Yale vs UCSD

[Ocelot]

I've been accepted to UCSD Master in International Affairs, Yale MA in Russian studies (wonder if one can major in poli sci/law there), and the University of South Florida PhD in Politics/International Affairs. 

My dream is to do PhD in International Affairs on Russian strategic influence/domestic politics/identity and find a decent job in Academia, preferably top-20 universities/research labs. 

I have no illusions about pursuing a tenure track and grant-getting, so I'm well aware I can end up looking for a job in my domain in relevant industry (UN, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch).

What program opens more opportunities? My background is in teaching history in high school for the last decade.

PS. Maybe I should additionally take Geotech’s Online CS program to increase my odds? I heard it's highly valued by employers.

Your advice will be invaluable.
 

[Paulcg87]

1 hour ago, Ocelot said:

I've been accepted to UCSD Master in International Affairs, Yale MA in Russian studies (wonder if one can major in poli sci/law there), and the University of South Florida PhD in Politics/International Affairs. 

My dream is to do PhD in International Affairs on Russian strategic influence/domestic politics/identity and find a decent job in Academia, preferably top-20 universities/research labs. 

I have no illusions about pursuing a tenure track and grant-getting, so I'm well aware I can end up looking for a job in my domain in relevant industry (UN, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch).

What program opens more opportunities? My background is in teaching history in high school for the last decade.

PS. Maybe I should additionally take Geotech’s Online CS program to increase my odds? I heard it's highly valued by employers.

Your advice will be invaluable.
 

Hi, congrats on your admission to some great programs! UCSD is fantastic for IR. My question to you is, do you already speak Russian? How in-depth is your academic background in Russian? Have you visited, ever lived there, etc? I ask because if you already speak Russian, have studied it extensively as an undergrad, maybe even lived there on exchange, then I'd go for the master's at UCSD. With that said, if your background in Russian so far has been purely a personal hobby, and the Yale MA program would give you more of an academic background, perhaps even the chance to publish, then I'd go with Yale. It also goes without saying that funding is extremely important, and I assume since you did not mention it, that you received full funding for all three programs you were admitted to. If not, I'd go where the funding was better between Yale and UCSD. Just my take. 

[uchenyy]

14 hours ago, Ocelot said:

I've been accepted to UCSD Master in International Affairs, Yale MA in Russian studies (wonder if one can major in poli sci/law there), and the University of South Florida PhD in Politics/International Affairs. 

My dream is to do PhD in International Affairs on Russian strategic influence/domestic politics/identity and find a decent job in Academia, preferably top-20 universities/research labs. 

I have no illusions about pursuing a tenure track and grant-getting, so I'm well aware I can end up looking for a job in my domain in relevant industry (UN, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch).

What program opens more opportunities? My background is in teaching history in high school for the last decade.

PS. Maybe I should additionally take Geotech’s Online CS program to increase my odds? I heard it's highly valued by employers.

Your advice will be invaluable.
 

I am currently finishing up my MA in Russian and East European Studies and will begin my PhD in Political Science in August. I second the questions and answers offered by the previous poster. If you are looking to acquire language and area expertise, go to Yale. I didn't have these things and the area studies MA has provided me with the resources to acquire them. If you already have those things, then go to UCSD. 

Note that Yale, to the best of my knowledge, doesn't have a political scientist focusing on Russia on the faculty. Svolik and Mares do occasional work on Eastern Europe, but they focus primarily on domestic politics (authoritarian regime dynamics and political economy, respectively). I'm sure there are a couple of scholars there whose theoretical interests align with you own, but IR isn't my area. 

[Ocelot]

On 3/20/2020 at 3:33 AM, Paulcg87 said:

My question to you is, do you already speak Russian? How in-depth is your academic background in Russian? 

 

17 hours ago, uchenyy said:

I second the questions and answers offered by the previous poster. 

 

I'm fluent in Russian. Choosing between the programs, I'm concerned primarily with networks and career opportunities. Actually, I don't care what kind of knowledge they give, I'm more interested in how many papers I can publish in top journals and how many doors will open.

Why isn't Yale the best choice? First, brand marketability. Second, the many resources for students (speaking and writing workshops, debates and journalism clubs etc). Third, my aim is getting into a top PhD program afterwards and I'm more likely to get good credentials at Yale due to lack of statistics and other courses beyond my expertise.

However, I was given the cold shoulder when emailing their officials - none of my questions were answered properly. Also, I'm not sure if a Russian studies degree is marketable in the job market. That's why I have second thoughts.

UCSD has no such brand recognition and it is below Yale in rankings.

17 hours ago, uchenyy said:

Note that Yale, to the best of my knowledge, doesn't have a political scientist focusing on Russia on the faculty. 

I'm not sure if faculty matters at all in MA programs. It's not a PhD where the name of your advisor makes or breaks your academic career. 
Btw, there is Timothy Snyder at the MacMillan center and that makes all the difference. 

[politolog]

13 hours ago, Ocelot said:

Actually, I don't care what kind of knowledge they give, I'm more interested in how many papers I can publish in top journals and how many doors will open.

Good luck publishing in top journals in your MA program. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but it’s rare. 

13 hours ago, Ocelot said:

I'm not sure if faculty matters at all in MA programs. It's not a PhD where the name of your advisor makes or breaks your academic career. 
Btw, there is Timothy Snyder at the MacMillan center and that makes all the difference. 

Fit doesn’t matter to the extent that it does in a PhD program, but you’ll want to make sure that there are faculty with whom you can work on the research and publication goals you described above. You’ll also want to have a thesis adviser (if a thesis is required at Yale) in your area. 

Also, note that Timothy Snyder is a historian, and his writings have garnered a fair amount of negative criticism among both historians and political scientists. I wouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket; Snyder may leave, and given his reputation, he may not work with graduate students very often, especially at the MA level.