Stanford IPS

[lycny]

It seems that the Stanford International Policy Studies program is quite unique in its curriculum design and access to a variety of research centers, professional schools, faculty across the university, ect. I suppose it might potentially offer a better education in studies of international affairs and policy analysis than the bigger programs such as SAIS, Fletcher, HKS and SIPA.

Do people have thoughts about this program and how it compares with the other programs mentioned above? Is anyone also in the position of trying to judge the comparative quality of this program?

Thanks for contributing!

[compulsionlife]

The IPS program at Stanford is simply different from the other programs, most of which are on the East Coast. The West Coast offers UCSD, Monterey Institute, UC-Berkeley (but Goldman is public policy and not international in any reasonable manner), and Stanford IPS. The East Coast obviously has a plethora of options. The defining components of IPS are: small incoming/graduating class size (20-25 students), west coast location (not a prominent policy location, obviously, but stellar research centers and academics who are also practicioners), personal attention (very collaborative approach with administration), access to faculty and researchers (FSI's researchers and faculty often provide assistantship opportunities), access to the whole of the Stanford Alumni (utilization of all graduates, not just IPS graduates; many internships and career positions are found through non-IPS Stanford alums), innovative approach to courses (customization to each student's goals/needs), and funding for various initiatives (annual study trip, summer internships). Stanford IPS is designed for those who want to customize their educational experience, as well as for those who want to achieve in a highly collaborative environment.