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Post: #2

Ok, if you want to go far in IR be ready fork out at least $80,000.

You will want to go to a top 10 school in it to get into any meaningful positions.

Number one master program for international relations is Georgetown University's Master of Science in Foreign Service in D.C. It's School of Foreign Service was created at the end of World War One to try and train people to get the Europeans to quit killing each other. For this degree you're looking at $130,000. Plus Georgetown is known for giving little to no financial aid. But it will get you into powerful positions in government. Georgetown is an institution that creates leaders, and many men in positions of great power in government and defense went there. Your teachers will often be former leaders from various positions, past president administrations, state department, defense etc.

In D.C. you also have great MA in International Affairs programs at Johns Hopkins (I'd say 2nd to GTU) and George Washington University. GWU is sub $100,000 last I checked and they're known for great financial aid packages.

Up in Massachusetts you have Tufts university that has an MA in International Law and Diplomacy or something like that, its a smaller school, not as well known, but still holds it own against the juggernaut Uni's in D.C.

And in NYC you have Columbia School of International and Public Affairs, might be worth it so you can live in NYC for a few years. Plus you have all sorts of networking opportunities with the UN if you want to work with them, I wouldn't.

There's also Harvard Kennedy School of Government. They have a Public Policy program that is a bit of a diploma mill. Its Kennedy's most popular program and I don't think it is as selective as its other programs are.

Anyways, your best bet is to choose a school that is in D.C. and be ready to pay a shit load of money.

Edit: By the way, you mentioned you have good grades from undergrad, one year internship experience, and are knowledgeable in French. Your chances of getting into a good program are very high. Apply to several programs and see what each one has to offer you. Remember, George Washington University is your best bang for buck because of their great financial aid packages.

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Post: #4

(11-16-2014 12:11 AM)Laurifer Wrote:  Ok, if you want to go far in IR be ready fork out at least $80,000.

You will want to go to a top 10 school in it to get into any meaningful positions.

Number one master program for international relations is Georgetown University's Master of Science in Foreign Service in D.C. It's School of Foreign Service was created at the end of World War One to try and train people to get the Europeans to quit killing each other. For this degree you're looking at $130,000. Plus Georgetown is known for giving little to no financial aid. But it will get you into powerful positions in government. Georgetown is an institution that creates leaders, and many men in positions of great power in government and defense went there. Your teachers will often be former leaders from various positions, past president administrations, state department, defense etc.

In D.C. you also have great MA in International Affairs programs at Johns Hopkins (I'd say 2nd to GTU) and George Washington University. GWU is sub $100,000 last I checked and they're known for great financial aid packages.

Up in Massachusetts you have Tufts university that has an MA in International Law and Diplomacy or something like that, its a smaller school, not as well known, but still holds it own against the juggernaut Uni's in D.C.

And in NYC you have Columbia School of International and Public Affairs, might be worth it so you can live in NYC for a few years. Plus you have all sorts of networking opportunities with the UN if you want to work with them, I wouldn't.

There's also Harvard Kennedy School of Government. They have a Public Policy program that is a bit of a diploma mill. Its Kennedy's most popular program and I don't think it is as selective as its other programs are.

Anyways, your best bet is to choose a school that is in D.C. and be ready to pay a shit load of money.

Edit: By the way, you mentioned you have good grades from undergrad, one year internship experience, and are knowledgeable in French. Your chances of getting into a good program are very high. Apply to several programs and see what each one has to offer you. Remember, George Washington University is your best bang for buck because of their great financial aid packages.

Thanks a lot by the way, +1. But the only thing I'm worried about is that most schools' website suggest at least one year of work, and I'm straight out.

Here's another thing, I'm also applying to Sciences Po and IHEID Geneva. These schools are much, MUCH cheap per annum (think ~$8000 for Geneva and $15k for Sciences Po) but I'm not sure how good they carry in the U.S.

Just food for thought, I realize I'll have to pay a lot for it and take in a lot of debt.

Post: #5

(11-16-2014 08:47 AM)Aer Wrote:  Thanks a lot by the way, +1. But the only thing I'm worried about is that most schools' website suggest at least one year of work, and I'm straight out.

Here's another thing, I'm also applying to Sciences Po and IHEID Geneva. These schools are much, MUCH cheap per annum (think ~$8000 for Geneva and $15k for Sciences Po) but I'm not sure how good they carry in the U.S.

Just food for thought, I realize I'll have to pay a lot for it and take in a lot of debt.

