dca2010

To clarify, The New School's MA Program in International Affairs is under The New School for General Studies (NSGS), not The New School for Social Research (NSSR). It is listed as The New School's "Graduate Program in International Affairs" (GPIA). There is information on the New School website regarding the program, but there is also a website specific for the program (you can find it by typing "GPIA" into a search engine). I am in my first semester in the program and overall I am exceedingly happy with it. The professors are intelligent and bring experience and knowledge from a variety of fields. There are a wealth of classes offered each semester that address different regions and/or international themes. The student population may not be quite as diverse as some other International Affairs Masters programs, but it is still very diverse, and at least a third of the students in each of my classes are from outside the US. All of my classes, including the introductory courses, have fewer than 20 students (I've heard from friends in other programs that introductory courses are much larger at some of the big-name schools). There are many student organizations to get involved with, and there are a handful of events (lectures, film screenings, conferences, etc) being offered each week. It is a relatively young program and changes and improvements are being regularly implemented to ensure that the students are competitive when they face the job market. In my opinion, the curriculum is more tailored to nonprofit work than perhaps government work; however, alumni have gone on to every field imaginable. As for the students, it is a very cooperative, supportive environment that stresses collaboration and is not at all cut-throat. The location, of course, is prime for international work (NYC). Often events are cosponsored with NYU and/or Columbia. I would suggest going to the GPIA website and looking at the curriculum, course descriptions, and faculty bios. Compare this to some of the other schools you are looking at and see which appeals to you more. Email the office to ask if you can have the contact info for some current students or alumni to get their opinion. Try contacting the faculty (many teach at other schools as well, including the "big-name" schools) to get their opinion and get more information on their research. If you can, visit the school, meet with a staff person or faculty member, and sit in on one or two courses. The program may not be for everyone, but then, I've heard that about the "top-rated" schools as well. With grad school, it's most important to find what is best for you, and for me, that is the International Affairs program at The New School. Hope this helps!