GSPIA v. University of Denver

[emlaff24]

I was accepted to University of Pittsburgh GSPIA for the MID program and University of Denver's MID program through the Josef School of International Studies and the CGA at NYU for a MS in Global Affairs.

I've gathered some information about Pitt; however I am having a hard time comparing the programs. Anyone have any insight on Denver/ NYU specifically. I'm worried because I can't find more concrete data on their rankings because of the inter-disciplinary nature etc, that I won't be able to gauge how scholastically rigorous each program is. But if anyone has info on UPitt I'd love to hear that too, especially if you attending the Preview in April.

Thanks in advance

[narius]

I was accepted to University of Pittsburgh GSPIA for the MID program and University of Denver's MID program through the Josef School of International Studies and the CGA at NYU for a MS in Global Affairs.

I've gathered some information about Pitt; however I am having a hard time comparing the programs. Anyone have any insight on Denver/ NYU specifically. I'm worried because I can't find more concrete data on their rankings because of the inter-disciplinary nature etc, that I won't be able to gauge how scholastically rigorous each program is. But if anyone has info on UPitt I'd love to hear that too, especially if you attending the Preview in April.

Thanks in advance

I think, for all intents and purposes, Korbel and GSPIA can be considered peer institutions. They are both considered high-quality, if somewhat more 'blue-collar' than the Gtown-SAIS-Elliott axis, and share a DC campus with Maxwell. They both have produced some very notable alumni, but many others have graduated and been forced to find work elsewhere; from what I understand, trying to break into the IR industry without the biggest brands can be pretty difficult. Still, they both maintain rich alumni networks around the world.

I'll say this for GSPIA, though - I've been told that there's a fair amount of cross pollination between GSPIA and Heinz, which is something you just cannot find at Denver. Carnegie Mellon's Heinz school, while a bit lighter on the IR and development stuff, is unparalleled when it comes to things like policy analysis and innovation labs, etc. It's also, as far as a friend there has told me, really a great place to get recruited. If you can take advantage of this proximity - whether by cross-registering, attending events, or even just mingling with Heinz folks - I think you'll find there's a very real value add. If you're particularly entrepreneurial, I am sure you could build some kind of joint organization (if one doesn't already exist) with the Heinz folks.

Also, Pittsburgh is really a special little city. It's really a cool place and, from someone who is more used to East Coast attitudes, the people are shockingly nice and helpful. It's also a pretty town, though cold, with some architectural gems. Many cool neighborhoods and spots to explore. It's also a ridiculously cheap place to live because of the massive housing surplus, owed to the rust belt phenomenon in the 80s-90s. However, the city is a textbook case of decline 'done right,' and the city is considered a success story in transitioning from a steel town to a wired, idea city.

Denver really loves touting their Foreign Policy Magazine ranking, but my impression is that it hasn't translated into a massive recruiting effort at Korbel itself by international development contractors, think tanks, and international NGOs - those are still reserved for KSG-WWS-SIPA-SAIS-Gtown-Elliott and, in a different kind of way, Yale-Harris-Stanford. Not to say that they don't have great placement - I'm sure it happens - but I don't think there's a career pipeline from Korbel (or GSPIA, for that matter) to the Eurasia Group or Economist Intelligence Unit, etc.

NYU's program ... I don't know. I'm sure you'll get a perfectly good education there, but the SCPS thing tends to dissuade recruiters from even knocking. Plus, you can be sure of going deeply into debt, as I heard the school is a for-profit arm of NYU. That said, your professors may be day-to-day practitioners, which could theoretically help you land a good job, but I haven't heard anything (anecdotal or otherwise) to confirm that.

I hope this helps somewhat! Good luck! If I were in your shoes, however, I'd choose GSPIA.

[what_to_do]

I was also accepted to GSPIA, Korbel and NYU SCPS. I appreciate your posts and feedback. I attending the preview at Pitt and have also visited NYU. It's crunch time...who are you leaning towards?

[emlaff24]

I LOVED DU when I visited, the campus, the school, and their philosophy. Plus I'm really interested in development in Latin American, which is actually the expertise of the head of International Development, Sally Hamilton. She just got back from doing research in Ecuador, where I lived for 6 months prior to applying to grad school. I also really like the flexibility of the DU program that you can kind of build your program around your interests.

However, Pitt is cheaper, and sounds like it has more research and alumni networking. My only concern is that the MID program at Pitt is less flexible, and more public than international affairs oriented. I've been researching the faculty and while some have similar interests to me in development, I didn't find any who seemed devoted to Latin America. I know there is the Center for Latin American Studies, but I was hoping for a professor within the program that would have similar interests.

So anyway, for those reasons in my heart Denver is ahead, in my head Pitt is ahead because it's more pragmatic. Therefore, I am still very conflicted.

I was also accepted to GSPIA, Korbel and NYU SCPS. I appreciate your posts and feedback. I attending the preview at Pitt and have also visited NYU. It's crunch time...who are you leaning towards?

[what_to_do]

I LOVED DU when I visited, the campus, the school, and their philosophy. Plus I'm really interested in development in Latin American, which is actually the expertise of the head of International Development, Sally Hamilton. She just got back from doing research in Ecuador, where I lived for 6 months prior to applying to grad school. I also really like the flexibility of the DU program that you can kind of build your program around your interests.

However, Pitt is cheaper, and sounds like it has more research and alumni networking. My only concern is that the MID program at Pitt is less flexible, and more public than international affairs oriented. I've been researching the faculty and while some have similar interests to me in development, I didn't find any who seemed devoted to Latin America. I know there is the Center for Latin American Studies, but I was hoping for a professor within the program that would have similar interests.

So anyway, for those reasons in my heart Denver is ahead, in my head Pitt is ahead because it's more pragmatic. Therefore, I am still very conflicted.

[what_to_do]

I am going to submit my deposit to GSPIA this afternoon.

What is your impression of NYU? I actually really enjoyed my visit, however there just doesn't seem to be any concrete evidence that the program can deliver...and it is pretty expensive.

Good luck.

[flyers29]

I'm a Korbel grad, and narius pretty much nailed it.