wolnosc

It's a close call for me. AU has been my gold standard, but it comes at a premium. It's hard to argue with Pitt at 40% the cost. Admittedly, my plan for Pitt would depend on a cert as a roundabout way of getting the regional studies component that's already the main focus at AU. But I'm definitely concerned about building a skillset, which the security/intel component would provide. I didn't even think to negotiate with DU, but I couldn't get AU to budge. For $20k, I'd be comfortable choosing DU over Pitt for their reputation. I don't think you can go wrong with either school if security is your focus and it just comes down to fit. Denver seems pretty flexible from talking to them and I think you could pivot into Intl Affairs from Intl Security without much trouble if you decide that aligns better with your career goals. But, I think security is their real strength. Personally, I'd stay open to the private sector for political risk. There are a lot of intl business/investment applications that would make use of it. And there's obviously a large place for it in security and intel (which is how I justify Pitt). I would think there's a high demand for security consultation in general, and there are a lot of private security firms. I don't know what consulting would look like in international politics, but lobbying is another option. Good luck to you too, and stay in touch.

Howdy, I'm stuck between AU SIS Comparative and Regional Studies (70k tuition for two years) and Pitt GSPIA (28k), International Affairs Security and Intelligence. There are some other hidden costs for each, but I think those will roughly balance out. I want to get into political/risk analysis, consulting, or something of the sort. I am absolutely at peace with the private sector. Civil society and political movements are really the main thing driving my interests, and the regional focus is largely a means to contextualize and apply it. That being the case, I've been putting a lot of weight on regional studies, so I'd want to work a cert into the GSPIA program. AU: + Prime location. Networking, etc. + Solid professional and career resources. + I was very impressed with their communication from acceptance and can't help but think that represents the rank (and cost) gap. - The quantitative component might be weaker? "Comparative political economy" at AU vs. a full-blown economics requirement at Pitt, for example. - $ $ $ Pitt: + Great regional and language sources. + $ $ $ +/- The security/intel focus is nice for actually developing some tangible skills. But traditional security is not exaaactly what I'm going for. It is a clear application, though. - The thesis requirement for the regional cert might come at the expense of the capstone project. - Their internship connections don't appear to be especially strong. I could be wrong. Financially, I could pay for Pitt out of pocket. I would need to take out the loans for AU, though, and the DC metro is expensive enough as it is. The extra cash from Pitt could go a long way. I understand that if you end up in government, the pedigree doesn't really matter. If you wind up in a non-profit, the less debt you have, the better.

Also, consulting/political risk is pretty much what I'm going for. For the record, If I wanted to go academic, I think I'd pick Pitt since it vibes well with my research interests. But that's not exactly my goal.

We're in somewhat similar boats, you and I. I'm debating between Pitt and AU, but I did apply to DU. For my purposes, DU and AU would have cost about the same, so it was easy to cut out Denver. I think we're looking at about the same cost differences between the schools though. Same amount for Pitt, and my AU cost roughly the same as your DU. Some of the advice I received from a polisci professor is that if your plan is to go into academia, what school you start off at might not make that big of a difference (assuming you do an MA now, and then follow up with a PhD later). If you're trying to get into a policy career, the same source said that prestige and location would be the priorities. Pitt is close enough to D.C. that you could drive there, but I wouldn't realistically expect to make that trip often while you're taking classes. (It's maybe a 4hr trip one way, but that gets old fast). But it's a lot easier and cheaper to get there than from Denver. Pitt has a semester in D.C. program that might make up some of the difference, but I understand DU is also part of it. I liked DU when I looked at it, but even after 20k/yr in financial aid it felt overpriced (again, comparing it to AU). They do a great job with marketing, but remember to focus on the actual cost without getting hung up on the aid amount. I don't know anything about UCSD, and I'm mostly coming from a regional perspective, but I get the impression that it becomes more relevant to stay on the west coast if you're interested in, say, Asian affairs. I'd tend to agree that quantitative skills are important, but for better or worse, networking is still important in international affairs so there is a benefit to being close to the area you and others want to work in. It's a tricky decision to be sure. Did you make it to the open house at Pitt? Academically, what are you trying to focus on?

I met with a History professor a couple of years ago after working in an unrelated field post-undergrad. As he put it, he started college when it was understood that you’d follow it through to a PhD, but it’s a lot more common now to see a working gap. And, there’s a lot to be said for those who take that time and then really make the decision to get back into the field. It might be marking a generational shift, but I'm sure it's becoming more common and I'd be surprised if anyone holds it against you.