Advice from people doing a masters in Politial science

[jazzyblue]

Hey guys! I hope you're all well. After I finish my undergrad in a years time, I'm really keen on doing a masters in political science focusing on International relations and American politics. I'm from Europe and hoping to do my masters in Columbia Uni. I know our education system is different to the American one so I was wondering what the work load is like as a grad student especially for people attending Columbia? How many hours of classes do you have a week and how many essays do you have a week? If one is organised and dedicated is it all manageable? What are your assignments like? I saw that the writing sample to apply is 30 pages and the longest essay I've written has been 8 so I was wondering if that was the norm in American universities. 

Thank you so much in advance!

[edwardsaid]

I took a PoliSci grad class at Columbia and it was applied regression. It was def not for the faint of heart; I was lucky I knew R because the class moved really fast and the beginners were falling behind. From what I've heard, the workload is manageable but it requires you to prioritize certain classes and be highly organized. 20-40 page paper assignments are very common and you're expected to have some (at least major works) familiarity with the literature. Also, Columbia's PoliSci is HIGHLY quantitative-be ready for this aspect. Take an intro to R class, review your basic stats (up to linear regression), read up on linear algebra, multivariable calculus and real analysis (if possible).