No problem, I'm a guidance counselor for most of my friends too

Your one year worth of internships can help with the work experience. Try and land something for another year or so if you feel it will improve your application.

Also, if you're planning on taking on debt, try to keep it under control. I heard a story from a professor I had about a person that qualified to become a Foreign Service Officer, but in the end was rejected because he/she had way too much student debt. The fear here is that one becomes open to bribes, manipulation, and espionage if they have a massive sum of debt bearing down on them and become desperate. I'm sure this is something that other agencies might consider as well.

Sciences Po is supposed to be great, by all means apply. But if you want to work in the US in defense/security or in government, why would you go to France or Switzerland? Studying in Paris met work well for a Frenchman that envisions your same future...in France. Don't get me wrong, I've also looked seriously at schools in Paris and Switzerland (AU of Paris and St. Gallen).

But you're an American that can live in the epicenter of global power and foreign policy, study at a top ranked school, intern with federal agencies, meet practitioners in the field, network, and learn the way the town works.

Anyways, its great to have the opportunity to decide where you want to go. There's tons of great schools out there. Choosing, applying, and getting in can be exciting and nerve wracking.

Post: #6

You forgot Woodie Woo at Princeton...

Post: #7

You should also consider a master's in project management from a top school. One of my closest friends is a project management consultant training and giving seminars to top officials from emerging countries in Africa and Central Asia and works very often with IMF, World Bank and UN officials.

Post: #8

This is my field of speciality. I wouldn't put too much money into a masters, you can get a job into the European Union if you go through the long process of applying at every single branch, or through MEP's via speculative emails . I am sure there are programs for Non EU citizens. Either that or you can you can go through working with NGO's in the third world. May sound risky but with a western education you can pretty much do what you want, shape your role into what you please, as they will be eager to have someone with your background.

With all fairness, even though it does verge on to the humanities, I really believe that political science/International relations degrees are useful to the extent of the college or university you are studying at.

With experience you can't go wrong, especially with the degree you are choosing. As I was in the same boat, most people approach the subject with a theoretical angle and it only gets them so far. In terms of masters, I would suggest LSE in London or Finland, Barcelona, they have some good programs running, especially if you are interested in Eastern Europe.

My background is in security and defence along with commercial business so it opens up some doors with the right contacts. You just have to build on it, by the sounds of it, you are already doing.

Post: #9

I'm in exactly the same boat. Recent grad, cum laude, internship experience, speak Russian (alright). Nonetheless, I am finding it difficult to get a job relevant to this field. I'm not surprised at all though; the reality is that there are just too few jobs out there for people who have interest in these fields.

So, going back to school and getting a master's degree is naturally the next course of action. Although you were a promised a job with just a bachelors degree, things may not have worked out, but they say if you get a masters degree you'll be fine. I disagree.

As of now, I am applying to grad school, but it is my absolute last choice. I really don't want to take on all that debt, not only because I may not have a job even after getting a masters, but the field has lost it's luster in mind. A year and a half ago I interned at a US Embassy abroad; it was an amazing experience. Joining the foreign service is definitely an interest of mine, but that's the case for thousands of people. I've passed the Foreign Service Officer Test (which is a feat in itself), but been shot down twice in the second round where they look at your experience. As a 23 y.o. I simply can't compete with other applicants. For example, my 'sponsor' during my internship was in the Marines 20+ years and served in marine detachments at embassies... I aint got shit compared to that.

As of late, I've been working on freelance writing and want to get into copywriting (check out the recent thread). It's interesting, has potential, and I can work for myself. Id much rather do this than be a bureaucrat the rest of my life.

I see you're pretty passionate about what you study, so if that's the case then stick with it. For now, try to apply to as many relevant jobs as possible. If you get an entry level job at some little organization, you can eventually work your way up to different jobs. If nothing pans out then my recommendation is to apply to masters programs, presumably for next fall, but in the mean time try to pursue other options outside of that field and try to make some money and learn new skills. A few months from now you should have a pretty solid idea of where you want to go in life.

Post: #10

(11-16-2014 04:48 PM)Seth_Rose Wrote:  I'm in exactly the same boat. Recent grad, cum laude, internship experience, speak Russian (alright). Nonetheless, I am finding it difficult to get a job relevant to this field. I'm not surprised at all though; the reality is that there are just too few jobs out there for people who have interest in these fields.

So, going back to school and getting a master's degree is naturally the next course of action. Although you were a promised a job with just a bachelors degree, things may not have worked out, but they say if you get a masters degree you'll be fine. I disagree.

