Applying to NPSIA for 2018

[sunshine18]

Just got my official offer!

[Ronnieb]

1 hour ago, sunshine18 said:

Just got my official offer!

Same here, congrats!! 

[sunshine18]

My funding also includes a 'research scholarship'. What exactly does this mean? Is it a research position??

[Risotto]

41 minutes ago, sunshine18 said:

Just got my official offer!

Same! Congrats!

[Scuderia]

Any idea how many applicants apply to npsia and how many actually are admitted? I never saw this info on the website. 

 

Cheers!

[ah14]

Hey all, 

I just got accepted to Munk! Although with no funding but it's less costlier than MA programs in the United States (if anyone is applying to the U.S.). I'm still waiting on NPSIA and I read somewhere on this forum that they may respond as late as the end of this month!! I know that NPSIA is more professional and Munk is more academic, but I am interested in a more research-oriented program. If you guys have suggestions on that, it would be appreciated! 

Congratulations to those who got accepted and sending positive thoughts to those who are on the same boat as me! 

[Fiona96]

3 hours ago, ah14 said:

Hey all, 

I just got accepted to Munk! Although with no funding but it's less costlier than MA programs in the United States (if anyone is applying to the U.S.). I'm still waiting on NPSIA and I read somewhere on this forum that they may respond as late as the end of this month!! I know that NPSIA is more professional and Munk is more academic, but I am interested in a more research-oriented program. If you guys have suggestions on that, it would be appreciated! 

Congratulations to those who got accepted and sending positive thoughts to those who are on the same boat as me! 

I too got accepted to Munk! The cost is making it difficult to make a decision on whether or not to accept, but I am hoping that if U of T wants me, maybe NPSIA will too.  Hoping to hear back soon!

[Flyflyaway]

5 hours ago, sunshine18 said:

My funding also includes a 'research scholarship'. What exactly does this mean? Is it a research position??

 

congrats!

i also received this and am wondering what it is/entails  

 

I have also decided I am no longer interested in the field I chose. Does anyone know if there is a possibility to change this? If I choose not to do the field (not fulfill the requirements) am i at a disadvantage in any way? 

Edited March 13, 2018 by Flyflyaway
spelling

[sunshine18]

44 minutes ago, Flyflyaway said:

 

congrats!

i also received this and am wondering what it is/entails  

 

I have also decided I am no longer interested in the field I chose. Does anyone know if there is a possibility to change this? If I choose not to do the field (not fulfill the requirements) am i at a disadvantage in any way? 

What field did you get into and why are you no longer interested in it if you don't mind me asking? Based on my research the research scholarship is different than a position (I think). I still have no idea what that means, so I'll email NPSIA admin shortly.

Edited March 13, 2018 by sunshine18

[Flyflyaway]

1 hour ago, sunshine18 said:

What field did you get into and why are you no longer interested in it if you don't mind me asking? Based on my research the research scholarship is different than a position (I think). I still have no idea what that means, so I'll email NPSIA admin shortly.

no I don't mind  

I was accepted into Project Management and Humanitarian Assistance (was my second choice), but have been thinking about it a lot and although I find it interesting, it is not something I want to pursue as a career.  I've just decided i'm much more interested in policy and i don't want my diploma to be in a specialization i've completely ruled out, but am worried if I will be at a disadvantage when picking courses/ future job prospects..

Edited March 13, 2018 by Flyflyaway

[Risotto]

8 hours ago, sunshine18 said:

My funding also includes a 'research scholarship'. What exactly does this mean? Is it a research position??

Hi everyone,

I contacted NPSIA and was informed that a research scholarship is an RAship that involves 120 hours (or 5 hours a week) of research activities either with a prof within your specialization or within one of the research units (the centres are here: https://carleton.ca/npsia/research/research-centres/). 

Exciting stuff!

Edited March 13, 2018 by Risotto
Silly grammatical error

[sunshine18]

20 minutes ago, Risotto said:

Hi everyone,

I contacted NPSIA and was informed that a research scholarship is an RAship that involves 120 hours (or 5 hours a week) of research activities either with a prof within your specialization or within one of the research units (the centres are here: https://carleton.ca/npsia/research/research-centres/). 

