dpgu800

In terms of quality of academic research produced, LSE and the Sussex IDS are potentially the best on the list (mostly owing to the fact that "development studies" as a purely academic discipline rather than a hybrid academic/professional field of study is mostly confined to the UK and Commonwealth countries). Both LSE and Sussex IDS but esp. the latter are also very well-connected with the policy world, and esp. the IDS mixes instructions from career academics and professional practitioners quite well. You'll be able to encounter and interact with both academics and practitioners with more professional and field experiences (But in terms of quality of instruction and general quality of academic institution at the taught masters level--as a current MSc student at LSE--I have to say that LSE is still very lacking. While individual courses and instructors are excellent most of the time, there is little thought put into curriculum planning or general academic direction for each program, and each program really feels like a bundle of loosely related courses rather than a well thought out degree). SOAS on the other hand seems to be excellent in terms of student satisfaction, according to many friends currently pursuing development studies masters there. I know many excellent academics at SOAS, but in terms of quality of research or quality of instruction, I couldn't comment as I'm not really familiar with the school other than through indirect contact. Heard Canadian universities do a good job with ID masters, but again I only formed this opinion through indirect contact.

Hey, MJA87, I can't talk about other ppl's stats too much, but I personally had around a 3.65 from a US state school and was admitted to IHEID. With your amount of experience, I'm sure you'll have a good chance at IHEID, I've seen on the gradcafe some ppl get admitted with both higher and lower GPA than mine, so it also seems like a lot hangs on your SOP and/or your fit to the program... I urge you to also check out which has much more stats from applicants and discussions about IHEID.

Hey, Chagall. I think this thread is pretty inactive right now. Prob would become more active as the fall admissions cycle begins... I'm not too familiar with Sciences Po, but I did applied to IHEID and was admitted, tho I (most regretfully) turned them down. I could answer your questions about the admissions process at IHEID, based on my experience....

Since you already have couple years of relevant exp, I would think the "reputation" of the school need not be the biggest factor to consider. While LSE's program is only one year long, and that may be beneficial to you, as the master would function as sort of a mid-career qualification. If you end up working in the UK, a LSE qualification has obvious benefits of being instantly recognizable and having a wider alumni network than elsewhere perhaps. And as I said earlier, LSE alums have a healthy representation in IOs. And Development Management program has many optional units to choose from, and I would think it actually gives you more choices than other programs offered by the ID department. Also it shares many optional units with other ID programs, many of which seem not as "professional" and "practical" as those offered by a pure IR policy school. But LSE would also be a more expensive option, even if you are classified as a home student. IHEID on the other hand has extremely low fees, compared to its counterparts elsewhere and even in Geneva. You would have the opportunity to study without worrying about financial burden as much. Also, since there are countless number of IOs in Geneva, I would imagine building connections with ppl in those orgs can balance out the school's "lack of reputation" compared to other schools. I would personally argue that this advantages outweighs LSE's reputation, esp. since the advice I've been getting is that, for mid-career professionals, relevant exp and connections in the right place is more important than merely studying at a prestigious university. In addition, IHEID does seem to be doing an exceptional job at blending theoretical thinking, practical skills training, and incorporating critical thinking and viewpoints outside of the mainstream (based on what I can tell from the faculty's work). It'd also be interesting to be getting more of a French/European perspective on development, and take a break from the dominant Anglo-American framework for a bit (and also learn French). A two-year program, while taking more of your time, may also be better for you if you wish to take a little break from work and pursue in-depth studies.

I applied for Northumberland, Lillian Knowles, and Butlers' Wharf and I got assigned to a shared room in Northumberland! If you haven't applied yet, I gathered some data and put it all in a word doc when I was deciding on housing. Take a look if you need some info for deciding which house to apply to. And the U&D program is jointly offered by the ID dept and the Geography and Environment dept, so technically we're in the same dept, haha.

