The Student Room Group

Help with Choosing an IR Master's Programme

Hey guys! I need to make a decision fairly soon on which offer I will accept and I was wondering if anyone here had any insight or advice. I am an international student from the US with a BA in Political Science: International Security.

I have been accepted to KCL (International Conflict Studies), Aberystwyth (IR), Durham (Defence, Development, Diplomacy), Glasgow (Global Security), and Exeter (Global Security). I have also applied for LSE (IR) and Edinburgh (IR) but have not received decisions yet, however, I need to decide soon because KCL's deadline is June 16th.

I know that LSE is usually regarded as one of the best unis for political science and IR. KCL has the War Department. The London unis are far more expensive than the rest of the list. Aberystwyth has the first department devoted to IR, is it still renowned today? It would be by far the most affordable option. I don't know much about the other unis other than what I have read from their programme website.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
(edited 10 months ago)
Original post by KartoffelH
Hey guys! I need to make a decision fairly soon on which offer I will accept and I was wondering if anyone here had any insight or advice. I am an international student from the US with a BA in Political Science: International Security.
I have been accepted to KCL (International Conflict Studies), Aberystwyth (IR), Durham (Defence, Development, Diplomacy), Glasgow (Global Security), and Exeter (Global Security). I have also applied for LSE (IR) and Edinburgh (IR) but have not received decisions yet, however, I need to decide soon because KCL's deadline is June 16th.
I know that LSE is usually regarded as one of the best unis for political science and IR. KCL has the War Department. The London unis are far more expensive than the rest of the list. Aberystwyth has the first department devoted to IR, is it still renowned today? It would be by far the most affordable option. I don't know much about the other unis other than what I have read from their programme website.
Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

First off, unless they are asking for a deposit, you can accept offers and decline they without repercussions anytime you like. So the Kings deadline might not be an issue.

IR is a broad subject, so consider where the academics are that work in the sector you want to work in, eg Diplomacy, international development, terrorism, peace keeping, EU etc. Generally, yes, Aber does still have a good rep, but perhaps only in the more traditional centres of IR employment. Kings also has an international reputation. Glasgow and Exeter are good unis, but maybe not the IR specific rep.

You need to consider the reputation these places have in the countries and organisations you want to make a career in. That's probably best done by searching for Biogs of people working I those areas (in junior positions, no point picking 45 year olds and being 2 decades out of date)

Reply 2

Original post by threeportdrift
First off, unless they are asking for a deposit, you can accept offers and decline they without repercussions anytime you like. So the Kings deadline might not be an issue.
IR is a broad subject, so consider where the academics are that work in the sector you want to work in, eg Diplomacy, international development, terrorism, peace keeping, EU etc. Generally, yes, Aber does still have a good rep, but perhaps only in the more traditional centres of IR employment. Kings also has an international reputation. Glasgow and Exeter are good unis, but maybe not the IR specific rep.
You need to consider the reputation these places have in the countries and organisations you want to make a career in. That's probably best done by searching for Biogs of people working I those areas (in junior positions, no point picking 45 year olds and being 2 decades out of date)

I do think they are asking for a deposit since I am an international student, however, I will be sure to double-check. Thank you for the great information and questions to think about!

Right now I am thinking that Exeter and King's seem to be oriented most closely to the type of research/work I would like to get involved with. I guess one of the biggest questions I have is whether King's (on topic and clearly the most reputable out of the offers) is worth practically double the fees (and maybe triple Aberystwyth's fees).
(edited 10 months ago)
Original post by KartoffelH
I do think they are asking for a deposit since I am an international student, however, I will be sure to double-check. Thank you for the great information and questions to think about!
Right now I am thinking that Exeter and King's seem to be oriented most closely to the type of research/work I would like to get involved with. I guess one of the biggest questions I have is whether King's (on topic and clearly the most reputable out of the offers) is worth practically double the fees (and maybe triple Aberystwyth's fees).

I suspect Kings isn't worth double or triple Aber's fees. 80+% of your graduate job prospects are down to you as an individual. Sure, certain names on a CV will likely get you the benefit of the doubt and get you to more interviews, but in the final analysis for an employer, a numpty is a numpty whatever their qualifications. The difference Aber v Kings would make on a CV for IR roles is minimal. If you can flourish at Aber as well as you can at Kings (and they are wildly different places to live, could hardly be more different), then the employment gap between them is going to be you.

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