Political Science v. Government Affairs - Thoughts?

[CarefreeWritingsontheWall]

Hey all! I applied to graduate school last Fall, and am currently an MA student in IR. One of the dilemmas I came across during my application process was the decision to apply to more professionally oriented MA programs (SAIS, MSFS, the like) versus more academic ones (the non-policy school options. Ultimately my hand was dealt in a way that the academic program was my only option and I couldn't be happier. While I've found myself to be more academically inclined (and very much considering applying out to a PhD program when I finish), a lot of my cohort members and even my supervisor have brought up the issue of pursuing a job in policy when I'm finished.

 

Personally I never thought the divide between the two was all that significant, after all you are studying political behavior and processes in both. However, the more it's been brought up, the more people have discussed how the two paths (further down the line than my current position) are quite different. I've never quite understood the debate, though I can understand how someone could say a more academic degree is likely to be one step removed from the political processes under study.

 

I guess my primary question is whether an MA in international law or political science from a policy school, as opposed to an MA from a standard top-tier university, is all that different? What does one offer that the other doesn't?

[esotericish]

They're really not that different, especially if you come to DC where everybody in those fields has an M.A. The only way the school makes a difference is its alumni network, which is a huge advantage in finding a job in DC. That being said, you're still going to have to intern somewhere unless you are very, very lucky. An M.A. is certainly not a qualification to work in the policy/think tank/NGO world -- those are extremely competitive jobs and you'll need some internship experience in order to be considered most likely.

[fakeusername]

Some of my intership experience has involved working with policy-oriented professionals, and many of them had polsci MAs or even PhDs.  My suspicion is that academics tend to overestimate the correlation between degree and career (i.e., that degree x leads specifically to career y) when in non-academic fields your skills and experience matter much more.  I am academically inclined myself, so maybe someone with more policy experience might agree that an MPA or something is indeed a big help.

[JohnJ88]

Georgetown's MA in American Government requires 2 semesters of internships during the 1 year program. The right placements along with strong performance will probably help get you where you want to go. GWU's GSPM offers the MPS in Legislative Affairs. It's all course work with a thesis option. It's designed more for people already working than those looking for career placement help, although their office does offer that kind of assistance.