HELP - NYU GSAS vs. SIPA

[huju]

Hey

I was accepted for both the MIA at SIPA and the MA in Politics at NYU's GSAS. Now I'm having a hard time deciding where to go. I wouldn't get any scholarship from both schools and coming from Europe I also don't qualify for any other meaningful scholarship and would have to fund everything through a loan.

Considering tuition and living expenses, SIPA would set me back around an extra 60,000$ compared to the loan needed for NYU. Is SIPA worth it? Is any grad school worth taking out a 100,000$ loan???

I cant really find too much about the MA at the Wilf Department at NYU's GSAS. Does anybody know anything about their graduates and their job prospects? Seems kind of strange how it's rarely mentioned in blogs and discussion forums - which is why I opened this topic here.

Any help is greatly appreciated, I really don't know where to go.

Thanks in advance for any advice!!

BTW: My career goal would probably be to work for an international organizations related to international development or conflict resolution.

[jackassjim]

Is any grad school worth taking out a 100,000$ loan???

BTW: My career goal would probably be to work for an international organizations related to international development or conflict resolution.

Try to think of a loan repayment plan:

-> How much do entry-level employees in NGOs or governmental organizations make? (hint: not much, especially if you're thinking about the hippie development stuff. This is not commercial arbitration...)

-> How much interest would you pay on a 100 000$ loan?

-> How much boost will that degree actually give you employment-wise?

-> How much would you have to pay every month in loan payments?

-> How much disposable income do you hope to have upon graduation?

My answer (maybe not your own): it's not worth it. Those programs, I'm sure, are very very good. They are, however, cash cows for the schools that offer them. Most of us here are not certainly not in this for money. Still, it is an important factor when considering this high debt. The general consensus seems to be that an M.A. is often not worth it.

Best,

Jim

[huju]

thanks jim!

you are right, 100,000$ does sound ridiculous, even for SIPA and especially with the relatively low income after grad school in my field. according to my bank i would be paying back for some 14 years or so. however, i suppose SIPA is a great career boost at least.

on the other hand, while 40,000$ is reasonable i guess, i'm just not sure whether the 1-year MA at NYU's GSAS actually helps my job prospects to an extent that it's worth spending "even" 40,000$ on it. that's why i would be hugely grateful for any input relating to this MA at NYU.

thanks!!

[expatbayern]

I think you need to specify a little more closely where you want to end up working. If it's a large US-based NGO, SIPA probably helps a lot (I don't know much about NYU's program). If you want to work for a European NGO or any type of IGO (such as any UN umbrella organization, where you would need nomination from your home country), a European degree might be more helpful (and would certainly be a lot less expensive). I won't make specific suggestions without knowing your languages/country preferences, but there are good programs out there in a number of EU countries.

[huju]

I would like to work for some international organization, ideally based in NY. Also I definitely want to do some field work before starting in an office, but eventually I'd like to end up at the UN in some policy making position or something in that direction.

I am mostly concerned with the MA in politics program at NYU's GSAS. I have heard tons about SIPA and talked to many people about it. However, nobody seems to know anything about the Wilf Family Department of Politics at NYU. I would love some info on job prospects after graduation and how well administered the program is itself.

Any help greatly appreciated!

[expatbayern]

Again, I don't know about the NYU program. I'd just reiterate that if you want to work at the UN, you're going to have to be selected for nomination by your home country's foreign ministry (a pretty competitive process in most countries). Depending on where that is, a degree from LSE, Sciences Po, the flagship university in your home country (or a specific civil service/foreign service school if there is one), etc. may be a lot more helpful than one from a US policy school. And since in some cases there may also be a difference between no debt (home country) and six-figure debt (US), it's really something to consider.

[Ferrero]

Can you do both? Being a graduate student -- or, for that matter, an adult -- means multi-tasking. Do both, and worry about the debt when the job offers pile up.