howyagoing

Please don't let this sway you too strongly, because I am not an expert. But as I an international applicant, I can provide a (subjective) comment on the reputation of these outside of the US... From where I stand, the only program you listed that would be viewed with "equal prestige" (although the idea of prestige is subjective and somewhat petty) as MSFS is SAIS. If you are not bothered by the heavier focus on economics at SAIS, then I personally don't think you should view the degree as any less valuable than MSFS. However, Fletcher isn't too far behind either. But the relative weight of these programs might seem more balanced in the US. However, if finances are a big factor in your decision making, I don't think the minor difference in prestige is worth paying significantly more for MSFS vs Fletcher (for example).

Yes, just Oxford is only one year vs 1.5 or 2 at SFS (depending on how many courses you take per semester in second year). This is another bonus for Oxford, as it will be nice to finish quicker. And no, I haven't tried negotiating - the offer letter explicitly said no funding is available though so that's why I haven't bothered. But thanks for the advice, Oxford does seem like a somewhat 'safer' option... despite the allure of SFS.

SFS is approx. $85K USD Oxford is £25.9 GBP (approx. $36K USD) + living costs

Yeah very reasonable point. It's a lot

Thank you for the insights! I'll take that on board! Oxford certainly has a lot to offer in these areas. My issue comes from the fact that I want to do at least some work in policy... Which is why I am even considering Georgetown (although overall I'm leaning towards Oxford). I guess Oxford probably won't prevent me from working in policy, I might just have to work a bit harder to build a network...

I'm no expert so take this with a grain of salt, but if you have a full ride and are aiming at state department, MSFS seems pretty damn good. It certainly won't be an inhibiting factor! Unless, for example, you plan to focus on a specific region for which SAIS is particularly famous.

Hey everyone, not sure if this is the best place to ask but I figured that people are somewhat familiar with Georgetown here, so it couldn't hurt... I'm facing a tough decision: I got into the the MA in Asian Studies at Georgetown SFS (focusing on South Asia) but received no funding. But... I also got into the MSc in Modern South Asian Studies at Oxford (scholarship information pending - but even without funding it's less than half price of SFS). I always thought Oxford would be my dream school - and its global brand is top notch - but the professionally orientated nature of SFS and the networking/internship opportunities in DC seem hard to turn down - even with the higher price tag. I hope to one day work in my country's foreign service or department of defence, but if not possible, then work as a policy practitioner in some capacity (maybe with IOs), hopefully focusing on South Asia. I may one day consider doing a PhD, but not now, and I certainly don't want to be a career academic. Any advice would be appreciated!

I also received an acceptance email for MASIA, but no funding mentioned