hj2012

From my understanding, many interdisciplinary projects can find homes in both disciplinary and interdisciplinary departments. You'll just have to weigh the balance between the two. For example, an English department would likely offer more resources for 18th-C studies than WGS, and you may find those resources more useful than the cross-fertilization offered by gender studies departments. Honestly, if you're primarily interested in the long 18th-century (and therefore will be performing mostly archival research and literary analysis), an English department (albeit one with openness to interdisciplinary topics) may be the best fit for you. You always have the option of seeking employment in WGS departments upon graduation. If you're looking for a primer / introductory text to feminist theory, I'd recommend starting with Routledge readers, which were pretty standard in the WGS classes I took as an undergrad. We used Feminist Theory Reader and Rethinking Women's and Gender Studies. These anthologies oftentimes generate a lot of hate, but I find them incredibly useful for getting a general overview of the voices in the field and reading the highlights from important scholars and theorists. Hope this helps. Would you be willing to elaborate more specifically on your research interests?

In this case, I personally would follow the money. Both programs would give you a good networking base and both cities have lots of opportunities for jobs and internships in your field. My friends who are from NYC who moved down to DC often complain that DC is "boring." It is definitely a smaller city with a certain kind of atmosphere. I personally love it (clean, great food and culture, not as overwhelming, relatively strong economy) but I was raised there and am therefore a bit biased. Congrats on both acceptances, and good luck on making your decision!

Go with Georgetown. They're the recognized gold standard for security studies. If you're super concerned about finances, one option is to look into military sponsored programs. A good number of my friends who came out of DC international relations programs also worked day jobs while attending school. Financial aid is super stingy (and close to nonexistent) at these programs, but working while taking classes is a good way to cover at least your living expenses while also networking. Good luck to you!

I don't think it would hurt to ask if it'll give you peace of mind. But seriously consider the risks involved in reapplying, as you may well get rejected at both NYU and Rutgers during your second go-around for reasons outside your control (too many students in your AOI, senior faculty taking a leave of absence, etc). Best of luck to you!

I can understand the disappointment, especially if you study there now. But honestly, PhD admissions is a crapshoot, especially at a school like NYU for philosophy. What baffles me is that you're dismissing a school of the caliber of Rutgers, which I personally would consider a top department. Furthermore, waiting another year is no guarantee that you'll get the results you desire. If you currently study at NYU, would it be possible to reach out to the faculty there and ask about your application?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyongyang_University_of_Science_and_Technology

Definitely possible. Many people make the switch to interdisciplinary programs from more disciplinary fields. (Me!) You just want to be able to articulate why your area of interest "fits" better in WGS than, say, a Literature department. Much of the difference concerns methodology as well; if you're primarily interested in a comparative/literary analysis of women writers in the 18th century (even if you utilize feminist theory) I think you're better off in English. When I was applying, I also sought out schools that offered a grad certificate or a grad minor in WGS. That might be another option if you're looking to supplement your education. Best of luck to you!

Oops! My misunderstanding. Gtown isn't very accessible by metro, unfortunately, and you probably wouldn't want to drive in every day. I dated a guy who lived in Arlington while he was doing his masters at SFS, and there was a reliable shuttle operated by the university that he took to get to class. If you google Georgetown Shuttle Service I'm sure it'll come up. I'd take a look at the routes and perhaps think of choosing an apartment complex close to one of the shuttle stops that also offers accessibility to GW. Don't discount bus routes in DC, either, as they can be incredibly useful considering the limitations of the metro system. You could likely get an apartment close to GW that also has a bus or shuttle route to Georgetown. Rent is pretty high in the DC area, but if you can share a one bedroom it'll be much more affordable. Lots of young professionals live in the Dupont Circle area or along the U Street corridor. Lots of great food, cool bars, etc.

Agreed with those who say you should grin and bear it. You're so close! Also if you do decide to go for a second MA or continue on for a PhD, I think you'd really be shooting yourself.in the foot by quitting now, as I imagine it would raise a huge red flag in admissions.

Are you looking at hotels to stay in for a week, or recommendations for housing areas? Which school(s) will you be attending and what's your budget? Congrats to you both.

I ended up emailing them because they snail mail rejections, and who knows how long that could take. (I live abroad.) The graduate coordinator was SUPER nice and prompt.

