benefit to any student of international relations, the study of international relations/studies/concepts does not necessarily have to focus on quantitative coursework. </p>
<p>IR scholars focus on different things -- if the OP's interest is not in economics/trade/etc. and is, instead, say, in refugee studies, cultural conflicts, child soldiering, etc. then I don't see why he should take any more thant he required econ courses for his IR major at Tufts/Gtown/JHU or wherever he may go. Instead, try to fulfill your economics requirements within your IR major with classes that relate to your interests. For example, my interest in IR is in refugee studies, so I took (in addition to basic micro/macro course), upper-level courses in the economics of migration, etc.</p>
<p>Refugee studies often end up leading to economic conditions. Cultural conflicts are often rooted just as much in economic disparities as they are in cultural differences. Child soldiering is usually a result of poverty.</p>
<p>Understanding root economic causes, which I believe requires at minimum one full year of economic study, will make all the difference in the world.</p>