Hey, yayayaya. First of all, congrats! I'll be attending LSE this fall, so my opinion's of course gonna be biased towards LSE, but still I think LSE with a full ride and living stipend is gonna be hard to beat, unless you get a substantial FA offer to match it from the US schools you got into. I can see that the program you got into is the program you prefer to go, and that should be the most important factor, but a full ride offer from LSE is an extraordinary circumstance indeed. You say you want to work for a multilateral development organization, and LSE would be a good choice for that career path. While getting a degree from a foreign country could be somewhat problematic if you wish to work in the US for a primarily American organization (I had a friend who did a taught master at King's College and initially had some trouble getting a good paid job in the beginning), multilateral organizations will be much more accepting of international grads, and LSE alums will of course have healthy representation in those organizations. So in terms of networking, it wouldn't be too bad, tho you won't benefit from the very active networking of US policy schools. Even if LSE's networking isn't on par with US schools, I still think being debt-free and the opportunity to live and study in London would be great As for employment data, here's the link from the LSE website: Link It used to be divided by courses, but it's now aggregated and divided by departments only. I remember that 90+% people from the Development Management program found paid employment or further academic opportunities upon graduation, and many of them with IOs. The ID department in general has a very high rate of postgrad employment, compared to other LSE departments. Here's the ID department's own take on their grads' employability: Link As for the program being theoretical, that has been noted by many people I've talked to both on- and off-line, because the taught masters in the UK are not meant to be full professional degrees in the same way that degrees from IR policy schools are supposed to be (many of which only have terminal masters for IDEV). They're supposed to be the first postgrad degree on the path that leads to a PhD if you want to pursue that route. I suppose they can be thought of as a social science degree with a slight professional bent, b/c of LSE's reputation for being a policy powerhouse. Another thing is that the program is very short and writing the 10,000 word dissertation will take quite a bit of the entire length of the program. That may or may not be ideal for you. But at the same time, I think the Development Management program requires you to do a consultancy project with one of the organizations that the department matches you with, and you can also come out of the degree with a dissertation approved by your faculty supervisor and a consultancy project that was assessed by a third party. That'd be extremely useful, I would think. As for deferring, I personally wouldn't defer if I were to choose LSE, but that's b/c I have getting PhD in the future in mind. If you just wish to be employed and work your way up the ladder, then it's probably enough to just do either a masters at LSE or a masters at a US school, and maybe contemplate doing a PhD or an executive master that caters to professionals with lengthy exp, after you get couple years experience. Especially in this economic climate, it seems more prudent to just set your mind on one degree and seek employment and experience immediately (But since you already paid the deposit, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to defer if you don't have to pay any extra money and/or if there's no way to get your deposit back).

I'm going to say internship. I had to skip a term due to financial issues and was in a rush to graduate with two majors. I was juggling a PT job loosely related to my future career as well throughout my UG years, so I felt like I didn't have time and the need for an internship in the actual, specific area of my interest during my UG. I definitely regret not getting at least one or two relevant internships down, even if it's at a local organization instead of some fancy DC/NY summer internship. Also seeing as you're well ahead of requirements, I don't think there would too much loss if you forgo couple credits, even if it's specifically related to your future career. In the eyes of employers and a policy school professors, your experiences will shine much more than couple extra courses. Internship experience will also be much more useful if you for some unexpected reason decide to work for some time before applying to grad school. And I would think you'll have more opportunities to take courses in your specific area of interest in your masters program....

Copy and paste from my past post: My application was sent on and became complete on January 29, 2014, and I received my decision on March 26, 2014 (so approximately 8 weeks). The time differs between departments apparently, but I would think it should still be around 8 weeks. But it's important to note that it was 8 weeks after the application became complete, not submitted. It took a week or even a little bit more for them to process my stuff and if you don't submit all the required materials with your app, it's gonna take longer. Also that was during the US application season, and many US applicants were prob trying to submit their apps to LSE at the same time as their other apps, so maybe the wait time is less now? Not sure tho. Good luck!

