Rutgers vs. NYU Global Affairs

[rach5698]

So far I've been accepted to NYU and Rutgers' Global Affairs MS program. I'm leaning towards NYU because of it's location (for internships and such) but Rutgers offers a PhD and is actually a "real" department.

Anyone have any thoughts or feedback about either program?

[fuzzylogician]

A couple of thoughts: first of all, why are you going to grad school--what is your goal? a MS will lead you to a different place than a PhD; once you pinpoint exactly what it is you want to do with your degree, you can decide which offer is likelier to get you there. I'd assume that a "real" PhD program will be the better choice if you are interested in research; if you want to work on the practical side of things, a MS and the possibility of living and working in NYC is probably better. Aside from this, there's the question of money. Is either program offering funding? Have you calculated how much each place will cost you? Can you afford the debt, if you are unfunded?