International Relations Masters

[irstudies]

Hello everyone,

I would like to hear your opinions on which school would better suit my interests and background. I think I have a pretty good profile. I am an international lawyer, with 3 years of work experience with UNHCR, currently accepted a position to work in the Mediterranean crisis in Greece. I have an LLB (Bachelor of Laws) from my country, and an LLM at a relatively known and respected US school in the international law field. I also did an internship at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague. I speak spanish, portuguese, a bit of french and am currently learning syrian colloquial arabic. I don't want the degree to "break into" the field but because I truly enjoy learning and I believe it would improve the impact of my work.

Having said that, what I am looking for in a degree:

- Interdisciplinary approach, I have many interests such as international security, humanitarian affairs, international organizations and diplomacy

- Good courses and faculty specialized on Middle East 

- High chances of getting into a good PHD later, since I am inclined towards academia but haven't decided anything yet

- Leadership training: conflict management, human resources management, public speaking, etc (this would be a plus)

- Very good funding, since I am still paying for my LLM

 

Potential programs,

1. MALD, Fletcher

2. Harvard, MPP,

3. Columbia SIPA

4. SAIS (not sure about this one because of its econ focus)

6. Msc Intl Relations, LSE

7. Msc in Global Governance and Diplomacy, Oxford

Anything else I should consider?

 

I have been doing some research and I really like the MALD at Fletcher. I am not sure about its Middle East courses and faculty and whether they are strong or not. Also, I know it has a professional approach, I don't know if that would be good if I apply for a PHD later. They have a few full-tuition and stipend scholarships but I don't know what type of profile usually gets them. Has anyone gotten in with full-tuition scholarship?

I am not sure about HKS, I've seen some pros and cons. A pro is obviously the brand name, but I believe I do not need it unless I want to go back to my country and stay there, which you never know. Does anyone know how generous is their funding?

Please give me your insights,

 

Thanks!

 

[boruchan93]

Munk School of Global Affairs at University of Toronto might also suit your needs but I am not sure if they are specialized in Middle East. It seems more Europe oriented to me.

[rht]

MALD at Fletcher is a good choice because you can apply to their PhD program in your second year. Another good choice might be the MPA or PhD program at Princeton WWS (fully funded). Not sure if they have a strong MENA focus, but it's worth a shot. Also, check out the Georgetown SFS MA in Arab Studies or joint MAAS/PhD in Government program.