Hell yea!! #London2014 We should all hang, no doubt. That's good to hear. It's great that you're in a financially secure position and can dedicate yourself to pursuing your academic interest and figure out your future priorities... LSE wasn't my first choice, and I was rejected by all of my top choices, perhaps b/c I tried to rush myself into a professional masters before thinking seriously about my chances or about whether this is the route I wanted to commit to this route straight out of undergrad (It definitely didn't help that I (stupidly) rushed myself to graduate in 10 quarters instead of the regular 12 quarters while doing a double major, to get out before the UC tuition rate became even more ridiculous). But the very specific focus of the 1-year master will def allow me grow intellectually, even if it won't be as useful as a policy MA from a prestigious US university. Hopefully you can get a good sense of what you want to do with that MA program, as I will be the same trying to figure out what my long-term professional and academic goals should be during my time in London.... Def take advantage of summer internships, esp. in DC. I def learned a lot and grew a lot, both intellectually and professionally... (also DC's an amazing city to live in). Damn. Hopefully you made the decision that you think is best.... Personally I would go for GWU or AU, but then again I'm heavily biased in favor of DC.....

I think your decision should be based on couple factors. I would argue that all three schools have roughly similar reputation and prestige, which is that they're great schools that could give you a great education and good networking opportunities but don't have the brand and additional resources of so-called "better" schools like Georgetown, Columbia, Princeton, Harvard and etc. In terms of networking more specifically, GWU and AU are gonna be the best bets, b/c they're both located in DC and just being in DC and connected to the policy community in some shape or form gives you tons of opportunities to meet ppl and build connections. And that's esp. true for GWU which offers many evening classes that'll allow you to work PT or intern. Denver, I'm not entirely familiar with, but my guess is it'll still be on par w GWU and AU, minus the benefits of living and maybe working in DC. But if you don't necessarily plan to work in DC, this consideration may be insignificant to you. Internationally, I would think GWU is the most known name, since neither AU nor Denver have that instant recognition of super-prestigious US universities. Also GWU grads are likely to be everywhere just based on the sheer size of GWU alum network. But cost also seems like an important factor for you, so Denver might be good choice too. GWU and AU have comparable tuition to Denver, but the cost of living in DC will be insanely high (even I felt like this despite the fact that I've lived in some insanely expensive areas). You should also consider what you intent on studying, and whether the school you choose has the best program available in terms of reputation and actual rigor and whether the program fits well w you as a person and your academic/professional interests. AU seems like the choice in this regard as you yourself have said. In terms of deciding between saving money and pursuing the best program, you should think about whether you've really set your heart on doing what you say you'll be doing. Will you have a change of heart in the near future? Are you completely sure you want to do this? If you're not completely solid on your future goals, it may not be a bad idea to save money and get into a program that saves you money and be part of the IR/policy community and get a feel for yourself (or even defer admission or re-apply in the future, as much as that idea may sound scary) If you're sure about what you wanna do and you're sure the school you want to attend can help you in pursuing that, then you should go with the school that has the best fit for you, esp. since the cost of tuition is roughly the same and unless you receive very, very generous scholarships, the savings may not justify forgoing your dream. That's just my thought I derived from contemplating about my own decision.....

I finally submitted my intent to decline to Columbia GSAPP and IHEID today...... Now I guess it's LSE for me :S Congrats to all those that got into IHEID, and hopefully one more person can get off the waitlist.........

