Quantitative and Econ heavy IR programs?

[bsack]

okay, since i guess we're above meaningful discourse now, i'll do a little summary of what others have said and what i have found from own personal research...just in case someone interested in quantitative IR programs stumbles on this thread via google or the search function, and doesn't want to sift through a bunch of condescending slights. the majority of users made positive contributions in good faith

if you're interested in quantitative IR programs, political risk analysis, and other internationally oriented private sector careers, you might consider looking at:

• Tufts: tufts fletcher has a two year masters in international business (MIB for short). it's sort of an MBA and an IR program mixed together. you pick one business concentration and one international relations concentration. the business half is essentially like the first year of an MBA program.
• tufts also has a terminal economics masters: M.S. in economics. it is only a one year long, and gives broad exposure to more advanced economics. it is the top ranked terminal economics masters in the US.
• Johns Hopkins: SAIS has a Masters of International Economics and Finance, or MIEF for short. it is a quantitative one year long program. it also offers the option of taking other elective courses within SAIS. the MIEF is designed for early career professionals, and it has a lower average age than the regular 2 year masters at SAIS
• The regular SAIS two years masters is also known to be one of the more quantitatively oriented IR programs. very econ heavy coursework, as all students are required to double concentrate in economics, in addition to one other international relations subject (e.g. security, development, east asia studies, etc.). however, it does not require the completion of an advanced calculus course in order to graduate. about 10% of its entering class were accepted as undergrad seniors, according to its website
• Stanford: the IPS program run out of stanford is a fairly quant and econ-heavy two years masters program. ideally, you should have completed introductory statistics, introductory calculus (i.e. single variable), and introductory microeconomics and macroeconomics prior to applying. 
• Harvard: the harvard kennedy school offers a development masters. it is very quant heavy, and you need to complete multivariable calculus, and, ideally, linear algebra just to apply. the average age of kennedy matriculants is 28, so probably not the best thing to look at if you're just starting out 
• university of michigan: the university of michigan also has a terminal applied economics masters. it is a one year program. it is not affiliated with the gerald ford school of public policy. 
• London School of Economics: the LSE has a one year MSc econometrics program. this is a good option, as LSE is very strong in the private sector (particularly for a social science school), and universities in the UK tend to be somewhat cheaper than their american counterparts (especially at the undergrad level, but also at the postgrad level as well). however, you must hold a bachelors degree in economics prior to applying to this program, otherwise you are ineligible for the one year program. you can still apply without an econ bachelors, but you would have to do the two year program instead with additional coursework. 
• MBA Programs: an MBA is undoubtedly a good option if you're looking for a quantitative degree. you'll get exposure to a broad range of business, economics, and management topics. however, do keep in mind that MBA programs are pricey and they tend to be stingy with aid. sometimes, employers will offer to pay your tuition cost in an mba program. 
• Work Experience: work experience can be beneficial in providing real world skills and exposure. it can offer some perspective before applying to grad schools. moreover, it is often a fundamental requirement for gaining entry into many IR programs, particularly at schools like harvard kennedy and georgetown walsh school of foreign service. should you decide you want to take a more academic route, however, keep in mind that you might be at a slight disadvantage relative to seniors applying from college if you have spent several years out of school. it is nonetheless still a fairly viable route. statistics PhDs, for example, have the highest average salary of any PhD discipline according to payscale ($174k). 

 

hopefully this can be a useful resource for anyone asking similar questions. if anyone else wants to contribute in a constructive and positive way, or offer additional comments and corrections, they can do so below \/ \/ \/ \/

Edited February 27, 2016 by bsack

[bsack]

i've also just found a program at duke sanford with a decent amount of quant coursework. their degree is pretty big on microeconomics, statistics, and data analysis. it's a smaller sized program, and they do require applicants to have completed introductory microeconomics and introductory statistics with a B or higher prior to applying.

link: https://sanford.duke.edu/academics/mpp/curriculum

[chocolatecheesecake]

Duke Sanford's program is indeed strong quantitatively. I would note for future people who stumble upon this thread that the MPP is fairly domestically oriented, with two IR-esque concentrations that you can take (international development or national security). Otherwise, it's not really in the same category as the other schools mentioned. Good summary though!

[bsack]

correct, i should've clarified that the Sanford program is an MPP degree, which is distinct from the economics and economics-IR hybrid degrees i listed above. 

Duke also has its own straight-up terminal economics masters program, which is designed both for people that want to (1) go straight to the private sector or (2) get a PhD down the line, so it is fairly versatile. in addition to the core economics requirements, econ students are also allowed to take elective doctoral course in other disciplines (including political science, public policy, finance, and statistics), so it is a great way to get multidisciplinary experience in addition to your economics education. 

