UCSD IR/PS - Academia Suicide?

[Kosmosis707]

Hello all,

 

I received an email yesterday that I am being offered admission into UC San Diego's IR/PS program for this coming Fall.  In many ways, I am VERY excited because I am in-state (low tuition costs) and the program has a very solid reputation, especially in my area of interest (Asia).  I think the practicial skills they teach will be a more than adequate preparation for a solid international career.

 

However, I have one concern.  I went into the application process wanting to keep EVERY option on the table for potential careers, including academia.  I have read some other forums stating that a lot of these professional programs are not good programs to attend if you may want to pursue research in the future.  But then, after reviewing faculty at some programs that I like, I'll see an MPIA from UCSD pop up here and there. 

 

Does anyone know if it truly does hurt your chances at PhD programs if you attend one of these professional IR programs?  I do have applicaitons out to the LSE in London and an MA at Cornell that are probably more geared towards academic careers.  BUT...I am feeling like UCSD is still my top choice. 

 

Thanks everyone.

[Poli92]

I don't think it would necessarily count against you by virtue of being a professional program and I certainly wouldn't consider it academia suicide. I think it has much more to do with what you do while you're in the program, i.e. balancing professional and academic pursuits. Seeking out any opportunities to present, co-author, do research, etc. can keep you competitive or even make you stand out for PhD applications. Any extra methods courses you can add on are also good. Definitely work to keep your GPA as high as possible though. That may seem like an obvious suggestion but it seems to be a trend that anything other than a near-perfect grad GPA can send some bad signals to PhD programs, especially if it doesn't show improvement from your UG GPA. UCSD's PhD program in Poli Sci is exceptional, especially for IR, so going there would also give you a great opportunity to network with future POI's.  

 

eta: Congrats on the acceptance by the way! 

Edited January 22, 2015 by Poli92

[Karoku_valentine]

I was in IRPS and some of my classmates were admitted into Poli Sci PhD's, and I might be admitted to a Statistics PhD (though I took tons of extra requirements at the Math Department). Let me know if you have any questions, I just finished the master this year. So I can give you more insights.

[Kosmosis707]

Poli92 - Great advice.  I think I will be seeking out opportunities and networks to keep that option alive while at the program. There are not a TON of opportunites for electives, but it looks like I may be able to work in some comparative politics courses and some methodology.

 

Karoku - That is great news to hear.  I'm feeling pretty excited about IR/PS right now.  I would love to pick your brain in the near future about the program.

[Karoku_valentine]

Good to hear that. It is a good program because of its flexibility, you can make it very hard or you can make it very easy. They allow you to take lots of Poli Sci classes and some professors are pretty good.

[2012latam]

I am also applying to UCSD IR/PS w/ an emphasis in Intl. Economics and Latin America (Fall 2015) and my current interest now is to pursue a PhD in Poli Sci or Econ after my masters.  I heard it's a good option if you want to either go into a PhD program or get a job immediately after.

 

I have a few questions for people who have attended UCSD IR/PS: 1) For financial assistance, are there TAships and RAships readily available for interested students (besides fellowships and loans)?    2) How marketable is the degree after you graduate if you want to get a job, especially in the East Coast?  Is IR/PS nationally reknowned or is it a local program?  How was your experience in gaining itnernship/work experience while in school and how was career services?

[Karoku_valentine]

I am also applying to UCSD IR/PS w/ an emphasis in Intl. Economics and Latin America (Fall 2015) and my current interest now is to pursue a PhD in Poli Sci or Econ after my masters.  I heard it's a good option if you want to either go into a PhD program or get a job immediately after.

 

I have a few questions for people who have attended UCSD IR/PS: 1) For financial assistance, are there TAships and RAships readily available for interested students (besides fellowships and loans)?    2) How marketable is the degree after you graduate if you want to get a job, especially in the East Coast?  Is IR/PS nationally reknowned or is it a local program?  How was your experience in gaining itnernship/work experience while in school and how was career services?

 

Sorry for not replying before, Gradcafe does not notify me when people answer my posts.

 

1. For financial assistance, IRPS supported students to become TA's at the language departments (mostly internationals or Americans with immigrant parents and semi-native foreign language skills). Another way IRPS supports people is by granting students TAships for classes like Finance, Quantitative Methods, sometimes some econ classes, etc. Regarding RAships, there are a lot of professors hiring students, however they favor students who had already taken classes with them.

 

Other options are graderships, readerships, or other jobs at other departments: Rady Management School, Sociology and others. The school is pretty big. So, the answer for question 1 is yes, there are options but you need to reach out to professors.

 

2. Since I am international, I have no idea. I just came back to Mexico and got two nice job offers with good wages. For the Americans, it depends, several of my exclassmates are working in Washington (some are in SD, some in Bay Area) and have good jobs; some wages are good some are bad, etc. It depends entirely on you. Mostly everything in the US is about networking. As long as you have minimal econometric skills, you will find a job, since employers seem to value those skills the most. I have the impression IRPS students need to explain to employers what MPIA means and how they are suited for a job. Nevertheless, IRPS has a good Career Service Office who can really help you.

 

3. The career services helps you improve your CV, coach you for interviews, understand how the labor market works  so you can get a summer internship more quickly. Still, it is up to you to find your internship. I found an internship by myself in Europe, but declined it because I was going to get more Math courses in order to boost my chances to be admitted into a MS Statistics (which I did) or PhD in Economics.

 

One piece of advice. If you intend to pursue an economics PhD just take as many Math classes as you can. That is the only thing that matters. If you want political science, try to work with professors first.

 

In general, IRPS can be a very good program as long as you take advantage of it.