Previous Schools: Top 10 among US public unis Previous Degrees and GPAs: BA Sociology & BA History (3.61 Cumulative / 3.8 & 3.9 Major) GRE Scores: 166V / 160Q / 4.0AW Previous Work Experience: ONE AND HALF YEARS part-time journalism experience / THREE MONTHS think tank internship in DC Math/Econ Background: Only basic stat for social science and an IPE course Foreign Language Background: English (Native/Fluent), Korean (Native/Fluent), Portuguese (Intermediate), French (Basic) Intended Field of Study in Grad School: International development, esp. as it relates to urban related issues and sustainability and resource issues. Long Term Professional Goals: Work for couple of years in the nonprofit sector or researching job, see if I'm cut out for it, and then pursue a PhD in a social science subject if possible, ending up in academia hopefully. Schools Applied to & Results: Columbia SIPA MIA Political and Economic Development (X), Stanford IPS MA (X), MIT Urban Planning International Development Group Master of City Planning (X), NYU Wagner MA Urban Planning (X), UC Berkeley CED Master of City and Regional Planning (W) IHEID Graduate Institute MA Development Studies (O), Columbia GSAPP MSc Urban Planning (IDEV), GWU Elliott MA International Development (O), LSE MSc Urbanisation and Development (O), UCL Development Planning Unit MSc Urban Development Planning (O), New School Milano MA International Affairs (O + $$). Ultimate Decision & Why: Most likely LSE, while still waiting on Berkeley. It's a short program, it is a very focused program zooming in on my core academic interest, it has the brand name for when I come back to the US, it has a renown faculty and access to intellectual and professional opportunities, it's in London, it gives me the option to pursue a consultancy project but also requires a master's thesis which will make my life easier when I apply for a Phd and shave couple requirements off my doctoral studies, the program's employment stat's not too bad and many graduates successfully get back in the US job market according to alum surveys, and it is the cheapest option besides IHEID (which I still feel absolutely shi* for turning down). I got partial funding from New School but LSE is still cheaper, both in yearly tuition terms and overall cost. This tells you how ridiculously expensive American postgraduate education is. I don't know how others finance their education w only 20-30% funding on a 50k a year program........ Advice for Future Applicants: 1) GRE is only part of your app. Try to improve your app as a whole, instead of obsessing over GRE results. 2) Try to pick professors and professional references that could really write a personalized letter about you instead of generic ones. 3) Look for external funding early on. You can't count on funding from schools 4) Take econ and calc classes 5) Learn a language or improve your skills 6) Make sure you send all req material to the schools. I've made several mistakes where I forgot to send GRE scores and transcripts. Double check. 7) Waiting and being nervous is pointless, I realized. Just forget about the app and look out for emails from schools, in case they need additional materials.

I also got into the MA International Affairs program... They were the only ones to offer any funding at all (20% like you) And I really appreciate the fact that current students and alums sent me email to see if I had any questions about the school/program, as well as an email from the dean. It does seem like a good program, and one of the concentrations right down my alley. And as you say, the program is probably less "business-y" than SIPA or other schools, since it was originally housed alongside the New School for Social Research (which has very good reputation fro academic research) and probably retains a lot of the flavor from that era. The field program indeed looks nice, and their job placement and reputation doesn't look too bad either, esp. in NYC. Outside of NYC may be slightly more tricky, esp if you want to work internationally. I heard that the school in general is pretty left-leaning, which is probably not surprising in regular social science departments but not the norm in IR policy schools. Don't know if that's a plus or minus for you. Also, I think the program attracts more ppl straight out of undergrad, as the bar is slightly lower on the professional experience category.... SIPA will certainly have a better mix of mid-career professionals and younger students than Milano. And as for alumni feedback, I haven't heard anything too negative about the IA program, tho I've encountered some negative feedback on the urban policy MA. I personally look like I may be turning down their offer for LSE, b/c even w the 20% funding the yearly cost of attendance will be roughly the same.....but I think you may seriously consider New School as an option, since the SIPA tuition is just unreasonable.

