SAIS vs. SIPA vs. Fletcher

[littlefighterjet]

Hi all,

 

Hope you guys are doing well! Thanks to the beneficence of the early decision deities, I now have three months to agonize over where to go for IR grad school. I got into SAIS starting in Bologna (IDEV concentration), SIPA (EPD concentration, Conflict Management specialization), and Fletcher (Human Security/Law and Development). 

 

Right now (e.g. independent of financial aid decisions to be released in March) my ranking is sort of in that order 1.) SAIS 2.) SIPA and 3.) Fletcher. My professional background and continued interest is in humanitarian relief and post-conflict development, focusing on the growth of good governance. I know Fletcher has a really strong humanitarian affairs program, but their emphasis on a thesis over a practicum and the location in Boston (vs development hubs like DC/NY) makes it seem like it would offer less than the other two in terms of career development (I'd love to hear from anyone who feels differently though). 

 

Between SAIS and SIPA, I'm leaning more towards SAIS - within the IR/IDEV field, it seems to enjoy the strongest reputation, the class size is relatively small, and the chance to live in Italy for a year doesn't hurt either A couple things about SIPA also stand out for me though. For one, the curriculum seems a bit more praxis-focused vs SAIS - SAIS has a pretty significant mid-level economics component, and I'm not sure how necessary that would be given that I'm more interested in being a development practitioner than a development economist. For another, SIPA also has very close ties to the UN, who lead many of the types of relief and political development interventions I hope to work on - I feel like getting some UN experience could be really valuable in this regard. Finally, though SAIS has the better reputation within IR, I feel like Columbia has a much stronger general brand than Johns Hopkins - I'm wondering how relevant this would be in terms of future jobs, etc. 

 

Would love to hear other people's thoughts on this, and particularly your perception of career prospects/services for grads from each of the schools. Thanks guys!

[WinterSolstice]

My ranking personally would be 1. SAIS, 2. Fletcher, 3. SIPA. 

Your concerns about Fletcher make sense, but I wouldn't necessarily let it hold you back. From what I hear, Fletcher alums really go to bat for recent grads and I don't think they really have any trouble securing jobs in DC or NYC. I'm in DC currently and there are plenty of Fletcher grads all over the place. If you're interested in humanitarian affairs, Fletcher is probably your best choice. If you're more interested in the development side of things (meaning econ), then I'd probably recommend SAIS. You say you're interested in being a development practitioner and less of an economist. Could you elaborate on what you mean by that? I can't think of a development context where having a base knowledge of econ wouldn't at least be somewhat useful. But from what you're saying, Fletcher seems a better fit for what you're looking for. 

 

As for brand, anyone in the field would recognize these schools, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. If you plan on working abroad, however, Columbia will probably be more well known and pull more clout. I personally did not really entertain the idea of attending SIPA because from what I'd heard, they're more on the impersonal side and less hands-on, especially in regards to career services. But this is just what I've heard from students there. 

[leon32]

For Fletcher, you don't have to write a thesis, you can do things like write a policy paper, a business plan, etc. it just has to be a significant work agreed to with a professor for a supervisor.

[littlefighterjet]

@leon32 Oh that's good to know! I was under the impression that it had to be a traditional thesis - working on something more real-world would definitely be more marketable

 

@WinterSolstice I've heard the same thing about SIPA (very big, impersonal, not a lot of access to the star professors) which is a definite drawback - I do plan to continue working abroad though which is why I feel the brand makes a bit of a difference. 

 

In terms of being a development practitioner vs an economist, I mean I'm more generally interested in working in the field on the implementation of development projects, with an INGO, the UN, or a USAID contractor, etc. rather than with, say, a development bank on the design of its development policies. I've been working in field level implementation for a couple of years now, and from my experience the skills required are much more related to project management and the pertinent technical sector (WASH, food security, governance, etc.) than economics, unless one is working specifically on economic recovery/development programs. Of course it helps to have a broad understanding of the economic context for perspective, but in my experience it doesn't necessarily inform one's day to day work in this field.

 

Fletcher does definitely seem to have the strongest humanitarian program which is why I haven't ruled it out, but my interest is sort of in the middle of the humanitarian and development phases since I want to work in post-conflict development, helping to build institutions in contexts recovering from violence. I don't want to work on the purely humanitarian side (handing out food, building camp latrines, etc.) but I don't want to work on fully post-recovery development (expanding businesses, education, etc.) either, so I'm not sure that having the strongest humanitarian program makes a difference when SAIS is overall a better school. 

