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Academic Advising 2008-09... a memo for entering students
Welcome to the professional MA Program in International Relations! You will be joining a class of about 85 talented individuals from all corners of the globe. Your academic accomplishments, language skills, and professional experience are impressive, and we are extremely pleased that you chose to join us here at Maxwell. One part of my job is to offer academic advice. You will find after you have taken a few seminars here that there might be other faculty members who can offer more informed and more focused assistance for the specialization that you wish to pursue. However, throughout your time here, I will be available to explain the program’s procedures and to offer guidance about how to best embark on the career that you have in mind. The 16-month MAIR Program features five curricular components. You will: (1) complete four core courses to prepare you with general knowledge and skills needed in the global workplace; (2) focus your studies by choosing two of six career tracks, while also integrating regional studies; (3) depending on your chosen Career Tracks, take one of two “signature courses” – courses that draw fully on the Maxwell School’s expertise in public affairs and up-to-date/cutting edge applied social science research (4) take a capstone course at the end of your second semester in preparation for your global internship; and (5) complete an internship through one of the Program’s global opportunities. Our website offers a detailed description of these five curricular components. The remainder of this memo is designed to help you decide how to initially navigate your options, at least upon arrival. Before fall courses begin, I expect to talk with each of you individually (we have reserved time during orientation week for this purpose). We realize that orientation week can be hectic, and if you would like to come and see me the following week, that would be fine. The Graduate School here permits you to change your courses for a certain period of time after classes begin. Your initial course choices, therefore, do not have to be final. Recall that one normally enrolls in four, three-credit courses each semester. I have taken the liberty of constructing a four-step plan to help guide you through your choices this fall. Please keep in mind that this four-step plan may only be relevant to those students not enrolled in a joint degree program. If you happen to be a joint JD/IR, Econ/IR, MPA/IR, or Public Diplomacy student, we will need to meet separately to discuss your options. RYAN’S FOUR-STEP PLAN 1. Select your Career Tracks and choose your “morale course” Before you embark on your IR journey, you will need to decide what you want to be when you grow up (which will happen only 16 months after beginning this program!). To help you make this decision, we have organized the IR curriculum around six Career Tracks, namely: Global Markets, Global Development, Negotiation & Conflict Resolution, Foreign Policy, Global Security, and Transnational Organizations & Leadership. You will need to select two. As an alternative for those particularly interested in regional studies, you can select a regional concentration in place of your second Career Track. For more information about these Tracks and the careers to which they lead, please refer to our program overview. Once you have decided what you want to do, you will need to link that decision to your first course selection. Make sure that this first course is a seminar that treats a topic or problem in which you are very interested. Let’s call this your “morale” course, which you are certain to enjoy. Give that first priority in your schedule for registration. 2. Select two required courses You must take four required courses to graduate. I recommend enrolling in at least two during the fall semester. The required courses offered this coming semester are listed below.
As indicated above, you may sign up to take IRP 705 and either PPA 723 or ECN 601 during either the fall 2007 or spring 2008 semester. IRP 704 will only be offered in the fall – all students must take this course in fall 2007 (unless waived). There is one more required course not listed above, namely IRP 645, History of International Relations. This course will be offered only in the spring 2008 semester by Professor Bennett. To satisfy the economics requirement of the IR curriculum, students must take either PPA 723 or ECN 601. As indicated above, you should only register for ECN 601 this fall is you are enrolled (or hoping to enroll) in the dual MA Program in IR and Economics. This particular section will be more quantitative and calculus based. The ECN 601 section offered in the spring semester will be designed for all IR students. PPA 723 (five sections in the fall and one in the spring) is also open to all IR students. This course services students in both the MPA and MAIR Programs. Please note that ECN 601/PPA 723 is an INTERMEDIATE microeconomics course, that is to say, a SECOND course in Micro that pre-supposes that you have had one micro course already with an acceptable grade. The rationale for our requirement is the ubiquity of rational-choice discourse (how to meet objectives most effectively) in almost every career to which you will aspire with our IR Masters Degree. Some of you have never had a first course in micro. Here’s what to do. Prepare for the requirement by obtaining a copy of any book with a title like ECONOMICS or PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS. Read all the “Micro” chapters carefully, and any beginning material on supply and demand, taking care to work out the problems and illustrations. One good choice is Robert H. Frank's PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS, joint with Ben Bernanke (now our Federal Reserve guru). 3. Select a signature course You also need to account for the “signature courses” in your schedule. The IR Program requires you to complete one of these two courses during your first year. Which course you choose is entirely up to you. Some students like to base their selection on their “Career Track” preferences (our terminology for areas of concentration). Below you will find the signature courses offered this coming semester along with the Career Tracks with which they fit.
