MA American Studies: Brown / Columbia?

<p>Hello everyone,</p>

<p>I am an international student, and I got accepted into the M.A. American Studies at both Columbia and Brown.I was offered a 50k fellowship for one academic year, which I could use for either university. At this moment, I am torn between the two …</p>

<p>Both offer fairly different programs:</p>

<p>Introduction - American Studies | Liberal Studies Master of Arts</p>

<p>M.A. in American Civilization | Brown University</p>

<p>The advantages for Brown Universty, in my opinion, are the fact that there is more free choice in terms of the curriculum, no dissertation and the possibility of an internship. Moreover, it is a 1 year program, which would be more interesting in terms of financing this degree.</p>

<p>Then again, Columbia has the better reputation (especially for the graduate school?) and might be more challenging or rewarding in terms of academics. The fact that it is located in New York City (I love big cities) and might open up more ‘opportunities’ are also a big draw for me. However, since this is a 2 year-program, it would be a lot more expensive.</p>

<p>I wondered if anyone had anything to add to this, or any advice to give…</p>

<p>Also, I wondered which one of the two would have the better ‘social life’ - I have read some negative things about Columbia in this aspect. Would it be easier to meet people and make friends at Brown since it is a smaller university in a smaller town?</p>

<p>I an alumnus of Columbia and saw you posting on the other listing. First, of all American Civilization (“Am Civ”) is a very popular major at Brown. Even though I never attended Brown, I’ve heard of Am Civ at Brown. In my years at Columbia, I never heard of “American Studies.” However, that was 30 or so ago.</p>

<p>What the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at Columbia used to do was let in just about very other American idiot for various MA liberal arts programs such as history, english, etc. This was seriously detrimental to the Ph.D. programs in fields that had these MA programs. Columbia like NYU is a large urban private university that offers dozens of programs to entice students, often from the NY area into becoming paying grad students for an MA that really does mean anything. The quality of most of these students is way below that of other students at the university. Columbia reputation is being is used as a marketing tool for programs like the one you are considering.</p>

<p>Housing at Columbia in Morningside Heights and elsewhere in NYC is difficult to find and very expensive. You will be considered very low in the hierarchy at Columbia as a “Liberal Studies MA student”. Let me emphasize that such. You’ll will be at the bottom. However, even if as an international student you do get housing in a Columbia owned building, it will be fairly expensive and not as good at housing near Brown. If you have to obtain housing in a non-Columbia owned building it will be even more expensive.</p>

<p>Further, I also not think that writing a MA thesis at Columbia is a good idea. There is a range of professors at Columbia but there are some who put minimal effort into teaching and can be arrogant. Given that advising is needed for a MA thesis and that Columbia’s priorities are focused on Ph.D. students, I would advise against doing an MA thesis at Columbia. Brown is more of an undergraduate and teaching oriented university. I believe that it more suitable to your circumstances.</p>

<p>In addition, I can tell you that for a graduate student the social life is by department or school e.g. history, law, etc. Columbia is in part a “commuter school.” I also suspect in programs like yours most of the students are from the NY area and disappear after hours. I can’t imagine you’ll have much of a social life unless you get connected with students from a particular department or some other program.</p>

<p>Brown is a highly regarded university in the United States. Am Civ exists as field of study at Brown. There are bachelors, masters and doctorates awarded in it at Brown. I think Brown would be a much less stressful place to get acclimated to the US education. I believe Brown would be more welcoming of foreigners interested in Am Civ. Further, Boston is easily reached by rail from Providence. </p>

<p>This is a “no-brainer.” Go to Brown. Get a certain MA in one year. If you are still set on Columbia, then go there after a Brown Am Civ masters.</p>

<p>Do you mind telling me when you applied and heard back from Columbia? I’ve also applied to the MA American Studies program there, and was wondering when decisions would start coming back.</p>

<p>Go to Brown. It has an established reputation for Am Civ. Columbia’s MA program is complete cash cow and you won’t actually be challenged by your graduate peers to think and argue more critically. But if you just need a degree to bring back to your home country, then so be it with Columbia.</p>

<p>I totally disagree with the above “you won’t actually be challenged…to think…etc.” at Columbia. The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences is mainly a place for a Ph.D. Many of these liberal arts MA students are thinking about backdoor entrance into to a Ph.D. program at Columbia. The majority are sub-par material by Columbia standards. In your case where you have $50K to do an M.A., Brown is the better choice.</p>

<p>I am a current Columbia grad (in a PhD program, but still) and I have to agree with the above: go to Brown. Reasons:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>No reason to go into debt for an MA in American studies; the $50K fellowship should cover tuition and a reasonable amount of living expenses in Providence for a year. You may come out with only about $10K in debt (you may even get a part-time job to cover a shortfall, if one exists). At Columbia, the $50K wouldn’t even cover the first year. You’d be at least $70K in debt after two years (an additional $10K for the first year, plus the entire $60K for the second).</p></li>
<li><p>I have to agree that the Liberal Studies MA programs are treated like cash cows here.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t worry about the social life. I am reasonably sure that you will find people you share interests with at both places, and Providence is a city, too. Although I really do like New York I have found the city overwhelming at times, and it is sometimes difficult to find people to socialize with outside of graduate school.</p></li>
</ol>