Exciting stuff!

Oh my gosh! That is super exciting!!

[ah14]

@Fiona96 Congratulations!!!! Yes, i actually emailed them asking if I had any other options. It's so expensive. I'm still waiting on NPSIA. Best of luck as you make your decisions!! Hopefully we can update each other on what we decide to pursue

[Scuderia]

How many npsia students are admitted each year? Anyone know by chance?

[alexma63]

I got my official offer from NPSIA. Got my second choice in the Conflict Analysis and Resolution stream which is great. Connects well with my primary interests in advocacy and human rights. Decent offer but GPSIA is offering me 2000$ more without an RAship attached to the funding. I'm getting the sense that NPSIA might be worth it despite financial temptation. The RAship might provide me with some valuable experience as well.

Congrats on everyone else who has received an offer. I am rooting for those people still waiting as well  I hope you hear soon. 

Edited March 15, 2018 by alexma63

[LoopyLex]

 

On 3/10/2018 at 11:46 PM, sandradee said:

I officially accepted my NPSIA offer and all my awards. I was emailed by carleton central to fill out my TA preferences. Does anyone know what to be selecting for that? As in can we only TA in courses that we've completed? Or courses that were in your undergraduate degree? For example, can I only TA to social work classes, even though I've completed/have much work history in some of the sociology ones? I guess its too early, but the email states the faster you fill it out the better. (I was thinking too how there is no undergraduate program through NPSIA so I guess we just choose what we think we should teach based on experience?)

They toss you anywhere they think you have some sense of what you're doing, haha. I have a history/poli sci background and they stuck me in a third year law/history course. If you fill out that you're interested in history classes, they'll likely snag you for that department, since there's not a ton of history graduate students compared to undergraduates. I have a few friends who ended up with oddball bird classes to TA as well. 

On 3/13/2018 at 11:56 AM, ah14 said:

Hey all, 

I just got accepted to Munk! Although with no funding but it's less costlier than MA programs in the United States (if anyone is applying to the U.S.). I'm still waiting on NPSIA and I read somewhere on this forum that they may respond as late as the end of this month!! I know that NPSIA is more professional and Munk is more academic, but I am interested in a more research-oriented program. If you guys have suggestions on that, it would be appreciated! 

Congratulations to those who got accepted and sending positive thoughts to those who are on the same boat as me! 

While most masters students come to NPSIA looking for professional experience, there is still a lot of opportunity if you're interested in research. NPSIA offers both a research paper and thesis option (and you can choose to complete both the research paper AND do co-op if you want, which many students take advantage of). I do hear Munk is better known for academics though, so if you're looking to do a PhD that might be better (though NPSIA also offers an accelerated PhD program).

On 3/13/2018 at 4:54 PM, Flyflyaway said:

no I don't mind  

I was accepted into Project Management and Humanitarian Assistance (was my second choice), but have been thinking about it a lot and although I find it interesting, it is not something I want to pursue as a career.  I've just decided i'm much more interested in policy and i don't want my diploma to be in a specialization i've completely ruled out, but am worried if I will be at a disadvantage when picking courses/ future job prospects..

Don't worry too much about this. You only have to take 3 courses in your designation (and a specific econ class). After that, you're free to go wherever you want! So if you want to do loads of specific policy classes, you're free to. You can also e-mail / call about changing the designation if it is a big deal for you, but it can be difficult once the more in demand designations fill up.

3 hours ago, Scuderia said:

How many npsia students are admitted each year? Anyone know by chance?

Typically, they aim for around 100-120ish. Sometimes this ends up higher due to more people accepting in first round than expected (as was the case with this year).

55 minutes ago, alexma63 said:

I got my official offer from NPSIA. Got my second choice in the Conflict Analysis and Resolution stream which is great. Connects well with my primary interests in advocacy and human rights. Decent offer but GPSIA is offering me 2000$ more without an RAship attached to the funding. I'm getting the sense that NPSIA might be worth it despite financial temptation. The RAship might provide me with some valuable experience as well.

