flyers29

lbjane nailed it.

Well, keep in mind that 5-6 years includes the time it takes to write your dissertation, which you don't necessarily need to be present at the university for. You can usually finish coursework and comprehensive exams in 2-3 years, and they may even grant you some credit for your previous graduate work. Probably best to get in contact with some of the programs you're interested in and see if they could give a rough timeline given your background.

I always thought starting salaries were in the 40s or something--then I heard that an Asst. in my dept hired this year started in the 70s. I was shocked, thought not as surprised now that I read this.

Uh, what caused you to shift to a completely different field? The two fields might not be as close as you may think. What are your research interests?

Why not just take the UMass offer and leave open the possibility of just taking the fully-funded MA there (and then go elsewhere for the Ph.D)? Yes, the academic job market is tough in general, but I also think the "you'll never get a job if you go to UMass" argument is overblown as well. The lack of fit is a valid concern though, which is why it might be best to consider the first option I mentioned.

Those are all strong programs, so I don't think you'd be killing yourself by choosing based on geography. Of course, do UCB/UCLA have people working on what you want to work on?

I'm at a not-terribly-prestigious institution in a moderate cost of living (at least for housing) city. I'm at 19k...figure that's about the median.

Well Gtown/GWU are pretty competitive too. I'd put American, Denver, Pitt, and Syracuse below that.

Depends what exactly you're looking to do, as a master's is pretty much the minimum requirement in some areas of the IR field. I personally do think that it's better to get some work experience first though...having gone straight from college I would have done so if I could do it again.

Never underestimate the petulance of academia, but even then this thought never would've occurred to me. Probably not a big deal.

I'm an alum in the Int'l Security program. Tuition is higher though lower cost of living than DC can balance it out. Thought the education was good, but post-grad networking sucked. Latter point would be a drawback for me if I was looking into programs.

There are like 100 schools that offer a Ph.D in poli sci/IR in the US. Pick one that is a good fit for you? Really hard to help you unless you discuss your specific interests/ profile.

I agree in general, though I see why OP is asking this question. I can think of some programs off the top of my head, but none of them are from outstanding schools. If OP is just looking to check a box then it might not be a bad idea.

Sorry if I'm the only one missing the obvious, but are you looking for a department with scholars who study Marxism/critical analysis or departments in which many scholars actually promote those theories? If it's the latter then I'd agree that you'll have trouble finding more than a token scholar or two in any given American department.

Wait, are you going to be a full-time student? You shouldn't be having to pay anything if so. And regardless, 120k for a degree is NOT worth it.