[Ben414]

On 2/27/2016 at 11:56 PM, bsack said:

okay, since i guess we're above meaningful discourse now, i'll do a little summary of what others have said and what i have found from own personal research...just in case someone interested in quantitative IR programs stumbles on this thread via google or the search function, and doesn't want to sift through a bunch of condescending slights. the majority of users made positive contributions in good faith

if you're interested in quantitative IR programs, political risk analysis, and other internationally oriented private sector careers, you might consider looking at:

• Tufts: tufts fletcher has a two year masters in international business (MIB for short). it's sort of an MBA and an IR program mixed together. you pick one business concentration and one international relations concentration. the business half is essentially like the first year of an MBA program.
• tufts also has a terminal economics masters: M.S. in economics. it is only a one year long, and gives broad exposure to more advanced economics. it is the top ranked terminal economics masters in the US.
• Johns Hopkins: SAIS has a Masters of International Economics and Finance, or MIEF for short. it is a quantitative one year long program. it also offers the option of taking other elective courses within SAIS. the MIEF is designed for early career professionals, and it has a lower average age than the regular 2 year masters at SAIS
• The regular SAIS two years masters is also known to be one of the more quantitatively oriented IR programs. very econ heavy coursework, as all students are required to double concentrate in economics, in addition to one other international relations subject (e.g. security, development, east asia studies, etc.). however, it does not require the completion of an advanced calculus course in order to graduate. about 10% of its entering class were accepted as undergrad seniors, according to its website
• Stanford: the IPS program run out of stanford is a fairly quant and econ-heavy two years masters program. ideally, you should have completed introductory statistics, introductory calculus (i.e. single variable), and introductory microeconomics and macroeconomics prior to applying. 
• Harvard: the harvard kennedy school offers a development masters. it is very quant heavy, and you need to complete multivariable calculus, and, ideally, linear algebra just to apply. the average age of kennedy matriculants is 28, so probably not the best thing to look at if you're just starting out 
• university of michigan: the university of michigan also has a terminal applied economics masters. it is a one year program. it is not affiliated with the gerald ford school of public policy. 
• London School of Economics: the LSE has a one year MSc econometrics program. this is a good option, as LSE is very strong in the private sector (particularly for a social science school), and universities in the UK tend to be somewhat cheaper than their american counterparts (especially at the undergrad level, but also at the postgrad level as well). however, you must hold a bachelors degree in economics prior to applying to this program, otherwise you are ineligible for the one year program. you can still apply without an econ bachelors, but you would have to do the two year program instead with additional coursework. 
• MBA Programs: an MBA is undoubtedly a good option if you're looking for a quantitative degree. you'll get exposure to a broad range of business, economics, and management topics. however, do keep in mind that MBA programs are pricey and they tend to be stingy with aid. sometimes, employers will offer to pay your tuition cost in an mba program. 
• Work Experience: work experience can be beneficial in providing real world skills and exposure. it can offer some perspective before applying to grad schools. moreover, it is often a fundamental requirement for gaining entry into many IR programs, particularly at schools like harvard kennedy and georgetown walsh school of foreign service. should you decide you want to take a more academic route, however, keep in mind that you might be at a slight disadvantage relative to seniors applying from college if you have spent several years out of school. it is nonetheless still a fairly viable route. statistics PhDs, for example, have the highest average salary of any PhD discipline according to payscale ($174k). 

 

hopefully this can be a useful resource for anyone asking similar questions. if anyone else wants to contribute in a constructive and positive way, or offer additional comments and corrections, they can do so below \/ \/ \/ \/

Hey forum members, how do I report this member? The person has been downvoting all of my previous posts even though he had no interaction with them, and I'd like to get the troll banned.

[bsack]

you're accusing me of trolling while quoting a substantive post that is directly relevant to the topic of the thread. seriously? please do not make additional posts on this thread unless you have something to say about quantitative IR programs. if you continue to create harassing posts, i am afraid i'll have to report you 

Edited March 5, 2016 by bsack

[bsack]

on that note, i'd like to mention another program i recently found out about:

Vanderbilt offers a terminal masters in economic development. it is generally 2 years long, but it can be completed in a year if you are a particularly committed student. the program provides extensive coursework in micro, macro, econometrics, and statistics, as well as electives relating to finance and investing. the program seems best suited for individuals seeking to work in the non-profit or international organization sector. however, they also have many placements at banks and financial firms, so it can be useful for those who would like to work in the private sector as well. a full list of placements can be found here:

http://as.vanderbilt.edu/gped/documents/GPEDPlacementMarch2015.pdf

Edited March 5, 2016 by bsack

[TakeruK]

Hi everyone,

I'm putting on my "moderator hat" for this post. I see that there is some disagreement and debate going on here, which is great, because that's how we learn things. But, this is a reminder to keep the discussion about the issues debated and refrain from personal attacks on other users. You can disagree with someone without calling them names. In addition, it is not acceptable to take the argument to PMs. Play nicely.

P.S. Our forum rules do not require posts to stay on topic (within reason) so I want to also remind all users not to tell other users what they can or cannot post. If the community wants the conversation to move towards a particular topic, then it will go that way. If the community does not want to address an irrelevant point, then it can ignore it and continue on the topics it finds interesting.

[bsack]

thanks, takeruk. i was just trying to make the point that i dont understand how a relevant post could possibly be misconstrued as trolling. if y'all wanna talk about whatever, it's cool with me, just try to keep it civil and substantive