cooperstreet

" publishing two papers (one is still in review, but we are confident it will be accepted in time for applications)" Don't count your chickens before they are hatched. Where are they published? Are they good journals? Are you the sole author? Writing sample, LOR's and SOP are what matter.

Thanks. Do you know of other schools that offer funded MAs in ME Studies?

Few people publish anything of merit before Ph.d. programs in the humanities. Do it. It will help the sop and your writing sample aspects of your application.

I was preparing this fall to apply to Ph.D programs in Middle East History, but now I am having some doubts. I'm afraid that my Arabic language skills are not advanced enough. I have been studying the language for a year, through semi-private (non-graded) classes and self-study. However, there is no way for an adcom to measure or compare my skills without grades or certifications. I will most likely do a short (2 week) intensive program overseas before applications are due, to build my skills and get some certification done. This unease has encouraged me to think about applying to MA programs in Arab/Middle East studies to build my language skills, and then apply for Ph.d. programs when I'm nearing completion of my (second) MA. I'm thinking specifically of NYU, Georgetown, and U-Texas. If I attend any of these programs it will have to be funded. I already took out enough loans when I earned my MA in History. My question is: How will admissions committees view my application if I already have an MA? I've spent a lot of time reading about Ph.d. admissions processes, but I'm afraid the criterea may be markedly different for a funded MA and a Ph.d. For one, my undergraduate GPA was poor (3.1), but of course, my graduate GPA was much higher. My ticket to Ph.d. admissions is my writing sample (a ~25 page article that has a decent chance of getting published in a top journal) and my conference presentations. I'm afraid adcoms for these MA programs may not weigh these as heavily as, a Ph.d. program. Some schools don't even want a lengthy writing sample! Will the MA adcoms be more concerned with my undergraduate GPA than my graduate GPA? Thanks.

Writing Sample, LORs, fit, are what matters.

Does anyone know of any funded MA programs in Middle East or Arab studies other than Georgetown, Arizona, and NYU? Also, how does funding work if a US citizen attends an MA program at a Canadian University, say, McGill?

I don't know what its like in MBA programs, but a 3.4 in a policy sci or history MA program isn't very good.

10

Because my undergraduate record was poor, there was simply no chance that I would have been accepted to a decent Ph.D. program. Now that I have an MA, I presented my original research at a handful of conferences, worked closesly with professors, and may have my researched published in a top journal in my field. All these things would have been unthinkable fresh out of undergrad.

This board is dead, so I'd figure I would start up a discussion? Where's everyone applying? Is anyone doing non-Western fields? How strong are everyones apps? Conferences, publications, languages, etc? Hows the SOP writing going? /bored

Regarding the former: Anyone trying to explain a putatively "non-Western" state's foreign policy in terms of extremely long cultural trends is most likey going to be laughed out of the profession--it smacks of an Orientalist mode of thinking. Honestly, I couldn't even imagine what an arguement that a centuries long aspect of culture influenced foreign policy would look like. My suggestion to you is to read the existing literature on the subject and see what the current debates are. Warren Cohen is the doyen of US-China relations, and a more recent work is 'Mao's China and the Cold War'. I forget the author. Check out those books and their bibliographies--they would show what the current debates are. I suspect no one is arguing that, say, the memory of improving relations between chinese tribes 2000 years ago paved the way for Nixon's acceptance of China. If you want to see a work that deals specifically with how culture & perceptions influences foreign policy, there is nothing better than Mark P. Bradley's "Imaginang Vietnam & America". I don't know what the job market is like in Poli Sci, but presumably a Poli Sci Ph.D would be more marketable in the private sector because of its quant component. As for Harvard, while its great, if you want to do International History there, you will study with Ferguson. Its up to you if you have a problem working with someone who things one of the most destructive and murderous entities to ever exist--the British Empire-- wasn't so bad.

I don't me to make this more complicated that it needs to be but... There's simply not a lot of 'hard' diplomatic history done these days. Most of the people doing it are very old. Warren Cohen is the doyen of US-China relations, but he may have retired. So if you want to do, say, arms control, or nuclear weapon proliferation, then poli sci is the way to go. History is going to be focused on culture, images, perception, etc. So, if you choose to be a historian, do you want to be a historian of US foreign policy that focus' on China, or do you want to be a Chinese historian who also does Chinese foreign policy? From my experience with the Middle East, people who do the foreign policy of the Middle East are by and large historians of US foreign relations that specialize in US-relations with the Middle East. Not everyone in Middle East studies writes a book on foreign policy, like Rashid Khalidi. So you will also want to think about who you want your competition to be for jobs: other historians of China, or other historians of US foreign policy. For the former, you will be competing with 100 other qualified people, with the latter, it will be 500 qualified people. Take your pick. Hopefully this area studies/foreign policy divide will weaken in the future.

Re: History/Poly Sci, it all depends on how you like to do research. Are you more inclined to narratives or models?

While it is certainly possible, a low undergraduate GPA and a mediocre graduate GPA will certainly doom anyone looking to get into elite programs.

I'm in the same boat. I'm looking at the usual: NYU, Columbia, Penn, Chicago, Georgetown, UCLA, CUNY, and a couple of others, for a total of 10.

I finished my thesis and MA two years ago. MY thesis was on US-mideast relations, but I'm applying to Mideast phd programs this fall. The thesis will help greatly because anyone who hasn't completed a MA thesis at the time of application will not have as much research experience as you. Hows your arabic?

Are you doing a thesis? My Graduate GPA was 3.85, but I did a thesis, which means I took two less classes. I'm sure--because my grades improved during my years in the MA program, that I would have received two A, which would have bumped up my GPA a bit. Now, I missed out on those grades, but my thesis will be the only reason I'm a really competitive applicant.

Yes, but your Graduate GPA has to be stellar. No Bs.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=liberal+arts+masters+history

No. Its not true. Spend that time learning languages.

I would be anything in the 90 percentile or higher would be acceptable. Anything lower will likely hurt you.

Yes.

Thanks. My situation is weird--I took three, ten-week, non-credit courses in Arabic. Now, there are no transcripts to supply the information to adcoms that I completed these courses. In addition, I was unemployed for four months, and probaby spent 6-8 hours a day studying. Since reading is what is most important, and reading is the skill you can develop best through self-study, I have become a pretty accomplished reader in Arabic. Adcoms will have to rely on and trust my self-assessment (which is intermediate-high in reading). Just to be sure, I'm thinking of doing a two-week intensive (60 hours) abroad that will test you for placement, then give you a cerftificate after you complete a specific level.

To reiterate the only information you need: LOR SOP Writing sample. These are what get people into grad school. As long as your GPA and GRE's are in an acceptable range, you're in the running.

I don't know. Email a professor, see what they say. But the general rule is that you should have two years of foreign language training by the time you enroll. So get started--intensive courses work best, and are more impressive to adcoms than classes.