Master in Economics: Duke, NYU or UBC, Mcgill

[linhpham206]

Hi guys, I have been accepted to MA programs in Economics at 

Duke (waiting for funding decision but not likely) 

NYU (no funding) 

UBC ( international students scholarship $3,000 and TA $11,000)

Mcgill ($10,000 TA or RA positions)

 

I am an international student and I want to get a job after getting my Ma degree. I dont think I want to pursue a PHD in Economics. Also I have been reading the placement results at these schools, they all seem very promising but I am not sure which program would give me a great boost at getting a job. Right now, I am swaying towards Canadian schools because of their financial packages (plus the tuition is way cheaper there and they give me 2 years working permit after graduation) but I am not sure about the economic job market in Canada. For American schools, I think Duke is better in terms of "prestigious brand name" but NYU econ program is ranked higher.

 

Can someone pls help me making these decisions? Or give me some info about academic reputation and career prospect at these schools . I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks a lot. 

 

P/S : I have a BS in Economics at UoMinnesota and would like to go into development economics. 

 

  

 

 

[rvict]

Common wisdom I've read here is that McGill has poor job prospects due to the language policies in place in Quebec. After you graduate, you'll have a hard time finding employment in Montreal unless you speak French. Someone else can correct this since I am probably missing some subtleties to this.

UBC is a highly ranked school. If you want to go to school in Canada, UBC is an excellent choice.

Edit: You have multiple offers. Try to use them to negotiate better funding packages.

Edited March 21, 2014 by rvict

[linhpham206]

Thanks, I just contacted Duke and they said there will be TA and RA positions available in Fall and I can get financial aid if my performance is outstanding. It will cost me around $50,000 to get the MA degree from Duke and I dont know if the cost exceeds the benefit. Tho I do think that American degree is more valuable than Canadian one in terms of job prospect. I have to respond by march 31st and I am still not sure about my decision....

[sukipower]

If you want something additional to consider, I would also look into cost of living at each of these schools. If money is one of your deciding criteria, then you need to consider how far that money will go in each of the locations of these schools. I can only speak to Canadian schools, but I think either would be a good choice. The cost of living for UBC, however, would be significantly higher than in Montreal. So, if I were choosing, I would seriously consider that as well. 

 

Both UBC and McGill have great reputations both within and outside of the academic world, regardless of your major. I think it needs to be stated that just because you go to a certain school, doesn't mean you have to stay in that city to work. Job prospects in Montreal may not be great, but Canada is a pretty big place to look for a job and your work permit will allow you to work anywhere in the country.

 

Also, your alma matter isn't going to be what gets or doesn't get you a job in the future. It is important, but not going to be what makes them choose you over someone else. The difference when you are looking at choosing between excellent schools is going to be negligible.

 

Good luck deciding!

[Calamari2013]

Another aspect to consider is the kind of jobs you will be looking at post graduation. NYU surely seems attractive and if you were keen to work in the financial services sector, I would tell you to go for it. But you mentioned development economics so if you provide us with more specific info (consulting, NGOs, etc...) perhaps we can advise better. anyway, congratulations on securing those offers.

[linhpham206]

Thanks everyone. I have been told that Masters are more recognized in Canada than in US. And in some cases, top phds in US place higher value on Canadian masters. Personally I prefer the faculty at UBC since they are more professors doing research in development economics as compared to Duke. I get one year in TA position so I think it is a great opportunity to get close with the faculty. Although I am not sure if I can find RA position with the professors I want to do research with. Does anyone know if I can switch from TA to RA position? Regrading tuition, if I go to UBC I practically dont have to pay for my MA although Vancouver is more expensive to live in as compared to Durham. Based on the big difference in funding, I am right now swayed towards UBC so I dont want to use my admission as leverage to get more funding from Duke.

 

About development economics, I just like the subject matters and I have some experience working with NGOs. My dream job is working as econ consultant for UN or World Bank. I dont have any experience working in private sector and I do think the financial services industry is targeting more MBA or Finance students than Econ. From what I know, students with focus on development economics usually work with NGOs, doing research or policy consulting for the Gov. Can someone inform me of other options for this field? One thing I am a little concerned is that Canada dont usually take international students for government work (it is pretty much the same as US). I do speak a little french and learning to improve it so I hope it could be a big plus.