Brandeis Heller - MA in Sustainable International Development

[2018Hopeful]

Hey, 

As a Fulbright candidate, I was advised by my IIE Placement Officer to apply to the MA in Sustainable International Development (Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, link: http://heller.brandeis.edu/sustainable-international-development/index.html).

I read that they are very strong at social policy but I was thinking to concentrate more on the economic/quant part of development (as Harvard MPA-ID). I would like to know about of this program, so everything that you can tell me is going to be great! (focus, quant skills, average GRE, scholarships, class size, career path, etc).

 

Finally, I attached a link to my description for more information: https://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/23492-the-am-i-competitive-thread-read-me-before-posting/?do=findComment&comment=1058521623

Thanks!!

[Lisie]

Heller student although not SID.  I do know many SID students though.

Honestly, I never know what Heller means when it says it's one of the top 10 schools of social policy.  It's, like, one of perhaps 10 social policy schools in the country.  Period.  U.S. News has separate categories for public policy, public affairs, social policy, etc.  It's such a meaningless distinction.

I would say not the best fit for you.  The SID program here is very soft academically.  It does not require strong quant skills (if any at all).  You can add a concentration (most Heller students are dual concentrates) but even the MBA/SID wouldn't give you what you are looking for.  The only thing close to the economic/quant focus you are looking for at the masters level is the MPP program and that has a domestic focus.

You have to be a really terrible student not to be accepted to the SID program.  Instead, the strength of your application packet generally determines your funding.  It appears to be a well-funded school, which is why many of the poorer students decide to go here.  Most international students I have met in the SID program are funded by NGOs.  I don't know what kind of funding the school sets aside for SID.  (It can be quite generous for MPP and MBA.)

Heller is also very liberal in terms of its politics...for all that is good and bad about it.  TBH, my previous employer looked down on Heller as a soft school that is too skewed towards liberal politics to produce balanced candidates for policy jobs; however, they weren't offering any tuition reimbursement, so here I am.  MPP and MBA aren't that soft either.  The COEX students are generally regarded as amazing people.

No one knows what the school's focus is anymore.  It used to be social work but it has recently tried to evolve in a policy-slash-social entrepreneurship direction, which brings in a lot of poor fits to the school.  You have people here because they want to help, whether it be through direct service or policy, and then the MBAs who disparage them as not having adequate social aspirations.

My understanding is you can have crap GRE scores and still be accepted to SID.  It and COEX are the school's least competitive programs.  Class sizes are generally small.

HTH

Edited November 28, 2017 by Lisie
re masters programs

[2018Hopeful]

Thanks @Lisie!! 

I managed to change their suggestion from Heller SID to Syracuse MPA

[LadyJuju]

Current student. Guessing the other poster meant competitiveness among current students?

The SID program at Heller is by far the most competitive program admissions-wise that the Heller School offers. If you do not believe me, look it up in Petersons guide. It gets many more applications than most of the school's other programs (combined, probably) and, because of that, the acceptance rate for the SID program is the lowest of all Heller programs. That doesn't mean the SID program is better or that the other Heller programs are not. Just like with Kennedy, the Heller SID program attracts mostly foreign students who are looking to get at least some time in the U.S. at an elite school. Other than COEX, the other Heller programs are not targeted towards foreign students and face stiff domestic competition from the Boston area's many many schools, many of which do not carry the baggage of Brandeis' "politics" (Aside: Why Brandeis gets associations with ultraliberalism is beyond me. WTH does this really mean - a liberal school? Talk to some of the ritzy undergrads if you want to know how "liberal" Brandeis really is. It's like any other expensive private school IMO.) The other schools also more centrally located in Boston/Cambridge for the most part. (Unsure why anyone wouldn't want to live in Waltham. It has a crusty area but is a nice town for the most part. Beautiful along the Weston border. The Brandeis campus, with its mid-century architecture, is arguably the most beautiful of the Boston area schools.)

I would go further in saying that the SID program's strength is the work component. Students spend pretty much their entire second year working for an employer in a position relevant to their studies. Boston's not NYC but it's a far cry from the sticks like Syracuse. There are a ton of high level international organizations here. Oxfam's U.S. headquarters is here. Obviously JPAL. Boston/Cambridge is also a major technology startup city. Plenty of places to get experience in more quantitative aspects of international relief work.

Brandeis is an excellent school. There aren't any easy programs at Heller or elsewhere within the school.

Suggest reaching out to Professors Sampath, Godoy, or Assan to get more serious answers to your questions about what the program can do to help you towards your goals http://heller.brandeis.edu/sustainable-international-development/faculty/index.html

[Lisie]

On 1/3/2018 at 7:48 AM, LadyJuju said:

Current student. Guessing the other poster meant competitiveness among current students?

The SID program at Heller is by far the most competitive program admissions-wise that the Heller School offers. If you do not believe me, look it up in Petersons guide. It gets many more applications than most of the school's other programs (combined, probably) and, because of that, the acceptance rate for the SID program is the lowest of all Heller programs. That doesn't mean the SID program is better or that the other Heller programs are not. Just like with Kennedy, the Heller SID program attracts mostly foreign students who are looking to get at least some time in the U.S. at an elite school. Other than COEX, the other Heller programs are not targeted towards foreign students and face stiff domestic competition from the Boston area's many many schools, many of which do not carry the baggage of Brandeis' "politics" (Aside: Why Brandeis gets associations with ultraliberalism is beyond me. WTH does this really mean - a liberal school? Talk to some of the ritzy undergrads if you want to know how "liberal" Brandeis really is. It's like any other expensive private school IMO.) The other schools also more centrally located in Boston/Cambridge for the most part. (Unsure why anyone wouldn't want to live in Waltham. It has a crusty area but is a nice town for the most part. Beautiful along the Weston border. The Brandeis campus, with its mid-century architecture, is arguably the most beautiful of the Boston area schools.)

I would go further in saying that the SID program's strength is the work component. Students spend pretty much their entire second year working for an employer in a position relevant to their studies. Boston's not NYC but it's a far cry from the sticks like Syracuse. There are a ton of high level international organizations here. Oxfam's U.S. headquarters is here. Obviously JPAL. Boston/Cambridge is also a major technology startup city. Plenty of places to get experience in more quantitative aspects of international relief work.

Brandeis is an excellent school. There aren't any easy programs at Heller or elsewhere within the school.

Suggest reaching out to Professors Sampath, Godoy, or Assan to get more serious answers to your questions about what the program can do to help you towards your goals http://heller.brandeis.edu/sustainable-international-development/faculty/index.html

Where to begin?

Heller's SID acceptance rate may be lower than many, including Harvard's MPA which I understand also attracts mostly foreign students.  It doesn't mean the Heller SID program is better though because with Harvard, you are buying their reputation.  In all honesty, Brandeis' reputation is good.  I'll give you that.  The university also had a good year in 2017 with two current professors winning Nobel Prizes.  It also co-hosted the American Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.  But it doesn't have Harvard's reputation, or at least not yet, and when it comes to the all-important job market, Harvard and other schools seem better bets than Brandeis.  Also, the OP is looking for a strong quant program.  Honestly, an economics program would seem more suitable but the bottom line is that SID is not a strong quant program.  It just isn't.  Decent school, yes.  Strong quant program, no way.

About Brandeis' liberalism.  Let's put it this way.  On my first day at Heller, a university (not Heller) dean gushed in front of a class of new students about how she would be voting for Hillary.  Many other universities make efforts towards non-partisanship.  Not Brandeis.

Edited January 4, 2018 by Lisie