Your Specialization Choice

Spring 2017
Dorcas Mbuvi
Julieta Marotta
Lutz F. Krebs
Melissa Siegel
Serdar Trkeli
Tatiana Skripka
Zina Nimeh

Todays Schedule
now
9:30
10:00
10:30
11:00
11:30
12:00

Intro: Making Your Choice

Migration Studies, Melissa Siegel
Innovation, Institutions & Development, Serdar Trkeli
Social Protection Policy Design & Financing, Zina Nimeh
Break
Risk & Vulnerability, Dorcas Mbuvi
Regional Integration & Multi-Level Governance,
Tatiana Skripka
12:30 Foreign Policy & Development, Julieta Marotta

Choose a pre-packaged
specialization

Mix your own set of

courses

Choose a pre-packaged specialization

Package of courses with clear focus and
an internal logic
Combinations with thesis topics
are possible
Designed with a clear career
track in mind

Mix your own set of courses

Suitable for career paths at the
intersection of topics
Flexibility to build a unique profile
Ideal for people with a clear vision
of their desired career

Assembling a Free Elective

Pick from all courses offered in the MPP
One course for each period (due to scheduling)
Not every combination works:
some courses require a previous course from
the same specialization as a pre-requisite

Free Electives Pre-requisites

Innovation: course 2 works best with course 1
Risk: course 2 works best with course 1,
course 4 works best with course 3
Social Protection: courses 3 and 4 work better if
you are following the specialization as a whole
Other specializations: usually some extra
reading

Dos and Donts of Free Electives

Do have a clear idea of where you are going,
dont discard clarity of focus lightly
Do talk to all involved specialization
coordinators and myself before picking an FE
Dont pick an FE simply to avoid a course in your
favored specialization

Making Your Choice Today

You already have access to the course
descriptions
The coordinator of each specialization will come
in to discuss the specialization as a whole
Ask them about individual courses, concrete
skills, career opportunities, links to the thesis,

Making Your Choice Next Two Weeks

Book a meeting with the specialization coordinators, or
me for the free elective (one-on-one, one-on-some)
- Registration link this afternoon by email, blog, FB
- Come prepared: tell them about context, ask questions
- Well add more meetings if we run out of slots for a
participation specialization

Badger previous students about their impressions, but

remember: specializations are developed continuously

Making Your Choice Next Two Weeks

Book a meeting with the specialization coordinators, or
me for the free elective (one-on-one, one-on-some)
- Registration link this afternoon by email, blog, FB
- Come prepared: tell them about context, ask questions
- Well add more meetings if we run out of slots for a
Every year, theres some guy who walks in and says:
participation specialization
OK, give it your best shot! Convince me!
Badger previous students about their impressions, but

remember: specializations are developed continuously

Every year, we answer:
Can I recommend you another specialization?

Making Your Choice Final Q&A

Q&A session on Friday, Nov. 11 with Julieta &
me
Bring any and all questions!

Making Your Choice Rack Your Brains

Go with popular choices? That changes every year
Go by workload or skills required? Consider shortterm vs. long-term thinking
Go by career goal? Si! Think beyond course choice
Choice based on dating opportunities? Err
Pick with a dart board? Its been done, it wasnt
successful

Making Your Choice Typical Issues

Can I take more than one course at the same
time?
Scheduling makes this hard, but you can request
this for an optional, extra credit. Making it work is
your job. You cannot hurt your transcript by failing
or dropping out.

Making Your Choice Typical Issues

Can I have access to materials from other courses?
We encourage sharing materials between
specializations, feel free to circulate course
manuals, articles, etc.

Making Your Choice DEADLINE

Starting this afternoon, make your choice via
the online form (email, blog, FB)
Always choose a specialization!
If desired, apply for a free elective track
The deadline is Monday, November 14, 12:00
noon you have to choose something by then!

Making Your Choice What happens next?

We start planning and budgeting on Nov. 15
Students set up specialization groups on FB
(start early?)
Many specializations do a meet and greet
Start thinking about thesis topics (with or
without relation to specialization)

Temporarily nuts?
Just want a change?
Its possible but not easy to change your choice!
Request via Student Affairs
At least four weeks before course start
Requests can be turned down

Questions?
General questions now
Time for Q&A after each presentation
Personal questions (your preferences, career
plans) during the academic advising sessions

My advice
Listen to many presentations
You might come across an alternative you hadnt
considered before
Please dont disturb presentations
Feel free to leave between talks if its not your
thing