sandradee

why do you feel you *have to* state what area of research you are interested in?

Many people apply to both schools and go where they get in or wherever works for them. I would say that yes NPSIA is seen as the "better" school than GPSIA (uOttawa), but that doesn't mean GPSIA doesn't offer a comparable education. Many GPSIA grads go on to GAC from what I have a read, though the competition seems stiffer as they have to compete with NPSIA grads. I think its worth attending if you get in and thats what you want to do career wise. Its not a "bad" school by any means and many opportunities exist for GPSIA grads for sure. NPSIA's reputation comes from being a part of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs and being established longer than other IA schools in Canada. Overall- if it works for you I would apply and just be prepared to work a little harder

@xioaping @Delidas what are you guys doing about economic courses? Or do you already have them? Im wondering if I should start them now (I know, quite presumptuous) but just to see if I can even get the B-. Super nerve racking as I'm not a numbers person. I heard the athabasca courses were way easier than the ECON courses on-campus that carleton offers during the summer...

@Delidas and @xioaping Tabbatha sent me this "For the MA/ MA-JD Program: Your statement of intent should be between 1 – 2 pages in length and should clearly indicate why the program is important to you, your suitability for the program, as well as your future career goals." I wasn't able to see the instructions through my OUAC account so Tabbatha emailed them to me. This changes everything haha. Currently at four pages.... lol

@Delidas Ugh 1200 words is on the long side? Mine is almost done and I'm capping it at 2000! maybe I should shorten. Its a very easy read however and it flows well. I may reconsider. Do you have citations in yours or is it more of a personal essay? @Sean M I would also echo what was said above and take a look at last years thread. However, I have read that NPSIA is very holistic when evaluating applications. While I'm sure there is a GPA cut off they use, there may be other points of consideration for you. I have a masters already, and I have had two job stints abroad at this point with grassroots NGOs (both contracts were under a year). I also speak another language, and I have a published a paper on a international topic. That being said, my undergrad cum GPA is a joke, and I spoke with the associate director who still encouraged me to apply based on the other factors. My research on the program tells me there isn't too much difference between the MRP, Thesis, or the course based, unless you're wanting to move on to a PhD or really market yourself as a researcher. Since I did a thesis in my previous masters I won't be electing for one here. Still torn on what to choose for specialisation as I am drawn to classes in literally every grouping. Ive reached out to Tabbatha to see how likely it is that students get to take classes outside of their specialisation. Im hoping she says that as long as I take the required three from my specialisation that I can take a variety of courses from the other cohorts. However I would imagine that is unlikely.

Hey yall- I'm starting this thread for those applying to NPSIA for 2018. Feel free to post any questions or comments here. And as offers roll out too dont be afraid to share your acceptance or decline comments here Just curious, in regards to the MA, are people limiting their statement of intent to a certain number of words? is it research focused (with citations and all) even if you aren't planning on doing the thesis or MRP? The instructions on the website are quite vague, so i'm curious what people are doing (especially word count wise).