4 replies to this topic

[KAI]

I know that there is a JD/MA program with U of O and NPSIA. There is plenty of info on this site about admission and experience to U of O law but I have not been able to find much info on the MA from NPSIA. Does anyone have any insight into:

1. the acceptance stats?
2. the in course experience?
3. Reputation?

Also, has anyone applied to the program?

Any links (not from this site, read them all), personal experience, etc would be great.

Thanks

[BetterCallSaul]

I can't speak to 1 or 2, but for what it is, the reputation of NPSIA is definitely unrivalled in Canada. FP Magazine once ranked it better than Harvard (http://www.canada.co...6d-a400f84d667e), but its no longer in their top 10 list.

[alex88]

I'm applying to the JD/MA at NPSIA as well and would be interested in any info people can provide. From what I hear the quality of NPSIA has declined somewhat in recent years but admission is still quite competitive. Again that's just what I've heard, not from my own experience.

[jmcazabon]

Have a friend doing her Ma in IR at NPSIA, verrrry policy oriented, and attracts tonnes of mature students/bureaucrats. As a result, you got some really interesting discussion and presentations with it being in Ottawa at all.

[apenn034]

Current first-year student in the joint MA/JD here. While I haven't taken the NPSIA courses yet (that's next year), I have heard from upper-year colleagues in the program that it is a relatively nice break from the grind of first year law school courses. I have talked with the NPSIA staff in the past and they placed last year's application statistics at around 80 admissions with around 650 applicants. That was my understanding given the conversation, but again please just take those figures as a personal anecdote at this point.

In terms of reputation, I have previously worked alongside both current NPSIA students and alumni from the program. In the Ottawa market, NPSIA is often considered a great gateway into government service. The reputation is respected amongst many civil servants and non-governmental workers as well. I actually worked with a colleague who went to LSE for their MA program and they noted that in retrospect, they probably would have just stayed in Ottawa and went to NPSIA. If your end-goal is government / NGOs centred in Ottawa, this may be a good decision and the school's reputation will support you.

Ultimately, this is all just a personal perspective but feel free to post some more specific questions if you have any. Good luck in the admissions process!