lindsey_elizabeth

That sounds really interesting! I'll be heading to Edinburgh in the fall so I'm about to be dealing with visa stuff myself. I bet it can get pretty stressful if you're working with someone who's already accepted their offer of admission but is having trouble getting their visa approved. Does that happen very often in the US? I'll cross my fingers for an opening at the NYU office for you too! My cousin and her husband are actually Foreign Service Officers. They spent the past two years in Honduras and are headed to Australia next. They have two young kids (one is still a baby), so it's possible to do it with a family, but it's definitely not for everyone. I think it really only works if your partner agrees to give up their professional life completely or is also a Foreign Service Officer. My boyfriend and I don't have kids yet but we probably will in the next five years or so. I love traveling, and it's definitely an amazing opportunity, but I'm not sure moving our family and dog every two years is going to be our thing either.

I'll definitely be voting for him in June, don't worry! I went to his rally here last August, when 27,000 people showed up, and his supporters are the best. I've been spreading the word over here too. Mainly cornering people at parties (not literally) and asking them if they're feeling the bern. Ha. I actually know a ton of people here who are Bernie supporters. Granted it's LA so pretty liberal but still good news. What does an I-20 Program Coordinator do? I was considering international education for a while, which can lead to a job in study abroad or work with international students at a university. I think being a recruiter or international student advisor would be great! Every field within international development sounds interesting so I'm still figuring out exactly what I want to do with my degree. I'm leaning towards a second master's degree in public policy but international education has crossed my mind again too.

I'm not going to NYU or moving to NYC but just want to say I love your photo and username! #feelingthebernonthewestcoast

Haha you and me both. During an information session here a while ago, they mentioned that Edinburgh is on the same latitude as Moscow and my boyfriend will not stop talking about it. You'll just have to go somewhere warm during your second year so that you can escape some of the winter months. There's something about being in such a cold place that's nice though too. It kind of unites everyone since you're all in it together. We were in Lund for Walpurgis Night at the end of April and the whole town celebrates the start of spring with music, drinks in the park, and a bonfire. It's definitely a lively town and small enough that you should be able to meet people really easily. Everyone we met was incredibly nice and friendly. My favorite coffee ever comes from a town about 45 minutes away so you'll get to take lots of good fika breaks too. It's called Koppi and I'm sure it's all over Malmo and Lund. You're going to have such a great experience!

This insight has been incredibly helpful. I actually had to make a decision by today and I chose Edinburgh. I did take a look at the faculty members at each university that teach the required courses and the electives I'm particularly interested in. I found that the research interests of the faculty members at Edinburgh best align with my own and I feel like it's going to be a very good fit for me academically. Edinburgh seems to offer many of the experiences and opportunities that the other universities do, the school just relies on students to take the initiative rather than requiring them as part of the curriculum (which, at the graduate level, I don't think is a bad thing). Between the required coursework, electives, and extracurricular activities, it's possible to get a well-rounded education in development studies and I think it will serve as a solid foundation for a career in development or further studies. Plus, I'll be done in a year, which as you mentioned has some nice financial benefits. It's pretty impressive that your friend from McGill managed to get her foot in the door by moving to the middle east and getting in touch with development organizations. With the exception of some highly specialized fields that require an advanced degree, work experience seems to be the best way to break into any career. If it were eight years ago and I had just graduated from college, I might do the same thing. I think I'm too old for that now though! Have you been to Lund? I went to Copenhagen with my boyfriend last spring and we took a day trip to Malmo and Lund. It's a really pretty town and there's a lot of great stuff nearby (like Copenhagen). Two years there (or I guess one and a half with the field placement) is going to pretty amazing.

Congratulations on Lund! I applied to Lund as well and was placed on the wait list. Their program looks great but considering how far down I am on the list I'm not very optimistic about my chances of being admitted. My indecision definitely comes from not knowing what I'd like to focus on. I think it's going to be hard to choose a specialization until I start taking some classes in the field. For that reason, it would be nice to have some options and flexibility within my graduate program. Brandeis and Edinburgh seem to offer that flexibility but I'm worried that Uppsala is too science-heavy. If I knew I wanted to focus on something like environmental conservation or climate change, it would be perfect, but I'm not sure I'm ready to commit to that yet. If I want to take courses in topics like social justice or gender and development, I would have to take them through another department. I'm not sure how feasible that is and I think that by doing that I might be trying to make the program into something it's not. I'm actually considering the possibility of an M.P.P. or an M.P.A. after graduating and the one-year MSc at Edinburgh might provide the perfect foundation for that. Edinburgh does offer quite a few extracurriculars that would complement my studies (e.g. seminars and work through the Global Development Academy). Students have the opportunity to pursue self-led individually created coursework, which would allow me to gain credits for volunteer work or an internship, and they have a work-based placement option (through which students have the option to go overseas) for the dissertation period as well. So it's possible to get a well-rounded education and development experience with an international organization, it will just take some serious planning and time management (which isn't a bad thing). Still, I wish I could take a few more courses. My main concern about Brandeis is its international reputation. I'm not sure how strong their alumni network is and I feel like it may not be as well-known globally since it's a smaller school. There's no doubt that it would provide me with a well-rounded education in development studies, and the school itself is rooted in social justice (which is great), but I don't think it has the brand name that Edinburgh does. I can pursue international fieldwork through any of the three programs but Brandeis offers the most opportunity to gain that experience I think. Do you have a background in international development already? And did anyone you spoke to mention the importance of graduating from a well-known institution? Thanks so much for the advice and input. I have a lot of soul-searching to do over the next couple days!

Hey! I was recently admitted to Brandeis University (M.A. in Sustainable International Development), University of Edinburgh (MSc in International Development), and Uppsala University (M.S. in Sustainable Development). The programs are pretty different and I'm having a difficult time deciding between the three. I think I'd eventually like to work with an intergovernmental or nonprofit organization in fair trade or corporate social responsibility. I'm particularly interested in human rights (and sustainability, but mainly human rights) within the garment industry but am keeping an open mind as I start my graduate studies. I'm curious how each of the programs is viewed by potential employers and those in the development world. For those who graduated from one of the programs, was it easy to find a job after graduation? I'm also interested in hearing thoughts on one-year vs two-year programs. I'm leaning towards the University of Edinburgh but am a little concerned that one year might not be enough time to prepare me for a career in international development. There are quite a few extracurriculars, and I have some time to figure out what exactly I'd like to do before the program starts, but I'd still only be able to take two core courses and four electives. I'm not sure it's enough considering I have no background in development. The other programs are both two years. For anyone who graduated from one of these programs, what were the pros and cons? I have to make a decision within the next few days and I'm completely torn. Any input from other applicants or graduates of the programs would be amazing