[Is Yale's Jackson School Reputable in the Field?]

1 hour ago, guav992 said:

So, I don't exactly know the answer to your question, but I can offer an anecdote. A couple of years ago I was studying IR at an Ivy League college. I asked my IR professor which programs he thought would be a good match for me. We discussed Georgetown, Tufts, SIPA, and HKS. After, I asked about Yale Jackson. He said something like, "Does Yale have an MA in IR?" 

I could be wrong, but from that interaction, I concluded that Yale Jackson has essentially no reputation in the field. 

Exactly! I have had similar experiences. I will say, the program is only a couple years old so I suppose I understand that many people wouldn't know of the program a couple years ago as it is so new. I wonder if it is predicted to gain notoriety over the coming years...

[Am I too old for grad school?]

definitely not too old! that being said, I would definitely rank the mid-career programs (like the HKS MC/PA) over the programs with cohorts of only 1-3 years work experience (like Yale). it would likely just be a better and more suitable environment for you and you'd find better contacts at the same career level as you.

[Is Yale's Jackson School Reputable in the Field?]

Hi folks - thinking of applying to Yale's Jackson School's Masters of Global Affairs program this fall, as the program itself looks pretty interesting and they seem to offer generous funding if you're able to get in. The problem is that I've already been working in Global Affairs/Foreign Policy for about three years and haven't heard much about Jackson and am concerned about its reputation within its field. I am currently living in Canada but would like to stay in the USA and continue working in the peace/security world, but don't want to be at a disadvantage in terms of school name. I am also looking at Fletcher, Georgetown and Columbia. If I were to get into Jackson and get generous funding, I don't see myself being able to turn it down, as I don't have the money to pay for graduate school without a loan. A lot of this is hypothetical, but my general question is this - does Jackson have a reputation that will launch its graduate into top organizations in the field of global affairs?

[Graduate Institute (IHEID) vs. Georgetown SFS vs. LSE?]

14 hours ago, EscapingBrexit said:

I'm not sure on London, even though I'm from the UK. I feel that LSE's programmes are often rather impersonal with large cohorts compared to the US in particular, but I could be wrong. LSE is an excellent school though, and they do some really interesting, very specific programs. 

DC would be a really good option for you, and from your profile I think you would be a great fit for Georgetown SFS, and may well get decent funding. I'm in contact with a lot of DC orgs in the 'peace space' at the moment, and there is always a lot going on there. I hope to be in DC in September. 

I also work with some people in Geneva, and you can't go wrong there. I've just heard it is a really, really boring city, but obviously that specific program is great. 

You'll do well wherever you go, I'm sure, but definitely consider some more DC-based and American programs. Some schools have specific conflict resolution degrees.

Thanks so much for these kinds words - it's honestly so difficult to be confident sometimes!

I'm also super grateful for your feedback on DC. My fear is that it's mainly policy analyst jobs for the US Gov (I'm not American), but your words were super helpful. On the note of LSE - I've also heard just some negatives about the 8month programs basically watering down the education, which makes me hesitant to go. Thanks so much for your insight!!

[Graduate Institute (IHEID) vs. Georgetown SFS vs. LSE?]

Hi folks,

For a Masters in international affairs and/or security - which program do you feel is best?

I've been working as a program officer at an international peace organization for the past two years, and have recently finished up a BA in political science with a 3.94 GPA. I speak French, English, and Spanish, so language isn't an issue in terms of the francophone community in Geneva (I did my undergrad in French). I'm looking at applying to these schools in the fall of 2021 or 2022, depending on how the pandemic is, and will be working in my current role until then and as a research associate at a security-oriented think-tank in South Asia. The reason I'm putting the question forward is because of jobs and employability within the peace/conflict studies world - Geneva is widely regarded as the centre of the peacemaking world. London and DC obviously have some great opportunities as well, and a great name. I've heard that DC has a lot of jobs but the competition is cutthroat and often times you're stuck with a position you're overqualified for - not sure how true this is, but it scared me.

What do you folks think? How do the namesakes of the schools weigh out, and where is best for someone looking to work in peacebuilding and/or security spaces, and not necessarily as a government analyst?

TIA!

[Would love input on where to apply for a Global Health + Conflict interest]

Hi folks,

I am currently finishing up an undergrad in Political Science and Communication, and have been working at a diplomacy and mediation organization for the past two years. Over the next two years, I'm staying on at my current organization, and taking up an additional part time role as a Research Associate at a think tank, researching environmental health in South Asia. I have additional experience and publications on reproductive/sexual health and disability justice, however, most of this does not take an international focus. I am looking for a program that would allow me to look at health and security and health and conflict resolution. I am not looking to pursue international development per se, as I am more so looking at the intersections of health and conflict. Here are the programs I've looked at thus far:

 

- Georgetown MA Security Studies, with a possible certificate in either global health or diplomacy

- Columbia SIPA with some additional coursework from Mailman School of PH

- George Washington MIA with a focus in gender and health

 

Do you folks have any other recommendations? Ideally US programs. Here is a bit about me:

- GPA: 3.94

- Work experience: 2.5 years as a project officer at a global mediation organization, 1.5 years as a policy analyst working on transgender-inclusive pensions, some RA experience working on security issues and abortion history

- Additional experience: probably around 500 hours of volunteer throughout my undergrad, teaching English to new arrivals, Planned Parenthood volunteering, AIDS committee volunteering, founded a mental health org and sit on my university's mental health advisory committee

- GRE: haven't taken yet. I took a couple practice tests and got low 150s for quant and high 150s in verbal (honestly I wouldn't trust these scores - they were all free tests and I am not taking the official text for at least another 6 months)

- Languages: English & French, Spanish (intermediate), Hindi (intermediate)

- Post-grad work experience: as I mentioned, I'm not applying for another 1-2 years, and during this time, I'm onboarded as a research associate at a South Asia-based think tank and will be continuing as a project officer

- other stuff: I have three publications in various Canadian magazines, and three academic publications with two conference presentations

 

PLEASE give any insight, recommendations, and if you think there is a program that I'm not quite on par far, I would love any input on ways to improve!

[2021 Results]

On 2/17/2021 at 9:55 AM, scholarloading said:

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.):  MPA/MPP/MIA
Schools Applied To: Columbia SIPA, Tufts Fletcher, HKS, Yale Jackson, Princeton SPIA, Georgetown SFS, Johns Hopkins SAIS, GWU Elliott, American SIS
Schools Admitted To: Columbia SIPA ($$), Tufts Fletcher (waiting on funding), American SIS (waiting on funding), 
Schools Rejected From:  None yet
Still Waiting:  GWU Elliott, Georgetown SFS, HKS, Yale Jackson, Princeton SPIA, Johns Hopkins SAIS
Undergraduate Institution: Private top-ranked Liberal Arts College
Undergraduate GPA:  4.0
Undergraduate Major: IR/Development
GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores:  162/162/4.5
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  1
Years of Work Experience:  1
Describe Relevant Work Experience:  Think tank
Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc):  I think it was decent...
Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc):  One professional, two academic. Worked extensively with all 3. Fairly confident in my recs.

Would love to stay updated on your admissions! i have almost the same stats and am looking at applying at almost the same schools. Taking a second year off working as a Research Associate then applying!!