Nowaynohow makes very good points. I also find it interesting that you count "media studies" as a disciplinary degree, as my undergrad institution considered media studies as interdisciplinary. Goes to show that these lines are not as firmly drawn as I thought!

Yes, for your interests MTL or HistCon wouldn't be quite right. I'm in a slightly different field, but the interdisciplinary programs I applied to have relatively good placement rates in comparison to the average English Lit/Lang program. If you can imagine yourself spending 5-7 years working on a disciplinary topic, you might find that a better investment. (Or you could seek out the "less traditional"/continental programs in philosophy like the one at Penn State.) I'm afraid that it really does depend on the exact situation/interests. Sorry for being so vague! Best of luck to you.

You'll probably get a better response in either the Government Affairs forum or the Political Science forum. http://forum.thegradcafe.com/forum/11-government-affairs/ http://forum.thegradcafe.com/forum/36-political-science/ Or, this similar thread: Good luck!

I'm not sure about how things work in the UK or EU nations, but I'd be very, very, very hesitant to enthusiastically recommend a student to invest in a non-STEM program in the U.S. for the primary purpose of getting a job in the States. If the degree would still be worth it even if you don't end up landing a job in the States, then go for it. If not, tread with caution. I would ask both schools for placement data for international students or ask to speak to recent international student alumni to get a better sense of your chances.

Professional schools like Alliant offer are extremely expensive, and usually do not have very high placement rates for their graduates. What kind of degree are you interested in, and what is your eventual career goal? (e.g. school counselor, university professor, clinical psychologist, etc.) There may be more affordable universities (that also offer better job outcomes) at in-state universities.

This is my main takeaway from this, too. Why do schools do this? I honestly can't think of any legitimate/sensible reason.

On the whole, the placement rates at interdisciplinary programs tend to be lower. This is something to be aware of. However, programs like Chicago's committee on social thought have excellent reputations. You also have to consider your own academic interests. (Ultimately, I decided my research would be better served by interdisciplinary programs.) What are your research interests? You might be interested in Stanford Modern Thought and Literature, UC Santa Cruz History of Consciousness or Duke Literature.

I agree the email might have been accidentally passed over or forgotten. I also think it would be entirely appropriate to direct your inquiry to a professor in the department as well. At the least, he/she could direct you to the right person to contact.

I'm not in linguistics, but I agree with hoviariel. As a general rule, do NOT go to a school that will not fund you.

Possibly Ted Ownby?

I'm actually living abroad in Asia. Yes, UT has AMAZING faculty! I'm actually on the waitlist for them, but some of my favorite scholars work there. I don't know if this will affect your decision at all, but I've heard that UT is a much more "historical" department. And, according to my friend who is doing her PhD there (albeit in Sociology) it's actually a relatively limiting place to do Asian/Asian American studies. (Browsing the grad students interests is pretty revealing.) I think Berkeley probably has best overall faculty for A/PIA studies, but YES, the cost of living is so high! What a difficult decision! Do you mind if I ask how much the stipend is at UT? I'm trying to decide if it's worthwhile for me to stay on the waitlist or if I should just remove myself and focus on deciding between Michigan and Berkeley...

@davidipse Whew, that's a relief that I shouldn't worry too much about housing now. I think I'm going to put in an application for the grad school co-ops mentioned above and see if it works out. @maelia8 Please let me know what you think about Berkeley! I reaaaaaaally wish I could visit! @seeingeyeduck Thanks for the tip about in-law units. I'll definitely keep that in mind. And one last question, for any current grad students -- how did you guys go about meeting new people? My cohort is going to be really small (probably ~5 people), and I'd like to expand my social circle beyond that.

I feel you. So far, this thread has been pretty helpful:

I don't think it is, either. However, my friends have supplemented MA work with part-time jobs (sometimes through the university as athletic dept tutors or writing center tutors, or other odd jobs around Cville), which may be more difficult to find abroad. At the same time, my understanding was that UK master's programs were often only one year, so that might be cheaper in the end. I guess what I should have said was, "Choose the more affordable option, because I don't foresee a huge difference in PhD outcomes based solely on the university name." (Of course, this also depends on the OP's finances, goals, etc. OP, if it's always been your dream to study in the UK and you think you can find better support for British modernism at Oxford, then that's awesome too. )