Hi everyone!

I've decided after doing my MA in International Relations to change fields and study a discipline that is Economics-related. So I recently received an offer to study Master of International Economic Policy in Sciences Po (Paris) and European Economic Integration and Business in College of Europe (Brugge, Belgium) and I have no idea which one to pick!

The program in Sciences Po is 2 years and I would be looking to continue onto PhD after. I've heard the calibre of staff and students is very high and the courses are extremely well taught. Sciences Po itself is well-regarded within France and the programme offers an option for an internship, which will be useful when finding a job (I plan to stay in France after). I may also have a scholarship although it has not been announced yet. Given that, Paris is extremely expensive and going into another Masters for 2 years seems a bit excessive.

The program in College of Europe is also exceptional and only 1 year. It is a specialised Masters and a very relevant topic, which will equally be useful for a future career. Also, the College is specifically geared towards a 1-year networking and development opportunity with potential European leaders, so it's quite an opportunity to meet future colleagues. I have a scholarship for this one which covers tuition fee, accommodation and 3-course meals so money isn't an issue. The downside is that I want to go into a PhD and the school doesn't offer this, which means I'll have to reapply to a Doctorate program at the end of the year (which is another struggle).

So, I'm at a total loss and have to make a decision by June!!! Help...?

I would suggest focussing on which of the two Masters programmes you prefer. It's fantastic that you've got the scholarship for Belgium, and fingers crossed for Paris, as well!

Whilst I don't wish to put a dampener on things, you write as though to presume that you would automatically proceed to PhD in Paris. Potentially, though, this could (possibly) not turn out to happen, even if you were to study the Masters there. You may also find that, having done a Masters at one institution, it's not necessarily the place you want to continue on to doctoral studies.

My tuppence worth would be to sit down and be very honest with yourself about which of the two Masters programmes (forgetting finances for that moment) you would prefer to do. PhD will come later, pending successful completion of the Masters course and application for PhD itself: and that success will (arguably) come all the more easily if you are settled and enjoying your Masters year as much as you can.

Best of luck with whichever of the two you decide to take: they both sound like fabulous opportunities.

Thank you sempronius, that is great advice indeed. I'm working on a reasonable CBA now, so hopefully that will help!

I agree with your thoughts on the PhD, Paris had just seemed like the easier option to transition into a potential one, where I'd also have a relatively well-rounded idea of a supervisor. Whereas in Bruges, I wouldn't have that institutional "safety net". But neither of them guarantee nor eliminate my chances of continuing higher education. You're definitely right.

Thanks again! Hopefully, the decision will come to me before June!

The more good social science methods training you can get during the masters, the easier the transition to the PhD will be, so I'd see what each programme offers in that area to help decide.
I don't think the two years at Sciences-Po is necessarily a deal-breaker if you definitely want to do a PhD in France. My understanding of the College of Europe programme is that it is viewed as a professional masters (M1 in the French system) rather than the research masters (M2 in France) that grants access to a PhD. So if you want to do a PhD in France, you might find that you'd need to do another year anyway.