Congrats on everyone else who has received an offer. I am rooting for those people still waiting as well  I hope you hear soon. 

RAships are usually not a whole ton of commitment, (a friend of mine just puts together newspaper articles and some details about them in an excel document for her prof, haha) but do provide a great chance to connect with a professor and gain research experience to put on a resume. GPSIA is a great program too though. Like I've mentioned previously, the big differences appear to be on language requirements and economics/statistics requirements. GPSIA is more heavy on French (NPSIA lets you choose whatever second language you want) and NPSIA just ADORES torturing its students with more advanced econ and requiring introductory statistics. I find it a question of what scares you more: taking a masters class in French, or taking a masters class in economics? Although depending on your steam, the econ classes vary in difficulty. If that helps with your decision making at all!

Congratulations to all those who were accepted, and cheers for those still waiting to hear back. I am about to bother for anyone who has questions on the program (or wants to be convinced of NPSIA over GPSIA or Munk....I may have biases).

Edited March 15, 2018 by LoopyLex

[Delidas]

So I heard back from IHEID this morning. Received a tuition reduction of close to 90%, and a stipend of 10,000CHF per year to live off of.

I can't tell if what I feel is excitement, or anxiety at the prospect of having to make a really tough choice. 

I'm gonna have to break out the calculator and work out if it's a better deal than what NPSIA is offering me. My money would go farther in Ottawa than it would in Geneva, that's for sure. 

Anyways, I'll keep you guys posted. After all, we may be future-classmates in the fall, depending on what I opt to do.

Also, congratulations to everyone who's since received official offers! And good luck deciding between NPSIA and GSPIA for those having to do so - hopefully we all come to make a choice that we can be happy with. 

[alexma63]

9 hours ago, LoopyLex said:

 

RAships are usually not a whole ton of commitment, (a friend of mine just puts together newspaper articles and some details about them in an excel document for her prof, haha) but do provide a great chance to connect with a professor and gain research experience to put on a resume. GPSIA is a great program too though. Like I've mentioned previously, the big differences appear to be on language requirements and economics/statistics requirements. GPSIA is more heavy on French (NPSIA lets you choose whatever second language you want) and NPSIA just ADORES torturing its students with more advanced econ and requiring introductory statistics. I find it a question of what scares you more: taking a masters class in French, or taking a masters class in economics? Although depending on your steam, the econ classes vary in difficulty. If that helps with your decision making at all!

Congratulations to all those who were accepted, and cheers for those still waiting to hear back. I am about to bother for anyone who has questions on the program (or wants to be convinced of NPSIA over GPSIA or Munk....I may have biases).

@LoopyLex Thanks for your support and advice. It is really helpful! To be honest, the French courses seem a lot less intimidating only because I am (functionally) bilingual. I've started learning Swedish and Norwegian as per my own interest, but as expected, neither program offers courses in these languages. I like the fact that Carleton has EURUS as I am really interested in European issues (e.g. refugee crisis, Brexit). Do you know how difficult the conflict economics course is either from your own experience or the experience of your classmates? I have to hire a tutor this summer just to survive the introductory economics courses... so I'm anxious about that to say the least! Stats was drilled into my brain during my psych undergrad so I'm not too worried about that. Can you provide any input on the international opportunities available during the program? As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've heard from faculty that many students go to the Sorbonne. I'd also ideally like to do an exchange abroad - have you or any of your colleagues done so at NPSIA? Would you also be able to speak to the job opportunities for GPSIA vs. NPSIA students? My friends working for GAC have told me that NPSIA is still considered 'crème de la crème' when it comes to government work.