As mentioned above, PSC 783 will be offered in both fall and spring semesters, but IRP 707 will only be offered in the fall. If you choose to take your signature course in the spring, you might decide to take two morale courses in the fall (as opposed to just one). 4. Begin to think about your off-campus semesters As soon as you arrive on campus, you will be barraged with information about academics and experiential learning. I like to think about the IR Program as offering two distinct, but connected components: academic preparation and professional training. Your first two semesters here are devoted to academics. Starting with the following summer semester and continuing into the fall, we will set you free of your Maxwell shackles and academically-tinted lenses and send you out into the real world. One of the strong points of the IR Program at Maxwell remains the depth and breadth of our off-campus offerings (we refer to them as our “Global Programs”). You will be asked to make some quick, but meaningful decisions by mid-October, our deadline for applying to summer and fall programs. All students are required to complete a “global internship” as part of this degree program. Take some time this summer to learn about our offerings… and then allow us to confuse you and change your mind about all your plans during orientation. The four-step plan thus concludes. Just a few more disclaimers... Unless you are pursuing a joint degree, all four required courses and the signature course must be completed during your first two semesters. There is no particular sequence that you should follow with the required courses (e.g., you do not need to take History of IR before you take other IR courses), unless you plan to take more economics courses (in which case you should take ECN 601 in the fall). The schedule above represents a typical--and close to ideal--beginning. There may be good reasons to depart from it, though, and I’ll be available to discuss other options. When selecting courses, you should always keep your MAIR requirements as well as (and most importantly) your longer-term career goals in mind. The MA program is short; completing it efficiently is crucial. Also, please remember that you will be required to participate in a one-credit policy simulation exercise referred to as the IR Capstone Seminar from Monday 11 May through Wednesday 13 May 2008 (MAIR/MPA students excluded, as you will complete the MPA capstone instead). The group as a whole will confront an alternative future policy problem or crisis. Based on your particular Career Track and regional focus, each of you will be assigned a role (e.g. Foreign Minister of Nigeria, CEO of Royal Dutch Shell, or President of Human Rights Watch). Each Career Track group may meet periodically during the spring semester with a faculty advisor to prepare for the simulation. This faculty advisor will eventually assess your performance during the exercise (as well as on potential written deliverables) and award you a grade. We see the Capstone as the culminating experience of your first year of studies here at Maxwell and as a way to bridge the academic and professional aspects of your education. We look forward to your active participation in this exciting course. This past May, students simulated future negotiations on climate change that will be held in Poznan, Poland in December of this year. We established a website for the course that can be viewed by clicking here. REGISTRATION The University has instituted a new procedure for registration this year. You are now able to register for courses before you arrive. This process begins on Friday, August 1st. Make your course selections and begin the registration process after 8:00 am, Eastern Standard Time. You will be able drop and add courses into September, so please think about August registration as just an initial glance at your preferences (which might change after you arrive). If a particular course is over-enrolled, please don't stress. We can talk during orientation about strategies to help ensure that you will get what you want and need out of the program. Due to the simultaneous registration of students in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program on August 1st, MAIR students will be closed out of all PPA-prefix courses until Thursday, August 7th. Please wait until that date to attempt to enroll in these courses, including of course PPA 723.
In order to access the on-line registration system, it is essential that
you notify the Graduate Enrollment Management Center (GEMC) of your
intent to attend You will not be able to register on August 1 if the GEMC has not received notification by the Intent to Register Form or a letter from you stating you plan to attend Syracuse University. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS I anticipate a few questions that have short answers. 1. “I feel insecure taking four courses my first semester. Can I take only three?” Yes, three also counts as a full load. But it may delay your completion of the program. Some international students decide to only take three. No problem. If you are considering this option, please stop in to see me. 2. “I’ve always done more than was required. Can I take five courses?” I don’t recommend it. Students who try often find that their grades suffer. In addition, you want to leave time in your schedule to attend the many lectures and activities which the School and University offer, and you may want to work on your language and/or computer skills. Are you an inveterate over-achiever? Consider one of our week-long, intensive workshops in London, Washington, or here on campus. 3. “Can I take additional language training?” The Graduate School does not permit courses taken at the undergraduate level to count toward the completion of requirements for a graduate degree. Therefore, you cannot count introductory or intermediate language courses toward completion of your MA. However, you may include graduate-level language courses (upon approval) in your MA curriculum. Many students decide to brush-up on a language or study a new language here on campus. In this case, you consider auditing an undergraduate course. There would be no charge if you are carrying a full load, but you need the approval of the instructor. Double-check with the IR Office and Language Department for further explanation. I also may be able to offer suggestions about integrating language instruction with your internship, or other off-campus work that will enhance or expand your language skills. Alternatively, the International Relations Student Association (IRSA) has formed language study groups with native speakers serving as teachers (remember, almost half of the MAIR students are international). You may want to learn a language in this fun and informal environment. Get in touch with an IRSA officer to learn about such options. 