IR/Security/Public Affairs 2011

[macmc]

*bump*

[shutthefrontdoor]

Programs I applied to:

University of Denver (MA International Security)

University of Washington (iSchool and Jackson School of International Studies)

University of Georgia (MA International Policy)

Georgia Tech (Sam Nunn School)

UT-Austin (MGPS)

Does anyone know when we will start to hear? Georgia Tech is my top choice and I am dying to know if I got in.

Thanks!

[macmc]

Programs I applied to:

University of Denver (MA International Security)

University of Washington (iSchool and Jackson School of International Studies)

University of Georgia (MA International Policy)

Georgia Tech (Sam Nunn School)

UT-Austin (MGPS)

Does anyone know when we will start to hear? Georgia Tech is my top choice and I am dying to know if I got in.

Thanks!

Generally it's not till mid-March, though I'm not sure about GT specifically. The website will probably mention it somewhere.

[fifa0001]

anyone heard anything yet?

[cch604]

anyone heard anything yet?

Sadly, I haven't hear anything either. I don't think I will until early-mid March. It's going to be a long February.

[fifa0001]

I am counting down, 20 more days until March

[apsuwa]

I think SIPA may send first wave of decisions within the first week of March, which is 3 weeks from now. Find some stuff to keep yourselves busy.

[beaverish]

I think SIPA may send first wave of decisions within the first week of March, which is 3 weeks from now. Find some stuff to keep yourselves busy.

uncertainty is so difficult to cope with

[fifa0001]

Beaverish i just saw you on Jackson institute page.

Anyone admitted to UCSD received admission package? I haven't and it's been 2 or 3 wks already

[beaverish]

Beaverish i just saw you on Jackson institute page.

Anyone admitted to UCSD received admission package? I haven't and it's been 2 or 3 wks already

i'm going insane, literally checking my email about 100+ times a day even though it's saturday

[ccornil2]

I'm looking for some advice. I'm looking to study international nuclear weapons policy and arms control and maybe work for an overseas NGO. For that reason I've applied to programs that are more broadly focused instead of those solely concerned with security policy. Basically, I want to study nuclear weapons policy within the broader framework of international relations, and to have career options other than working for the US Government. I've applied to these programs:

Woodrow Wilson School (MPA) - International Security Studies

Columbia SIPA (MIA) - International Conflict Resolution

Chicago CIR (MA-IR)

Michigan Ford School (MPP)

Georgetown Walsh SFS (MSFS) - Conflict Resolution

GWU Elliott School (MIA)

For instance, both Washington DC schools offer a Master's in Security Studies. While it seems like that might be a good program for nuclear policy, I feel as though the only people who do it want to work for the Defense Department. Am I correct, or should I consider transferring if I get accepted?

Thanks and good luck with admissions.

[D-Lux]

I'm looking for some advice. I'm looking to study international nuclear weapons policy and arms control and maybe work for an overseas NGO. For that reason I've applied to programs that are more broadly focused instead of those solely concerned with security policy. Basically, I want to study nuclear weapons policy within the broader framework of international relations, and to have career options other than working for the US Government. I've applied to these programs:

Woodrow Wilson School (MPA) - International Security Studies

Columbia SIPA (MIA) - International Conflict Resolution

Chicago CIR (MA-IR)

Michigan Ford School (MPP)

Georgetown Walsh SFS (MSFS) - Conflict Resolution

GWU Elliott School (MIA)

For instance, both Washington DC schools offer a Master's in Security Studies. While it seems like that might be a good program for nuclear policy, I feel as though the only people who do it want to work for the Defense Department. Am I correct, or should I consider transferring if I get accepted?

Thanks and good luck with admissions.

For what it's worth, the Monterey Institute offers an MA in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies. They have a Center for Nonproliferation Studies that's based in Monterey with offices in DC and Kazakhstan. They have rolling admissions final deadline to apply and be considered for merit-based aid is March 15th. Just wanted to let you in case MIIS/this program wasn't on your radar.

[Turian27]

I applied to four schools:

University of Denver; Korbel School (MA International Human Rights)

Tufts University; Fletcher School (MALD)

UCSD IR/PS (MPIA)

Stanford University (MA East Asian studies)

I received a message from UCSD via the online application but no word on funding...

Korbel offered me at least 10k a year. Still waiting on Stanford ( and their FLAS). Haven't heard from Fletcher either and their web portal has been down (probably uploading decisions).

Next two weeks perhaps?

Has anyone here applied for the Pickering Fellowship too?

[fifa0001]

Turian, did you receive any admission package from UCSD? or is it only when we accept the offer?

