IR rankings for Ivies

endlessrecession
Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:24:36 +0000

The best source, although its tangential and “media driven” is the Graduate School rankings by Newsweek Magazine. Its by major and program. That gives you SOME indication of the strength of the undergraduate programs because the grad students teach the undergrads. The tenured Ivy profs SELDOM teach in class and are too busy publishing, giving lectures on circuit and prognosticating to lower themselves to “teaching undergrads”.

IR is highly competitive because it is so popular as a major. Getting into the State Department or Intelligence Community is exceptionally competitive and frustrating. A lot of these majors end up working for a big accounting or big law firm or corporation overseas as “regional specialists and analysts.”

Most high level jobs in IR require a minimum of an M.A., and preferably a PhD.

But then again, I am not one to suggest that your undergraduate major has to translate into a direct and specific career path. College is not a technical school. So its a fun major, but just be forewarned the job market is wicked competitive. Trust me, I know.