mranderson

Hello, I am currently studying for an MA in International Affairs and am deeply interested in the Middle East. I would therefore like to spend my final semester studying in the region. Right now, the options that interest me are The American University of Beirut and Israel (either The University of Haifa, IDC Herzliya, or The Hebrew University of Jerusalem). However, I am concerned: I am obsessed with Israeli politics and would love to spend time in the country, but I fear that spending time in Israel would preclude me from pursuing work in Beirut or elsewhere in the Middle East in the future. Is my concern justified? Additionally, unless I convert to Judaism or marry an Israeli, it doesn't seem like living in Israel after a semester there is possible. On the other hand, this would presumably be much more feasible in Beirut. Finally, I am studying Arabic right now, so I guess that would be a con of studying in Israel. However, I would actively try to learn Hebrew if I studied there. Any feedback would be most greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I was considering Tel Aviv University's MA in Security and Diplomacy, but I was told that IDC's program is more reputable. Additionally, TAU's program is more costly. I am also interested in knowing how employers in the USA would perceive an Israeli diplomacy/conflict-related degree, if anyone has some insight. I am concerned because the country is so polarizing; I feel like people either love Israel or hate it. I would also hope that employers would not assume I'm biased due to my studies in Israel, but maybe that's an unrealistic hope...

Samiam, excellent advice and insight! Thank you!

Good points, Gov2School. I certainly cannot afford to go to grad school more than once (let alone at all). Thanks a lot!

Great advice Gov2School. Thanks!

Middle Eastern conflict and security is a broad interest? I don't know what you're assuming about my work experience, but I just returned from serving in the Peace Corps.

I am American but do not have a geographical preference in terms of career. I'm not particularly interested in the Asia-Pacific region, but love the coursework, and economically, it is less expensive (by quite a margin) than American schools. Additionally, given that the program is one year in duration, this would further reduce the cost of attendance. Furthermore, the university is ranked 38th in world, so I would hope that employers would be aware that I received a quality education. Do you think employers would simply be befuddled by my choice, or would they actually look down upon my choice?

I particularly like The New School's International Field Program and the option to work on a consultancy project with the UN, Human Rights Watch, etc. in lieu of a thesis. Furthermore, the class sizes are particularly small. In short, the program has a very strong professional focus - seemingly more so than the DC schools, from what I've seen. Would you be so kind as to recommend some schools with strong reputations in Middle Eastern conflict/security? I should note that I do not wish to pursue a degree in Middle Eastern Studies or something similar, which would geographically limit my career.

Hello all, I recently applied to The University of Sydney's Master of International Security program. I applied because the coursework looks very interesting, it's a one-year program, and the school is highly ranked. Does anyone know how reputable the program is and/or whether or not career prospects would be favorable? Upon searching for The University of Sydney in the forums, there wasn't a single hit... Thanks in advance.

Touché, everyone. The program at The New School makes the DC programs look mundane, in my opinion, but I'm probably being a bit too picky!

Hello all, I am applying to two schools: The New School (NYC): MA in International Affairs (two years) | $100,000 of debt (tuition + living expenses) IDC Herzliya (Israel): MA in Government (one year) | $38,000 of debt (tuition + living expenses) Why am I considering studying in Israel, you may be wondering? Because I am interested in conflict resolution, diplomacy, international security, and the Middle East. Would it be absolutely ridiculous to study at IDC Herzliya? Given that the school is pretty much unknown in the USA, would going there jeopardize my career? I would love to study at The New School but am terrified at the prospect of racking up $100K of debt... Thanks in advance for all input.

Upon graduation I would want to work...well...anywhere, honestly. I am not Jewish, Muslim, or Middle Eastern. I don't speak Hebrew or Arabic already. And it's true...I imagine that unless I went out of my way to connect with Israeli Arabs/Palestinians, actually becoming proficient in Arabic would prove to be difficult during my time in Israel. I'm a lefty. I want to go to Israel for the pursuit of knowledge and to follow my interests. I want to gain as intimate an understanding as possible of Israeli and Palestinian society. I would hate to be seen in the future as someone who has a biased perspective (pro-Israel, in this case). I already have experience in a predominately Muslim country, so I hope that would help in negating perceived bias. So is IDC Herzliya the place to go, then? (If I decide to study in Israel at all, that is?) It does seem a bit right-wing, though... I'm also concerned about how liberal (or not) the academic environment in Israel is...I mean...do I have to worry about talking about sensitive topics in class? Can I feel free to criticize Israel? Because at the end of the day, feeling free to express my true sentiments is the most important thing. Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Hello, I am an American who is deeply interested in international security, conflict resolution, and the Middle East. I find the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to be the most interesting international affairs "issue", and Israel's foreign relations are generally of great interest to me. I am considering Tel Aviv University's MA in Security and Diplomacy program. Here's why: The opportunity to study my favorite IR conflicts/topics in the most relevant locale possible. One-year program About a third of the cost of other programs I'm considering The opportunity to learn Hebrew and Arabic I love traveling and living outside of the US! However, I have some concerns with regard to employment: This is not internationally recognized as a "top" program, and while I value the on-the-ground experience I would get, I'm not sure if employers would care. Most of the Middle East does not recognize Israel. Would this in turn affect employment possibilities in the Middle East? What would my employment prospects presumably be in general? I would be most appreciative of any feedback. Thanks

I studied at Boğaziçi for a year in the same department! I'm currently considering Koç University's MA in International Relations program, as it has a non-thesis track geared towards those who want to pursue professional roles. I definitely want to live in Istanbul, and Turkey is the most interesting country to me from an international relations perspective, with Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict being very interesting to me as well. I see you're in Phoenix...same here!

Hello all, While I understand that 95% of the "best" international affairs/relations programs are in the USA, I have little interest in living in the USA. I prefer living in developing countries, as I find them more exciting. Would it be absurd to study international relations in Istanbul (which is where I would like to settle down) at a VERY good Turkish university that might be unknown to Americans? I studied abroad in Turkey for a year at a top-500 school and found the level of education to be FAR superior to anything I experienced in my top-200 American school. Pros and cons? Yay or nay? Thanks.