Anonymous Review, Insights, and Experience: University of Toronto Master of Global Affairs (MGA) Program

[MunkGrad22]

Hi! I'm writing as an alumni of  the MGA program at the University of Toronto, who has graduated in recent years.

When I applied to the MGA program, I was unable to find transparent and useful resources online that provided information on experiences in the program, so I wanted to write an anonymous review. The purpose of this post is to simply help potential students and those who are looking to further their education and are considering the MGA program – I deeply feel it is important for fair and transparent access to real information, particularly as the marketization of higher education is changing the landscape where university programs such as the MGA are incentivized to not share everything with potential students despite high costs. 

First, I want to say I am very proud to have a Masters from UofT. I come from a family that values education, and I have always viewed institutions like UofT in a high regard. It is absolutely true that the MGA program is a competitive program and it requires an incredible amount of hard work to simply be offered a spot. It is also recognized by some as prestigious and it may open doors in some cases, as completing the program is an impressive achievement. The program is also not easy. 

That said, it is not perfect either. Some might even say it is far from it. Some issues I have had with it personally go beyond some of the most commonly identified issues (i.e. high cost of the program, low student mental health). For one thing, I really thought the program failed to deliver on its "academic" promises – many of the courses did not encourage deep critical thinking, excellent research skills, and a real commitment to learning inside and outside the classroom. In some sense, I don't believe I learned anything meaningful academically in the program, which is pretty sad given the reputation of the University of Toronto in general. A lot of it felt like busywork or arbitrary tactics to inflict an immense amount of stress on students, with no real purpose or takeaway other than making students docile for the job market. Grading was pretty arbitrary as well in my experience.

I also left the program with the sense that most faculty members didn't care about their students. Most of my professors had a really impersonal relationship with the majority of students (there were a couple exceptions) and it was obvious that teaching was not a priority for them. I have also heard experiences of some women in the program having weird encounters with professors who are men (although cannot confirm). 

Another interesting review I've heard from some of my peers is that that the MGA does a good job at selecting candidates to make up the cohort (e.g. choosing candidates with very high GPAs) which allows the administration and those involved with designing the curriculum to take a laissez faire approach. In other words, it is unlikely that people who complete the MGA will not find jobs or be unsuccessful because they are already vetted by the Selection Panel. In that way, it is more about what MGA candidates add to the program than vice versa – so that is something to keep in mind.  

The mandatory internship is also substandard. The actual network that the MGA program has with organizations is pretty small – and most opportunities feel pretty exploitative. The majority of internships are unpaid with a small stipend that translates to being under minimum wage, and ultimately the responsibility is placed on students themselves to land a strong internship that will actually set them up in a competitive position after graduating. Remember the program tuition costs like ~23k, so all things considered that is pretty bad. In short, I would just keep in mind that the internship is really not a "unique" attribute to the program and it is not as great as it sounds, and may even put you behind financially. 

Many of the people in the program are incredibly privileged. It can be very alienating if you don't "fit into" that mold, which is important to consider. 

Would I do it again? I honestly don't know. I think the program was absolutely overpriced for own my experience, but I think it does help me position myself in the job market and I am proud to have a Masters from UofT. I have a complicated relationship with the MGA.

Hope this helps someone! Will also check this forum periodically to answer any questions.