4. “How can I be sure that I won’t get swamped by the requirements in my four courses? That is, if they all have papers due on the same day?” They likely will not. You can ask professors for copies of the syllabus, and each department maintains a collection of course descriptions. In your course selection, consider avoiding four courses which all require long seminar papers, or all of which all have final examinations. Aim for a healthy mix. 5. “I’m lost and don’t have the slightest idea what to take.” It is a good idea for everyone to “shop around” a bit--for the first week or two attend two more courses than you can fit into your schedule. Then select the four courses you want to take for the semester. (Only don’t miss the deadlines to drop and add.) You need not be registered in a course to join it for a couple of weeks. In the US, undergraduate university-level education is generally intended to make you “broad,” so that you appreciate the key concepts and theories of a number of different fields. But graduate education is intended to make you “deep.” In advising you one-on-one, I’m guided by the thought that your studies should cohere--they should focus on the development of expertise in areas that are essential for advancement in the career that you seek. 6. “I’m aiming at a career assisting persons displaced by macro-engineering projects in Southeast Asia. There are no courses on that here! What can I do?” (1) Don’t be surprised if there is nothing in the curriculum that deals precisely with your major interest. In fact, if you’re forward-thinking and imaginative, one of the contributions which we shall expect from you--several years later in life--is to help formulate the curriculum required to prepare the next generation of professionals for emerging global problems. For now, you must utilize seminars offered on related topics to gain an understanding of emerging problems (which even your professors may not fully appreciate!) and to formulate explanations and policy prescriptions in your seminar papers. (2) Most US universities organize studies “topically” around problems or theoretical debates, and not geographically. Think about the knowledge and skills that you will likely need every day in your desired career--which seminars can best contribute? (3) If you are looking for courses in your regional concentration (remember, you can select a regional concentration in place of a second Career Track) and can’t seem to find any that fit your interests, we can discuss the possibility of applying another course to your geographic concentration. Such flexibility is possible if a significant amount of the work you do in this other course relates to your selected geographic area. For example, if you take PPA 730 – Policy and Administration in Developing Countries and write a seminar paper on development in Zimbabwe, you can likely apply this course to an Africa geographic concentration. Similar possibilities exist in other courses, but discuss your interest in doing so with me. 7. “I feel that I’m an exception. I would like to be excused from...” The MAIR program has rules, but they are not, on the whole, onerous. But you can always ask. If you have a very strong background in economics, for example, you may get “excused” from ECN 601. If you have a practical and thorough preparation in social statistics, you might be able to waive the quantitative skills requirement (PSC 693). You might also be able to make a case for waiving one of the other required or signature courses. Remember that there is a procedure to follow, which we will discuss in more detail during orientation. If you are able to waive a course, keep in mind that you are just waiving the course itself, not the credits. Don’t overreach. When I began grad school I was “forced” to “re-take” (I thought) elementary statistics. But I did well in the class and, more importantly, gained the confidence that I could teach myself the more specialized techniques that I would need in subsequent studies. 8. “What kinds of computer skills should I have?” The Maxwell School offers you the latest technology for computing and telecommunication. We think that utilization of global information resources will be an important ingredient in most successful careers in international affairs. There are several non-credit short courses offered by the School and by the University’s computer center. Set aside some time to extend your skills. It can make writing papers much more efficient. You should also know that the Maxwell School employs wireless network technology. You are encouraged to bring your notebook computers and purchase wireless cards that will enable you to use the network from many sections of the Maxwell building complex. For more information, see: http://ict.maxwell.syr.edu. 9. “I already have a Master’s degree. Can I transfer credits?” Yes, you may transfer up to nine credits from another institution if it meets the following criteria: 1) the credits are graduate level (it cannot be a course that was used toward your undergraduate degree); 2) you received an actual grade of “B” or better for the course(s) which must appear on an official graduate transcript; 3) the institution is recognized by the Graduate School of Syracuse University; 4) the courses you want to transfer are related to international affairs. There is a form that you will need to complete to transfer the credits. Meet with me if you are considering transferring credits. 10. “Can I take credits outside of the Maxwell School?” Depending on your professional interests, it may be wise to take courses outside of Maxwell. Many IR students take course in the Schools of Law, Management, Public Communication, and Information Science and Technology. Students with environmental interests may want to take courses at the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry, whose campus is adjacent to Syracuse University. However, a maximum of nine credits may be taken outside of the Maxwell School (and this includes credits transferred from another university – see #9 above). We do not allow any transfer or outside credits for joint-degree students. Feel free to discuss with me how course offerings outside of Maxwell may fit into your curriculum. These are simply a few general guidelines. We can discuss your specific situation when you arrive on campus. Just to remind you, the orientation for new MAIR students will take place August 18-20. I look forward to seeing all of you then. Enjoy the remainder of the summer!
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