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Indevmng

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  • Location
    Toronto
  • Application Season
    2016 Fall
  • Program
    International Development and Management

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  1. I guess my concern is that, from my analysis of linkedin profiles, Lund students take longer to get their first job, and in the two year difference, I could get a lot of experience in jobs and internships and move faster towards having an established career with a one year masters under my belt. That being said, a lot of the ability to leverage UCL in such a way relies on networking as opposed to skills, which makes me nervous.
  2. I was intending on going to Lund University's Masters in International Development and Management, but two weeks ago I got a late acceptance from UCL's Environment and Sustainable Development Program. I'm having a lot of trouble deciding because I'm not super sure how consultancies, development organizations, or multilaterals think in terms of hiring. So far two professors in related fields (development econ and urban planning for low-income countries) have recommended UCL flat out. People I knew who worked in UNDP and UNEP both told me to go for the highest brand value due to how competitive the field can be. That being said, I feel a bit risk adverse because while Lund teaches project management techniques, data analysis and SPSS, ArcGIS, and ensures a three month internship as part of the course structure, UCL only briefly touches on mapping applications and has a heavier policy and case study emphasis. It seems though that I'm choosing between more skill development with Lund and better name recognition and networking opportunities with UCL, and it's hard to determine what will matter more. UCL is the same overall price (though carried in one year), and has the slight advantage of pushing me back into the job market earlier, meaning I can start paying down student loans sooner. Looking for insight!
  3. I suppose I should have clarified that I'm aware which country is which. I'm spending additional time in August in Copenhagen before leaving to Lund for orientation.
  4. I guess we'll be meeting on Orientation day in August...anyone planning on heading to Copenhagen early?
  5. Malmo's apparently cheaper as well!
  6. Sounds like you came to a solid conclusion. Congrats! You're gonna get a great education there. I haven't been to Lund or Malmo before! I've spent a little bit of time in Copenhagen and Stockholm, so I have a vague idea about what to expect. Just got to get myself ready for 2pm sunsets for the winter.
  7. Yeah I can't speak to Uppsala's course structure but Lund is very rigid, there are no electives so if you need some flexibility to explore your interests, that has to be taken into consideration. Luckily Lund offers a foundation in public health, economic development, natural resource management, and rural v urban poverty, so I felt that it covered all my bases. I have some international work and project experience in Haiti and the Philippines, but not a substantial amount, so getting more through my program was a priority. The thesis option then allows me to develop some specialized knowledge as well. The people I talked to: M.A. at London School of Economics -> UNDP McGill -> UNEP Lund U. -> Human rights watch group in Honduras. What I took away from those conversations is that brand value offsets deficits in international experience because the employer, while not necessarily knowing how you might perform in the field, knows at least that you have the steel to get admitted and succeed in a rigorous and competitive academic setting. The girl I talked to who went to LSE actually mentioned that the most valuable part of her experience was connecting with a organization she interned with via her academic network, and that provided her with the real skills she needed to be in demand; the reputation of her school was more helpful in securing that first internship then it was in securing her future employment. Of course you have to evaluate these decisions in terms of cost-benefit, because school ain't free. My friend from McGill doesn't have a masters, she just went to the middle east and started asking for work from organizations. Some people agree, especially if you're not sure what you want to do in the first place, that your best bet is to get the international experience and explore your interests just by going out there and volunteering/working. She compressed 10 years of career development into 2 and is managing medium sized projects now. Check Brandeis' statistics on the percentage of people working in their field after graduation and within the first year, and check Linkedin to see what people have graduated from those programs are doing now. It often gives you a decent idea of what kind of preparation the program can provide for you, and how much the reputation is working for or against them.
  8. Hey there. I'm going to Lund U. for Int. Development and Management. Before making my decision I talked to people with Masters level education in development who were working for INGOs, and the consensus was to choose whatever program will give you the most opportunities for international fieldwork during the program, and that offers the greatest amount of skill development. If your not a doctor or an engineer you need some hard skills to get a decent job in the field. Lund's program is founded on both knowledge and statistical analysis, research design, GIS, and program management in combination with a 20 week field placement and a thesis, which allows me to get all of the above plus the opportunity to deepen my knowledge in a particular specialization. In order to check all those boxes I needed a two year program. If you have no background in development a one year program may not be good enough just because you won't be able to get summer or semester internships in the field. However sometimes the only difference between you getting a particular job is a masters degree listed on your CV. And if you've had conversations with people at the UN or consulting groups etc. and you fundamentally have the skills but just need that credential, go for the one year program. It sounds like your indecision mostly comes from not knowing what you want to focus on yourself. Note that Corporate Social Responsibility, Fair trade, Sustainability Sciences, and Human rights are literally different fields, even though all may overlap with sustainable development topically. You'll do CSR if you join a private sector consultation regardless, so I would exclude that from the decision making process. You're not going to get much human rights advocacy skills out of any of those options; you'd need a M.P.P. or a M. International Relations degree. So I would exclude that possibility too from your decision. Now you're down to deciding on programs that either have an emphasis on fair trade or sustainability sciences. Check the faculty and which schools have the strongest Econ and Geography or Env/Ag Science professors that actually teach in your program. If they have examples of either or both, and offer the skill development you need, go for that one.
  9. Moving there this fall! Looking for as much info as I can get! Please message me!
  10. Hey fellow admitted! -I've read and heard that life in Lund is really student focused. A lot of events, bars and clubs, activities etc. set up and hosted by students. If that seems too 'undergraduate'-ey for you, then Malmo is 10 minutes away. It's a world class city, good art, music, and culinary scene. -I'm personally going to try and find an apartment in Malmo, because I'd like to live a more adult life. I've also heard it can be quite a bit cheaper. 10 minute commute by train, and a transport pass costs around 50 euro/month. -I don't know if it's easier to get funding or financial aid second year, but I do know international students are elligible to re-apply for the Global Scholarship and also the Sweden Institute scholarships. If you get good grades and have a strong research focus you'll have a good shot. -I asked the program coordinator about TA jobs. Apparently they're rare. All jobs are a bit difficult to get if you don't speak Swedish. My plan is to try and get a strong research orientation for my thesis and seek external scholarship and fellowship funding to lower the cost of attendance. Message me and let me know if you accepted your offer!
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