Thanks again

Edited March 15, 2018 by alexma63

[LoopyLex]

1 hour ago, alexma63 said:

@LoopyLex Thanks for your support and advice. It is really helpful! To be honest, the French courses seem a lot less intimidating only because I am (functionally) bilingual. I've started learning Swedish and Norwegian as per my own interest, but as expected, neither program offers courses in these languages. I like the fact that Carleton has EURUS as I am really interested in European issues (e.g. refugee crisis, Brexit). Do you know how difficult the conflict economics course is either from your own experience or the experience of your classmates? I have to hire a tutor this summer just to survive the introductory economics courses... so I'm anxious about that to say the least! Stats was drilled into my brain during my psych undergrad so I'm not too worried about that. Can you provide any input on the international opportunities available during the program? As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've heard from faculty that many students go to the Sorbonne. I'd also ideally like to do an exchange abroad - have you or any of your colleagues done so at NPSIA? Would you also be able to speak to the job opportunities for GPSIA vs. NPSIA students? My friends working for GAC have told me that NPSIA is still considered 'crème de la crème' when it comes to government work.

Thanks again

You have the option of taking classes outside of NPSIA as well, if you're interested in some of the EURUS stuff. Quite a few NPSIA classes are European orientated as well!

That would be economics of conflict, which I unfortunately haven't heard too much about. It seems right now the econ for defense and security is the most difficult (he likes to throw math at us) while the others are a bit more basic in their math load and more theory based. Just about all of us history/poli/psyc/english folks get through it though, it just takes more commitment if you're shooting for a higher grade.

There are load of international opportunities. A few of my friends went to Japan for a week or so (fully paid for) through an amazing program here. There's some UN internships they're pushing on us right now, as well as I believe some sort of Taiwan thing going on? Honestly, it all starts to become a muddled mess because we get SO MANY E-MAILS about various opportunities. I don't know anyone personally who's done an exchange, just because of the commitment to organizing that while also trying to do co-op/research paper/thesis can be difficult. Most people try to take advantage for the shorter international opportunities. Although, interestingly enough, there was a co-op position in Madrid this year working out of an embassy! So you can sort of double up co-op with international experience if you get lucky.

It seems NPSIA still inches ahead over GPSIA when it comes to jobs. A few students were discussing the other day how their employers told them that they actively seek out NPSIA students over others. If you're looking for work in the federal government, I really don't think any other program compares. The alumni network is just so huge, and people recognize the program as quality that it gives us a leg up over GPSIA who is just now getting really into the co-op game.

[sunshine18]

 

On 3/13/2018 at 6:06 PM, Risotto said:

Hi everyone,

I contacted NPSIA and was informed that a research scholarship is an RAship that involves 120 hours (or 5 hours a week) of research activities either with a prof within your specialization or within one of the research units (the centres are here: https://carleton.ca/npsia/research/research-centres/). 

Exciting stuff!

I just contacted NPSIA and I got more information on the research scholarship. This is exactly what they said:

"In your case, this is in fact a straight scholarship, not a research position. We only had a small number of the latter and could not offer them from the outset as part of all funding packages. My apologies for the slight confusion. As a result of the strike of our administrative colleagues, some information was not properly included in the offers."

This is just extra info for anyone that also got the research scholarship

 

 

[SamNpsia]

Hello Everyone,

So today I found out that I made it into NPSIA but with no funding. I have already been admitted into GSPIA with $2000 a term of funding. My career goal is to land a job at Global Affairs Canada. So what should I do? where should I go?

Thank you all for your input

[Sagnik_G]

Hey guys.

Does anyone have any information about second round offers? Have they begun? Will there even be any? I assume that those who had been sent a first round offer have exhausted the time frame within a reply is mandated, right? 

[Flyflyaway]

1 hour ago, Sagnik_G said:

Hey guys.

Does anyone have any information about second round offers? Have they begun? Will there even be any? I assume that those who had been sent a first round offer have exhausted the time frame within a reply is mandated, right? 

 I received my official offer on march 13th (the letter is dated) and I have 21 days to refuse or accept the offer. I had received an unofficial offer back at the end of february (so i think that was part of the first round? - idk). So the time I have to decide is from when I received my official offer.  so I'm thinking they will just start processing second round offers

I don't know anything about second round offers- sorry 

[SamNpsia]

7 hours ago, Sagnik_G said:

Hey guys.

Does anyone have any information about second round offers? Have they begun? Will there even be any? I assume that those who had been sent a first round offer have exhausted the time frame within a reply is mandated, right? 

I was a second round offer. 

[SamNpsia]

But I think I was the very first one. By next week they'll start rolling them out.