LSE Msc IR Research v.s. U Chicago CIR

[Charlene02]

Hey guys! I'm currently a senior double majoring in poli sci and French. I hope to do research work in the future but I wasn't sure about my specific research interests when I started my applications. Thus I didn't apply directly to phDs and only applied for research masters. I got accepted to LSE Msc IR Research and  U Chicago CIR with scholarships, which are my top two choices. I'm now trying to decide between the two.

 

I'm mostly concerned about the job and further study opportunities after the program. If I were to work for think tanks or international organizations after the master before I continue to phD, what are the chances of getting such a job? If I were to go directly to phD programs, what are the chances of getting into a top phD programs?

 

Thanks a lot!!

[cupofnimbus]

I think your chances of finding work in think tanks after either program are good, especially with networking and hard work. It's not easy to give strict probabilities, because applying to jobs is even shiftier than applying to PhDs. At least with PhD applications, you can sort of guess by GRE/GPA/etc whether you're likely to get in somewhere. Not so with jobs, since it's not always clear what an employer wants the most. (I once landed a job not because of my research experience with the subject, or my technical research, but because I had experience doing a very specific administrative/organizational task, and because I'd worked with the military before.) 

 

If you can demonstrate to an employer that you have the skills and aptitude for what they want, and if the programs you're evaluating can give you the skills you need to do that, then I think you stand a good chance of getting a job somewhere, even if it's not somewhere like RAND right off the bat. 

 

FWIW, and knowing it may not help your decision-making because I don't know all the details, I've known several people out of LSE who have been extraordinarily successful in the think-tank circuit.

[JPeds]

I have almost the same decision to make (although LSE is just the MSc IR, not research). Are you American or international? I'm from London myself, so just in terms of 'experience' I was thinking Chicago as it is something a bit different but worried that it is not as well known in the UK.

[DKSL]

I don't mean to be rude, but if you do a simple search there are topics on this issue from previous years that may be helpful.

[Charlene02]

I think your chances of finding work in think tanks after either program are good, especially with networking and hard work. It's not easy to give strict probabilities, because applying to jobs is even shiftier than applying to PhDs. At least with PhD applications, you can sort of guess by GRE/GPA/etc whether you're likely to get in somewhere. Not so with jobs, since it's not always clear what an employer wants the most. (I once landed a job not because of my research experience with the subject, or my technical research, but because I had experience doing a very specific administrative/organizational task, and because I'd worked with the military before.) 

 

If you can demonstrate to an employer that you have the skills and aptitude for what they want, and if the programs you're evaluating can give you the skills you need to do that, then I think you stand a good chance of getting a job somewhere, even if it's not somewhere like RAND right off the bat. 

 

FWIW, and knowing it may not help your decision-making because I don't know all the details, I've known several people out of LSE who have been extraordinarily successful in the think-tank circuit.

Hi cupofnimbus,

 

Thanks for your suggestions!

[Charlene02]

I have almost the same decision to make (although LSE is just the MSc IR, not research). Are you American or international? I'm from London myself, so just in terms of 'experience' I was thinking Chicago as it is something a bit different but worried that it is not as well known in the UK.

Hey JPeds,

 

I'm from China and i'm now studying in the U.S. And same here, I also want to have some different experiences in London after four years in the U.S. Are you planning to work after this? I guess if you want to work in the U.S. for a while after this program, Chicago can be a good choice, at least it's geographically closer. I hope to take up some internships or short-term jobs after the master program and before going into phD. I'm just concerned if it's harder to to find a job in UK than in the U.S.

[Charlene02]

I don't mean to be rude, but if you do a simple search there are topics on this issue from previous years that may be helpful.

Thanks! I just did the search. The post is helpful. 

[JPeds]

Hey JPeds,

I'm from China and i'm now studying in the U.S. And same here, I also want to have some different experiences in London after four years in the U.S. Are you planning to work after this? I guess if you want to work in the U.S. for a while after this program, Chicago can be a good choice, at least it's geographically closer. I hope to take up some internships or short-term jobs after the master program and before going into phD. I'm just concerned if it's harder to to find a job in UK than in the U.S.

I am not that keen on doing a phd in all honesty and want to go into work afterwards, which seems to be the opposite of most Chicago applicants on here. Would love to work in the US but seems like a near impossibility with visa issues (until my brother who's an American citizen by birth turns 21) but Chicago probably holds more weight in the long term.

Also the fact I can do 9 interesting modules at Chicago compared to less at LSE is appealing, I'm just not sure how much depth they can go when LSE does half as many in the same amount of time.

Does anyone know anything about job prospects after graduating from Chicago? I know there are stats on the website but they aren't very specific and just say that not everyone gets a phd. I feel it's reputation is fairly broad based, which might be useful in the private sector, but I was looking more toward government/public sector work rather than going into something purely to pay off loans (which I probably would if I went to a DC policy based program)

Edited March 19, 2014 by JPeds