MSc Development Economics in the UK, SOAS, LSE or reapply?

[DevEcon]

Hey all!

I'd appreciate any help/advice/insight you guys have that could aid me in making a decision .

Here's a little background: I just graduated from the University of S Andrews in the UK with an MA (hons) in Economics and International Relations (its a BA equivalent, even though its called MA). Grade wise I did very well, though I don't have any amazing work experience or internships to my name.

I only decided to go on to grad school very late in the game and thus was limited in choice by application deadlines. I ended up applying to the

MSc in Political Economy of Development at SOAS (1 year)

MSc in Global Politics at LSE (1 year),

and Development Economics at the University of Göttingen (Germany, 2 years).

I got into SOAS and Göttingen (waiting on LSE). Now I am trying to decide whether to a) go to Göttingen for two years, b ) go to SOAS for 1 year or c) defer the spot at SOAS and get some work experience for a year while applying more widely in the UK (I'm thinking Int'l Dev @LSE, IDS @Sussex, possibly Manchester) and perhaps the US (SAIS IDEV, Columbia SIPA or MDP, Georgetown).

My goal is to work in the development sector (development banks, ministries, agencies, NGO what have you) in a more practical capacity. I am not ruling out getting a Phd in the future (to avoid glass ceilings), but I'm not likely to become an academic.

Specifically, I'd like to ask the following questions:

1. After browsing the forum for a while and also speaking to Profs back home, it appears that SOAS, being considered 'heterodox', doesn't have a fantastic rep among academics (One Prof said they were "stuck in the 70s in terms of methodology and theory"). Also the Political Economy program is obviously not going to be very quant heavy, and SOAS already having a very non-quantitative approach, I was wondering if I'd receive proper training in the quant skills I might need in the future. How does it compare to Sussex or Manchester?

2. The MSc Global Politcis at LSE is not what I would have applied to had the application for International Development still be open. It's a great brand, but is it worth the time and money to do a degree that is only somewhat related to the sector just for the brand?

3. I have also now read a bit about US programs. Obviously, these are competitive and expensive. What is the funding situation for Masters in the US?

4. Have any of you heard of the University of Göttingen, i.e. does it enjoy any name recognition outside of Germany? It's a great program in terms of content, but it is two years rather than one and I'm worried about it not being very well known.

These should get us going, thank you very much everyone! If anyone has been to SOAS (which is my likely choice at the moment) or the other two, I would love to hear from you!

Thanks!

DevEcon

Edited July 14, 2012 by DevEcon