Hey Hmcg, I don't have any direct knowledge of the program or the school, but from what I've read it looks like the faculty seems quite focused on European issues (somewhat like Hertie school)? And it looks like a very competitive program to get in, and so I don't doubt the quality of the program.... As for reputation, I feel like most outside of the diplomatic circle and Europe won't recognize the school and its quality.... so idk if that's a problem for you. I found this post on thestudentroom: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=222841

As someone with similar interest as you (but with far less professional exp. ), I would recommend Columbia... It's true that you may have to TA/RA, but SIPA is known to provide second year funding for students w/ good grades. Also: SIPA offers you not only their own faculty expertise in urban and social policy, but also that of the Earth Institute and the GSAPP (planning and arch). Both the Earth Institute and GSAPP are heavily focused on sustainable development and esp. sustainable urban development. GSAPP has many courses on international development planning and sustainability in particular. SIPA students can easily get involved with the Earth Institute, which not only produces great research but also provides great networking opportunities with world class practitioners and academics. And this just may be my own opinion, I think it's better if a master's degree is more specific than general, that is, it should express your interest and knowledge. I'm not too sure about getting degrees that are too general... And although this may sound a little vain, the Columbia brand will most definitely recognized and respected wherever you go. Fletcher tho I believe will def also provide you w good networking and a good brand name. Also Boston does have some IOs, esp those relating to urban issues, so being in Medford won't be too bad either (tho I'm not a big fan of the area. Boston proper will be much better)

It's good to hear from you!! And it's great to hear that you got a good option working with ppl u know! Will you apply again next year, or finish your MA first??

OMG!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats Angie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So i guess "Paris, here I come" for you ?????

Also: http://www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/CareersAndVacancies/graduateDestinations/eGems/Home.aspx I stumbled upon LSE employment statistics, for anyone interested. It's comforting to see that about 89% of alums from my program either found employment or are doing PhDs....

Indeed, I see your point. That's also one thing I'm not too sure about one year taught masters. It's too short and the curriculum is too tight for me to learn any other than the core subject. And Geneva being expat heavy, that's very true. I've read that some ppl live in Geneva for years and don't speak a word of French, b/c they stay in the large expat circles centered around intl. banking sector and IOs north of the river. But I think that this could be overcome if you make conscious efforts to force yourself into a French speaking environment. I would think that even in Paris, you'll most likely be spending quite a bit of time w English speaking students, if anything b/c of the school and studying. And the 6 month restriction is quite annoying, but since the program's 2 year long, I'd say it's not the biggest deal b/c you'll have more than enough time to do internships and develop connections in the remaining time. And I was just looking at the PSIA curriculum and it looks like they have an internship module during the third semester? I wonder if you consider that adequate enough internship opp, or if you want more. Their curriculum also seems to be pretty well-balanced btw theory and practice. This is a big generalization, but I guess it comes down to whether you want an intense academic experience where you'll learn a lot in class (Paris) or a heavily internship based experience (Geneva). That has to be what you would like to do personally. Professionally international recognition may be a factor, in which case I guess Sciences Po is superior.

Indeed. It seems that LSE, despite being a non-US uni, seems to have the strongest presence in the US in terms of alumni relations. That's probably the truest in finance and other econ/math related sectors where apparently LSE grads are to be found everywhere, but I would guess also true in nonprofit or policy sector as well. In that category, I guess LSE is as good as it gets for non-US unis.

Ooh I did not know that. I just assumed the calculation across the board would be similar (3.5/4.0 = 87.5%) But then again getting a 3.5 in the American system is not the hardest thing to do if you apply yourself enough. And looking at the AUS grade distribution, a Distinction def seems like a big achievement! So you'll def be on your way to LSE or SOAS at the least, judging by their own published reqs! I totally get your dilemma. I'm afraid that some of my prospective American employers would look down upon my degree b/c of the length of the program. And at least in Europe, a one year MSc doesn't comply w the Bologna Process so that become very problematic for students. (But I found out recently that, if I wanted to, I'd have the opportunity to apply for a one-year Master of International Studies (MIS) from GWU Elliott, if I complete a MSc from LSE, thus making my "degree" two years in length. Though I would need to look more into this option, it somewhat subsides my concerns about the MSc's length. Also this seems great b/c I'm def gonna head to DC anyway once I get my MSc! And I'm told that I could expect higher chance of funding w this program by GWU grads) And as I also speak a little bit of French and want to improve it more for personal and professional reasons, Geneva as a location would also be a terrific place. I would say in terms of professional development, Geneva would be a better pick, no? I'm sure Paris has internship/PT work opportunities as well, but prob not on the scale of Geneva. And if you want to break into the IO scene, it'd make sense to go for Geneva and build connection that you could transfer to other branches of IOs. Then again: Paris would be a great city to live in. It's comforting to see I'm not the only wrestling between LSE and IHEID!

