Professional Programs?

[KenBesonders]

Hello,

 

I have been lurking the forum for a while when looking for information. I always hear people differentiate between different types of programs: professional and academic. I could have goofed my terminology but from what I understand there are certain types of programs that focus on professional aspects of public policy to transition into the workforce while others focus on the theoretical aspect for academics. 

 

Needless to say, I am looking to build work experience and enter to gain my MA in International Affairs. I want to work on a professional degree because I intend to find work in public service afterwards. Perhaps I haven't analyzed deep enough but some schools don't seem to differentiate if their program is "professional" or not.

 

Could someone perhaps help clarify what schools tend to offer these types of MAs? For example, schools on my radar include: Syracuse Maxwell, Georgetown SFS, Johns Hopkins SAIS, American SIS, Columbia SIPA and George Washington Elliott.

 

Secondly, which professional programs in IR tend to be more generous with aid? I ask because I have an average GPA that I want to make up with work experience, test scores and other qualities.

Edited July 9, 2014 by KenBesonders

[chocolatecheesecake]

Quick word of advice: look very carefully at each school's website and read up on where their graduates go after graduation, or where they intern at, etc. etc. Many schools provide pie charts or statistics on what percent go into direct government work, non-profit work, academic work, int'l work, the private sector, etc. etc. (And if not, you can email and ask for it!) That is a reliable way to gauge if the program is a good fit for what you want to do after school, whatever it may be.

[hj2012]

The schools you listed are generally considered to be 'professional' IR masters programs. An example of an academic MA would be the polisci MA at the University of Virginia, which is primarily geared toward helping students prepare for PhD programs.

Most of these professional schools are pretty stingy with aid, but I know a few people who got generous offers from Maxwell.

[KenBesonders]

The schools you listed are generally considered to be 'professional' IR masters programs. An example of an academic MA would be the polisci MA at the University of Virginia, which is primarily geared toward helping students prepare for PhD programs.

Most of these professional schools are pretty stingy with aid, but I know a few people who got generous offers from Maxwell.

 

I figured as such through analyzing their websites but it doesn't hurt to get second opinions, especially from those with first hand experience.

 

Judging from the previous thread, Maxwell does seem to give generous aid and I have heard good reviews of it. It amazes me though that larger programs, such as SAIS and Georgetown, offer such limited financial aid considering the immense cost of attending. One would think that schools of such caliber would be covered with large endowments to attract more students.

[Gov2School]

If you're really interested in a program, it's worth applying even if you're not sure you're going to get financial aid.  I was pretty sure I wasn't going to get aid anywhere, because I had some savings and low GRE scores, but I was pleasantly surprised by my actual results. I think there's no way to really judge in advance how likely/not likely you are to receive financial aid, it just depends if schools feel that you have the particular thing they're looking for.  

[quincepessa]

I just started at Maxwell, and they take their mission of preparing public servants pretty seriously. They also seem to be quite generous with financial aid (it's also a shorter program, and cost of living is cheaper in the 'cuse. Go Orange! Good luck!

[KenBesonders]

I just started at Maxwell, and they take their mission of preparing public servants pretty seriously. They also seem to be quite generous with financial aid (it's also a shorter program, and cost of living is cheaper in the 'cuse. Go Orange! Good luck!

Yes Maxwell has been becoming more prominent on my radar because it seems to be a well rounded program. The only disadvantage seems to be that they are located in a less ideal setting, but that is rather nullified with their semester in DC (which I believe you can do your last semester as well) because of their CSIS partnership. It would be excellent for me, since I plan on studying International Security.