<p>I'm currently preparing for the LSAT as law school is my priority at the moment. However, a masters in International Relations is my second choice if law school doesn't pan out. I was wondering how important having work experience is in the admissions process at top IR grad schools. I have none.</p>
<p>pretty imporant for the most recognized programs. otherwise, I think your academics have to be stellar for them to overlook it. From my experience anyway, SIPA for example seems to be moreso for mid-level professionals than anything else.</p>
<p>in most, if not all, of the IR programs i applied to work experience in the field was cited as one of the most important credentials to have (even over GPA in some cases). I asked representatives from various IR programs what they felt is the most important thing that they value in their applicants:</p>
<p>SAIS: Work Experience in foreign country
Georgetown: Work Experience
GWU: Economics pre-reqs
SIPA: work experience in a foreign country. </p>
<p>i mean lack of international work experience is not something that will automatically bar you, but keep in mind that an IR MA is a professional degree more so than an academic one…so actual experience in the field that you study is valued greatly by many of these universities.</p>
<p>Sorry to highjack the thread but: </p>
<p>Would you recommend going to work overseas for a while and then applying to programs or applying right out of undergrad with very few (one or two - relevant to what you want to study in grad school) work experiences in a foreign country?</p>
<p>Very interesting. I appreciate your feedback. It’s a bit disconcerting, however. You see, I have a unique situation. I’ll be graduating from undergrad at 31 (almost 32) with a degree in International Studies. Naturally, I’m anxious to get a move on with my life and career before I get too old (whatever that means). This is the reason why I want to go straight to grad school right after I graduate. And when it comes to getting work experience, what types of jobs exist in the “international arena” for newly graduated college students from a not-exactly-top-tier university (USF)? I’m guessing limited.</p>
<p>comiclover, it really depends on your grades, GRE, etc…as sphere said, usually when you don’t have one thing that they’re looking for, but you counterbalance it with something that is way above average, you’ll be most likely on equal ground. I actually did take a year off and studied/worked abroad (i graduated a year later than the people my class). I study middle east studies and i figured that spending some time working over there and taking intensive language classes would help my chances not only for graduate school but for a career later on. I left UCLA with 4 grad school acceptances and 2 job offers…this is with an extremely mediocre GRE, a 3.6 GPA, and no econ.</p>
<p>It really depends on if you think that it’s worth the time and money (and if you have either of those things), and what exactly are your future plans…getting into MA programs in my opinion shouldn’t necessarily be the goal, but the career should be…and the MA program should be chosen based on what you’re interested in and which one will help you best to get to that point. It’s a completely a different story when we’re talking about PhD’s, but as i said previously, an MA in IR is seen as a professional degree to enhance one’s resume rather than an academic thing…</p>
<p>The Mark,</p>
<p>why do you want to get an MA? and what kind of job would you be looking for after graduating with an MA? </p>
<p>The second question will certainly help you when you look for internships/work experience. </p>
<p>Also, depending on what other credentials you might have (GPA, GRE, military experience, exposure abroad, foreign language proficiency) work experience abroad might not necessarily be necessary. Perhaps your unique situation might work in your favor in regards to your application…in the sense that you’re a mature student</p>
<p>regardless, pay heed to which IR grad schools you are applying for because some require that you have several years of experience before applying (some of them 7+)…again, it’s more of a ‘mid-career’ degree than an academic degree.</p>