[Gov2School]

They're all of course great programs, and you can't go wrong 

Personally, I ruled out even applying to SAIS pretty much for the same reasons you cite as concerns: SAIS' requirements, particularly their economics requirements, seemed a little arbitrary to me and I didn't necessarily want to do a concentration in international economics in addition to the concentration I was actually interested in. Similar to you, I also think from my field experience that, while some economics is important, day to day success in every international field doesn't hinge on that alone.   

 

Fletcher has an excellent brand in DC, especially in development work, though I have no idea how that translates internationally (though I'm guessing as long as you're in the development field, it continues to be valuable).  They also offered me a scholarship, which was nice.  

 

Of course SIPA also has a great brand, and is a great school.  I did visit SIPA during admitted students weekend, and my overall impression (keeping in mind this was based on just a one day visit) was: wow! they have a lot of programs and a lot of students here.  Definitely a place where you can get really, really specialized, and the wealth of concentrations means you can study things there that not all schools can offer (for example, a Management concentration within SIPA itself, not something you have to take at a neighboring business school).   However, more people also means more competition for limited resources (including the time and attention of faculty, as well as just pure dollar amounts), and I felt a little lost/overwhelmed when I visited.  My overall impression was that if you were willing to do a little self-advocacy, you could get a lot done at SIPA, but I wanted a program that was a little smaller and had more money and time to spend on each student.  I also wanted a place where I could combine some language study with my MPA course, and at SIPA that's hard to do (at least for Middle Eastern languages) because of the way the Columbia language programs are designed and how popular they are.  If you study a less popular language though, that might not be so hard to do.  I did like that SIPA has such an international student body, not all of the schools in its peer group are that diverse. 

 

Again, you can't really go wrong with any of them, it just depends on what attracts you the most.  I would encourage you, if you participate in any virtual townhalls or student q&A events to ask about funding support for things like research travel, summer study, and internships.  The difference in availability of those kinds of funds was a major factor for me, since living on a student budget doesn't always leave you room for significant savings, especially in expensive cities like NY and DC. 

[WinterSolstice]

@leon32 Oh that's good to know! I was under the impression that it had to be a traditional thesis - working on something more real-world would definitely be more marketable

 

@WinterSolstice I've heard the same thing about SIPA (very big, impersonal, not a lot of access to the star professors) which is a definite drawback - I do plan to continue working abroad though which is why I feel the brand makes a bit of a difference. 

 

In terms of being a development practitioner vs an economist, I mean I'm more generally interested in working in the field on the implementation of development projects, with an INGO, the UN, or a USAID contractor, etc. rather than with, say, a development bank on the design of its development policies. I've been working in field level implementation for a couple of years now, and from my experience the skills required are much more related to project management and the pertinent technical sector (WASH, food security, governance, etc.) than economics, unless one is working specifically on economic recovery/development programs. Of course it helps to have a broad understanding of the economic context for perspective, but in my experience it doesn't necessarily inform one's day to day work in this field.

 

Fletcher does definitely seem to have the strongest humanitarian program which is why I haven't ruled it out, but my interest is sort of in the middle of the humanitarian and development phases since I want to work in post-conflict development, helping to build institutions in contexts recovering from violence. I don't want to work on the purely humanitarian side (handing out food, building camp latrines, etc.) but I don't want to work on fully post-recovery development (expanding businesses, education, etc.) either, so I'm not sure that having the strongest humanitarian program makes a difference when SAIS is overall a better school. 

 

Just based off what you wrote here, Fletcher seems like the best fit for what you're looking for. Especially given you're more interested in being on the ground/in the field. Gov2School is right in that econ isn't really required for all facets of IR work, and if you're interested on being in the field, it doesn't really seem necessary. I chose SAIS hands-down because I wanted to fulfill the econ component and acquire quantitative skills because I am interested in World Bank type stuff, in addition to risk management career paths. So for me it made sense.

 

Your career goals (assuming they don't change) seem most suited to what Fletcher would offer you. I can understand the concern about international brand, but within the field, I can't imagine that Fletcher wouldn't be recognized. Not to mention their alumni network seems pretty extensive. 

 

That being said, I recommend doing online info sessions and any other events that might be offered, assuming you can't attend in-person. You might just happen to 'click' with a particular school. I was initially almost anti-SAIS until I went to an accepted students day and I realized it was the place I wanted to be. 

Edited January 13, 2015 by WinterSolstice

[Gradstudies_IA]

Hello everyone

 

I got into SIPA - MIA (Concentration - ‘International Security Policy’ & Specialization - ‘International Conflict Resolution’) and Fletcher MALD (Area of studies - International Negotiation & Conflict resolution - Human Security). Pursuant to my masters in conflict resolution, i wish to work with an I-NGO working in the field of conflict resolution. 

