IRToni

Also note that LSE, at the M.A. level is kind of known as a "degree mill", at least in Europe. Many of my friends who studied there, .e.g. were not really able to make connections with professors, because many of their courses were not taught by professors, and they only met with their thesis advisor once, getting most of their advising done by PhD students. Compared to UCSD, the environment is also much more hierarchical, and RA/TA positions for MA students are rare, because PhD students are also scrambling for them (at UCSD, all PhD students are fully-funded throughTAships).

That seems to be pretty common, although it might provide you some leeway to negotiate (I did this).

My favorite classes were those most in line with my research interests . There are some terrific professors at IHEID, and because I was in a disciplinary program, none of my classes ever had more than 25 people in them. If you're doing interdisciplinary, your classes might be much larger. The student house is pretty great, if you can afford it, and don't mind the uniformity of it. Although its apartments are not dorm-style, it's kind of like a dorm in that there's always something going on, we've had problems with the administration regarding parties etc. It can be fun to see the MontBlanc and the lake from your window, but there's pros and cons. I'd usually go 3-4 days a week to class, though some people were able to cut that down to 2-3 days. However, I didn't have a huge commute, and wanted to take the classes most interesting to me. Since uni was also a social place, it was also good to get together with my classmates on these days and talk over some stuff. I haven't followed everyone's career paths closely, but I would say many of us have now found some kind of job. Originally, there were quite a lot of people doing internships (mostly paid, at least from what I've heard), and many of them were able to turn them into jobs(or a consultancy at the UN...). I know of some people in consulting or finance, though many are also doing IR-related stuff. Obviously quite a few of us are also doing a PhD now.

I did a M.A. in IR/PS from 2012 to 2014, and can thus answer some questions. I don't know if any current students are on here, though, they would probably have more up-to-date info! Also you guys can check out last year's thread, where I and some other students also answered some Qs.

Hi guys, I was very active in the 2013/14 cycle, but then unfortunately had to defer due to health reasons. I just got word and funding info from "my" school, UCSD, and was wondering if other admits might be willing to share their financial package (also via pm)... Thanks in advance!

I stand corrected, thanks a bunch. I only looked at IR programs back in the day, and was disappointed by the methods training in these programs in the UK. Of course, the division between IR and poli sci is much more pronounced in the UK, which explains these differences, I think. And of course US PhD programs dont require a M.A. at all, but if you are doing a M.A., getting one with significant methods training is a smart idea for admission, IMO.

Chicago actually has two programs, the Committee for International Relations (CIR) and the MAPSS. Oxford and LSE, BTW, only offers very limited methods courses in their MA. If you're doing the Research MA at LSE, you might get better access, but in general, UK MAs are not nearly as methods-heavy as US PHD programs require.

The Graduate Institute, Geneva with its 2-year MA springs to mind that's probably one of the cheapest programs around, and regularly offers full funding to its students. I did my MA there, after a BA from a no-name university in Germany, had no methods/RD to speak off, and got accepted to a Top 10 this year. Others from my program got into good UK schools, though our US placement was relatively weak (small sample size, though). If you're sure of an academic career, you could also look into more theoretically-oriented programs at well-ranked state schools without PhDs that are often much cheaper than the big-name programs, and do not have you competing for resources the same way. NYU is another big-name, expensive program that apparently places reasonably well.

When I was making my decision, and ultimately decided against SAIS for financial reasons, I talked to a then-current student, who mentioned that it is possible to take more courses in 2nd and 3rd semester (I think without more cost, or at a ver low price), and then enroll part-time in fourth, bringing your tuition down. That's what he did, anyway, and it seems to have worked.

Me and some friends I know have moved into places sight unseen. I skyped with the person, had her show me around the apartment. I did, however, find this nit via something like Craigslist, but via a much more limited email list, where I could be reasonably safe, I would say. I also did not have to put down a deposit. Some friends of mine have rented places sight unseen via Craigslist, though, and it worked out for them, though it was only short-term. In Europe, you can get back any money you transfer to someone else's account within 4 weeks, which makes this somewhat easier than in the states, from what I heard. I did the same thing when I moved to India, also not paying a deposit (my excuse was: too complicated to make an international transaction), and it was fine. I did have him send me a copy of his passport and vice versa. Otherwise, if it is necessary to rent unseen, I would 1 trust your instincts, 2 make sure you don't pay all the deposit up-front (they usually want something, but if they want first and last months rent, I would walk away), 3 have a Skype conversation with the person renting it out where they show you around the place ideally. I would also make sure that any contract you sign is legit, and allows you to leave in a reasonable amount of time, in case you find the place doesn't suit you. Most of the time, scammers do not want to take the time to Skype with you etc., so if they're very reluctant, just leave it be. Also, better to walk away from a potentially good deal than to deal with not getting your money back etc.

I'll be joining UCSD in the fall. As a European who's never actually been in the US (or in the Americas), I am naturally a little nervous. Any tips for those of us joining from abroad in particular? I'll be living in university housing for the first year at least, and am not planning on getting a car before my second year! How much should I budget as starting expenses (ill be bringing only one suitcase obviously)? Are there places to get good, authentic Chinese food? What about non-chloride chicken and non-genetically modified produce?

Take a look at the government affairs sub forum, where most Elliott prospectives will be! The poli sci sub forum hosts mostly those intending an academic PhD in poli Sci! Congrats on your acceptance and decision, though!

Hi guys, As you've been super helpful in the past, I figured I'd put this Q to you as well. I have read the official websites, but am still not 100% clear what the main differences are. I believe I might qualify for both statuses, so which one should I choose? I do not have any dependents who would want to find work, and my financial package includes money from my home country, fellowship money from the US, as well as a TAship, with the possibility of RAships in addition. Thanks in advance, IRToni

Congrats! What are your interests, if I may ask?

I've got an ipad and a laptop. So far, I didn't spring for the ipad keyboard, but I do take class notes etc. on it. I still use my laptop, and carry it around sometimes, but its been much better for my back having the ipad, since most days, this is all I need. I also read most of my papers on here, so aside from a couple sheets of paper and a pen, this is literally everything I need most days. At the same time, though, for writing long texts (papers etc), and for running stata etc., I still need my laptop, and I do carry it around sometime, when I know I'll have to do either of these. I also travel quite a bit, and especially for conferences, I prefer having both, because I can't properly work on my presentation from the ipad. I probably wouldn't want a PC and the ipad, but the again, I haven't had a pc for 5 years, and have really gotten used to laptops, even before I had my ipad.