I applied to four schools:

University of Denver; Korbel School (MA International Human Rights)

Tufts University; Fletcher School (MALD)

UCSD IR/PS (MPIA)

Stanford University (MA East Asian studies)

I received a message from UCSD via the online application but no word on funding...

Korbel offered me at least 10k a year. Still waiting on Stanford ( and their FLAS). Haven't heard from Fletcher either and their web portal has been down (probably uploading decisions).

Next two weeks perhaps?

Has anyone here applied for the Pickering Fellowship too?

[MJ0911]

Hello all!

Just wanted to get a some international (or US!) impressions on the War Studies program at King's? I've applied to a few PhD programs in the UK, though usually in the department of development studies (where suitable supervisors were based) but I'm really keen on the King's program. Having said that, I'm not sure how well known it is outside the UK and it'd be great to get some opinions from you guys!

Thanks.

[macmc]

I applied to four schools:

University of Denver; Korbel School (MA International Human Rights)

Tufts University; Fletcher School (MALD)

UCSD IR/PS (MPIA)

Stanford University (MA East Asian studies)

I received a message from UCSD via the online application but no word on funding...

Korbel offered me at least 10k a year. Still waiting on Stanford ( and their FLAS). Haven't heard from Fletcher either and their web portal has been down (probably uploading decisions).

Next two weeks perhaps?

Has anyone here applied for the Pickering Fellowship too?

When did you hear from Korbel? I'm going nuts over here. And fifa, I haven't heard anything about an admissions package...did someone tell you we should be getting something more comprehensive than that painfully brief letter?

[macmc]

Hello all!

Just wanted to get a some international (or US!) impressions on the War Studies program at King's? I've applied to a few PhD programs in the UK, though usually in the department of development studies (where suitable supervisors were based) but I'm really keen on the King's program. Having said that, I'm not sure how well known it is outside the UK and it'd be great to get some opinions from you guys!

Thanks.

Are you interested more in a layman's, or a DC impression? 'Cause speaking as layman, I've never heard of King's. As far as working in the US goes, I think we tend to be painfully insular with the exception of Oxford/Cambridge/LSE.

[cmh07g]

When did you hear from Korbel? I'm going nuts over here. And fifa, I haven't heard anything about an admissions package...did someone tell you we should be getting something more comprehensive than that painfully brief letter?

I'm still waiting on Korbel. My app went complete on January 14th so I am just assuming that they have not gotten to my app yet...

[greendiplomat]

Hello all!

Just wanted to get a some international (or US!) impressions on the War Studies program at King's? I've applied to a few PhD programs in the UK, though usually in the department of development studies (where suitable supervisors were based) but I'm really keen on the King's program. Having said that, I'm not sure how well known it is outside the UK and it'd be great to get some opinions from you guys!

Thanks.

King's College of the University of London is fairly well-regarded among academic circles (and anyone who knows anything about schools in the UK), though, as Meg11's post suggests, it's not as widely-known as Oxbridge or LSE (e.g. a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations that I was looking to work for had a War Studies PhD from King's, and I'm sure there are many more actively involved in the IR/Security field). As with any PhD program, though, while prestige and marketability of the degree can play a part in your decision, whether or not you can do research in your area of interest should take precedence. In short, if you're that keen on the program, King's is well-regarded enough to the people that matter in your future career path (i.e. academics, I'm assuming, if you're getting a PhD) that you should go for it.

Since you're asking about the reputation of a particular program (and since this thread will soon be flooded with admissions decisions), you might get more responses/input if you start a new thread on King's, either here or on the Poli Sci forum.

[JAubrey]

Hello all!

Just wanted to get a some international (or US!) impressions on the War Studies program at King's? I've applied to a few PhD programs in the UK, though usually in the department of development studies (where suitable supervisors were based) but I'm really keen on the King's program. Having said that, I'm not sure how well known it is outside the UK and it'd be great to get some opinions from you guys!

Thanks.

King's prides itself on its War Studies programme, and indeed nominally it is well regarded in the UK in some narrow fields. However the university is frankly extremely poorly regarded by private companies in the UK (nicknamed "the Strand Polytechnic" in the UK, Poly's were the UK equivalent of US community colleges / bad state schools up until the 1990s) and not known much at all abroad. In the UK obviously Oxbridge carries the most name recognition back to the United States, followed closely by LSE. After that Edinburgh and St Andrews are fairly well known on the East Coast, due to the number of elite prep schools (Andover, Exeter, Groton, etc.) who send their graduates abroad. Aside from that within politics other strong programmes like Warwick or UCl, aren't well recognised at all in the US, and I would put King's on a rung below them. If you are looking at UK master's for work in the US I would say Oxbridge, LSE, followed by Edinburgh and St Andrews, with maybe UCl tacked on to the end, don't bother with anything after that if you are counting on much name recognition in the world of policy / politics.