 

Deciding between these two schools, is really difficult for me, and i really look forward to your inputs. I have listed down my points for both why/why not the respective school:

 

Why SIPA - The brand! The location! The Concentration and specialization are hands on and have a practical component as well!.

Why not SIPA - The compulsory courses in management, economics and finance are something which i am not particularly interested in.

 

Why Fletcher - Focus on law (as knowledge of international law is imperative to become a successful international civil servant), the course structure allows me to really focus in my intended areas of specialization. I have interacted with a Tufts alumini and read extensively that the Fletcher culture is extremely close knit.

Why not Fletcher - a) No course available which includes a field work component. It is extremely well known in the United States, how well known is it in the same sector in Africa or Middle East?

 

I really look forward to everyone's inputs.

[Onthepath]

@Gradstudies_IA : I am deciding between SIPA and Fletcher as well! Based on the forum input, the decision between the two school has been historically difficult (posts from 2009 onward, without any decisive end!) At the end of the day I guess it boils down to individual preference. 

 

 

I have full tuition offer from SIPA and this is HUGE for me (I also have 50% from Fletcher and I heard I can try for more). I am leaning towards SIPA also because of the brand Columbia. But, at the same time I also want to ensure that the school will help me reach my career interest. I would be grateful if someone can help me put to rest few of my concerns regarding SIPA.

 

1) Large class size/ high competition  - How true is this? I heard of students finding it difficult to even get internship because of heavy competition and the class size is large.  If you have any info on this please share.

 

2)  Conditional scholarship for second year, meeting a 3.4 requirement. I have been out of college for 10 years. I don't mind slogging and giving up on campus life to reach this but I want to know how difficult is it for an average to slightly above average student to receive a 3.4. I know this depends on the student but I am from India and my universities never used the bell curve to fit our grades. So i want to know how doable is achieving a 3.4. 

 

3) Unhealthy competition among students - I don't mind competition but I definitely do not want a negative competitive environment and I am 100% sure I do not want to spend the 2 years looking over my shoulders and thinking of out-smarting my classmates. How competitive is SIPA?

 

4) Career Services - I heard that UN jobs at SIPA are limited from a student at SAIS but on the other hand I hear about SIPA's close relationship with UN. I want to work in the interaction between education and health policy. any stat on this - the number of people who joined UN from SIPA vs from Fletcher??. 

 

Given above are the few points I am trying to clarify. I want to go to SIPA but at the same time Fletcher's culture is super ENTICING. This is killing me, I want to accept one school and open up the other offer/fund to other students.

[PolicyGrad92]

Hi there,

 

I'm on the SIPA or Fletcher dilemma boat as well. I did not apply to SAIS.

 

I'm leaning towards SIPA, but can change depending on funding. I have a $35k offer from SIPA and $26k offer from Fletcher. How do I figure this out?

 

Onthepath - full funding from SIPA is PHENOMENAL. Congratulations!

[Boats]

Hi there

 

I am on the same boat. I was able to get minuscule funding from Fletcher ($12k for two years) which is not big enough to make a difference in the decision. My concern areas are that being an international student my choice of work limits to private sector or mulitlateral agencies.

 

SAIS seems to have the largest chuck (in terms of percentage) of students being placed in private and world banks types of companies. SIPA again, I feel can be too impersonal. I am more inclined towards SAIS because of its reputation for offering quality studies (that's what I have heard). But SIPA has global recognition.

 

Too confused! Any one know a deal breaker here? 

[IR_Student]

So I got accepted to all three also. I'm a undergraduate senior and I applied for Fletcher's Map Your Future program so I wouldn't start for two years but I would get funding when I did start.  However, I got admitted to SAIS Bologna which is paid in Euros so the actual cost of tuition is substantially cheaper so I might as well have a fellowship considering how much less it will cost me to go there over SIPA.  Then again I want to work in New York (I'm from the city).  

 

I think I want to go into energy, environment and resources and I think I want to start in the Fall (ruling out Fletcher) but I was curious if anyone had any advice?  Should I wait two years for Fletcher, go to Bologna or go to SIPA?

[Onthepath]

@Policygrad : Thanks :-) 

 

I found this very useful post by Chris Blattman -  http://chrisblattman.com/2013/10/04/what-ma-mpa-or-mia-program-is-for-you/

 

I read it long before I started applying but when I read it this time around(post admission results), I almost immediately felt a wave of relief. This blog post is definitely going to play a huge role in my decision process.