Using LSE as a reference (since they offer some concrete info on minimum reqs), I would say anything above a 3.6/4.0 would make you competitive. I had a CGPA of 3.61/4.0, and I was accepted into LSE and IHEID. According to the LSE website, the minimum is a high 2:1, which translates to 3.5/4.0 in LSE's own calculation. I see that your location's Sydney, so may be you're doing your UG studies in AUS? Then, the req is "a 4-year bachelor's (honours) degree with a 2:1, Distinction, Division A, Division 1 or B+ in the majority of individual component marks" I guess that translates to about 80-90% mark? I would assume the reqs would get slightly lower with other schools.

In terms of competitiveness, I would say LSE is the hardest to get in, but this also depends on the specific program you choose, since acceptance rate at LSE ranges from 4% for Msc Finance to anywhere from 20-30% for other programs (I think most IDEV related programs are pretty competitive, with about 20% or less getting in). IHEID is probably the next hardest. I don't remember the specific acceptance rates from past years, but I believe it's about 25%~, but this depends on your program too. Personally I was surprised to see some ppl w superior GPAs and diplomas from better ranked UG institutions than me get rejected by the MDEV program. I'm not too sure about Sciences Po (I'm sure it's pretty competitive as well), and I only know that SOAS is not the hardest place to get in if you could get into LSE or IHEID, tho some ppl may disagree. All of these schools are def cream of the crop in Europe both in terms of academic reputation and prestige, and I would think if you were to work in Europe, they'll be highly regarded by employers.

http://web.mit.edu/polisci/graduate/phd.html

I meant that i got couple friends who're already doing masters and see what their opinions are But my family's reaction is pretty much the same I'm def gonna have to keep practicing my Portuguese and French w other ppl if I'm not gonna completely forget how to speak them.... And for internships, I'm still looking at couple places in DC where I could apply for the summer.... not that many left tho To your friends: LOL! ----------------------------- Hey Angie! Thanks! I was really excited for IHEID and was def leaning towards it, esp b/c all my other options were financially unfeasible..... But I felt like LSE would give me the most flexibility, not in terms of the curriculum but in terms of post-graduation prospects. It's def a very prestigious brand, internationally and even in the US where foreign education is (unjustly) looked down upon. While a certain degree of skepticism from future employers may be unavoidable, I would rather risk that than come out of grad school with a mountain of debt. It's not as cheap as IHEID but within my means, and much better than Columbia or GWU. It's a short programme, which gives me more room for amending my career plans in the future, if I need to do that. It's a more "theoretical" programme, which may be bad for professional development, but I actually do like pondering upon theoretical sides of things, and I think education should be more than learning skills....Also my ultimate plan is to get a PhD, and a MSc from LSE will be looked upon quite favorably by academics and also allow me skip the first year or two of the doctoral program. Despite many negative feedback from past students, LSE is still def a world class university and a center of social science research and policy analysis. Access to not just great professors but also to great guest lecture events is def something I would love. And I'm sure LSE, being a high profile uni, would attract interesting ppl....Also it's in London! IHEID would def be a very close second choice for me. It basically has all the advantages of LSE, minus the longer study period and wide recognition in the US. I think unfortunately, right now those two qualities are things I do need... What about you?? Are you still leaning for IHEID? I see you're considering Sciences Po as well! and SOAS!!