[greendiplomat]

King's prides itself on its War Studies programme, and indeed nominally it is well regarded in the UK in some narrow fields. However the university is frankly extremely poorly regarded by private companies in the UK (nicknamed "the Strand Polytechnic" in the UK, Poly's were the UK equivalent of US community colleges / bad state schools up until the 1990s) and not known much at all abroad. In the UK obviously Oxbridge carries the most name recognition back to the United States, followed closely by LSE. After that Edinburgh and St Andrews are fairly well known on the East Coast, due to the number of elite prep schools (Andover, Exeter, Groton, etc.) who send their graduates abroad. Aside from that within politics other strong programmes like Warwick or UCl, aren't well recognised at all in the US, and I would put King's on a rung below them. If you are looking at UK master's for work in the US I would say Oxbridge, LSE, followed by Edinburgh and St Andrews, with maybe UCl tacked on to the end, don't bother with anything after that if you are counting on much name recognition in the world of policy / politics.

I would agree that King's might not be the best idea for a Master's but if the original poster's looking to get a PhD, I think it's a different story. Assuming that he/she is looking to follow the traditional post-PhD career by going into academia or fairly academic organizations (e.g. think tanks), I think what matters substantially more is the prestige of the particular department and whether that department has a faculty member whose research interests match his/hers, rather than the prestige of the university as a whole (which I again agree matters a good deal for Master's programs), which is largely based on the perceived prestige of the respective university's undergrad (as elucdiated in the prep school example that you gave).

[Turian27]

I submitted my application to Korbel around Jan 11th and received confirmation on March 3rd that I'd been accepted and offered a scholarship.

Regarding UCSD, the only confirmation I got was via the application website, I haven't received an actual email. I think the financial package email will come at the beginning of April??

[MJ0911]

I would agree that King's might not be the best idea for a Master's but if the original poster's looking to get a PhD, I think it's a different story. Assuming that he/she is looking to follow the traditional post-PhD career by going into academia or fairly academic organizations (e.g. think tanks), I think what matters substantially more is the prestige of the particular department and whether that department has a faculty member whose research interests match his/hers, rather than the prestige of the university as a whole (which I again agree matters a good deal for Master's programs), which is largely based on the perceived prestige of the respective university's undergrad (as elucdiated in the prep school example that you gave).

Thanks for your replies (and everyone's replies!) - yes, I'm aiming for a PhD. I already have 2 master's degrees from LSE, and have worked as a fellow at NYU law, and a research scholar at SIPA, so I guess I'm just not too sure how much attention I should pay to reputation at this stage. LSE and King's are the best research fits for me in terms of a PhD and supervisor (at this stage they're pretty much equal), though at LSE the department would be 'international development' so would take me in a slightly different direction in terms of my career, and having done 2 masters there I thought it might be beneficial to branch out a bit. Not that I even have an offer from LSE at this stage - I'm just finding that as the application season goes on I'm more and more positive about King's. But yes, as a UK student originally I have a good idea of King's general reputation, but it's the department's reputation that matters to me in this case. I'm hoping for a career in conflict resolution/DDR programs etc, though this could be in think tanks, academic research etc, I'm very open to what comes up at the time. But it's good to get an idea of how King's is viewed abroad - I certainly don't want to inadvertently close doors to myself so it's good to know how people perceive the program.

[btro]

I applied to:

Georgetown's SFS for SSP,

GWU's Elliott School for SPS and

IWP's MA in Statecraft and National Security Affairs.

Anyone hear anything from any of these? D:

February was long, but March will be longer by far.

[JAubrey]

Thanks for your replies (and everyone's replies!) - yes, I'm aiming for a PhD. I already have 2 master's degrees from LSE, and have worked as a fellow at NYU law, and a research scholar at SIPA, so I guess I'm just not too sure how much attention I should pay to reputation at this stage. LSE and King's are the best research fits for me in terms of a PhD and supervisor (at this stage they're pretty much equal), though at LSE the department would be 'international development' so would take me in a slightly different direction in terms of my career, and having done 2 masters there I thought it might be beneficial to branch out a bit. Not that I even have an offer from LSE at this stage - I'm just finding that as the application season goes on I'm more and more positive about King's. But yes, as a UK student originally I have a good idea of King's general reputation, but it's the department's reputation that matters to me in this case. I'm hoping for a career in conflict resolution/DDR programs etc, though this could be in think tanks, academic research etc, I'm very open to what comes up at the time. But it's good to get an idea of how King's is viewed abroad - I certainly don't want to inadvertently close doors to myself so it's good to know how people perceive the program.

So this will be your third master's? No offence mate, but that is kinda taking the piss just a bit. What on Earth were your other master's in?