As of now, I am applying to grad school, but it is my absolute last choice. I really don't want to take on all that debt, not only because I may not have a job even after getting a masters, but the field has lost it's luster in mind. A year and a half ago I interned at a US Embassy abroad; it was an amazing experience. Joining the foreign service is definitely an interest of mine, but that's the case for thousands of people. I've passed the Foreign Service Officer Test (which is a feat in itself), but been shot down twice in the second round where they look at your experience. As a 23 y.o. I simply can't compete with other applicants. For example, my 'sponsor' during my internship was in the Marines 20+ years and served in marine detachments at embassies... I aint got shit compared to that.

As of late, I've been working on freelance writing and want to get into copywriting (check out the recent thread). It's interesting, has potential, and I can work for myself. Id much rather do this than be a bureaucrat the rest of my life.

I see you're pretty passionate about what you study, so if that's the case then stick with it. For now, try to apply to as many relevant jobs as possible. If you get an entry level job at some little organization, you can eventually work your way up to different jobs. If nothing pans out then my recommendation is to apply to masters programs, presumably for next fall, but in the mean time try to pursue other options outside of that field and try to make some money and learn new skills. A few months from now you should have a pretty solid idea of where you want to go in life.

Interesting as I am similar to you, even when it comes to Russian, although I am from the U.K. I suppose being in Europe opens up more opportunities in some ways and in others way it doesn't.

How comes you picked up Russian ? and want level was deemed acceptable to applying for the Foreign service officer role ?

Have you thought about going through NGOs in the Middle East or elsewhere and burrowing your way to something good ?

Best,

Post: #11

Started out with just history, but knew that wouldn't help me at all. So I picked up Russian as it's a critical language in both business and international affairs and ended up with a degree in it.

As for the for the foreign service, it definitely helps to know a foreign language, but it isn't a deal breaker.

And yes, I'm definitely interested in that route but am having a hard time finding opportunities. If you know any relevant sites or organizations that'd be awesome.

Post: #12

(11-16-2014 06:31 PM)Seth_Rose Wrote:  Started out with just history, but knew that wouldn't help me at all. So I picked up Russian as it's a critical language in both business and international affairs and ended up with a degree in it.

As for the for the foreign service, it definitely helps to know a foreign language, but it isn't a deal breaker.

And yes, I'm definitely interested in that route but am having a hard time finding opportunities. If you know any relevant sites or organizations that'd be awesome.

We are in a similar field and I always like getting in touch with people who are serious about pursuing a career in IR, people underestimate how important this industry is and is going to be in the next decade or so.

PM me and we can discuss some things on Skype

Post: #13

Quote:Also, if you're planning on taking on debt, try to keep it under control. I heard a story from a professor I had about a person that qualified to become a Foreign Service Officer, but in the end was rejected because he/she had way too much student debt. The fear here is that one becomes open to bribes, manipulation, and espionage if they have a massive sum of debt bearing down on them and become desperate. I'm sure this is something that other agencies might consider as well.

Yep for law enforcement and security jobs they look at your debt and will consider someone who has a lot of it corruptible.

True about military helping. Except for US Marshals( i turned down) I made it to the interview for numerous G men 'special agent' jobs but wasn't selected. I found out that military guys usually get preference(as well as veteran points).

Post: #14

Just my 2 cents.

I'm with somewhat similar background and interests: I have BA in History and MA in Peace and Conflict Studies. I had really hard time finding something relevant to my heart and education, but finally landed a nice compromise between building my CV, getting some money and experience as I joined the army as a CIMIC-officer (Civil affairs in the US). Perhaps there some similar options for you that will lead to some money and experience....

Post: #15

I graduated from Johns Hopkins SAIS several years ago, so I may be able to offer some useful advice. If I had to do it over again, I would probably still go, but not for professional reasons. I would do it mainly because I got to drink and chase ass for two years (first year was in Bologna at the Euro campus, loads of fun) while maintaining an aura/thin veneer of respectability and making some interesting connections, and all on my family's dime. To be fair, that's what I saw it as going into so I can't complain. Although if my family had given me the choice of spending the money on something else, I would have.

It will end up costing you about 100,000 all told, and a lot more than that if you take out loans and owe interest for years.

Many of my classmates are not doing anything now that they couldn't have done without the degree. Except they have a ton of debt.

A fair number are in USAID or State Department or working at one of the bullshit think tanks that whore themselves out to foreign governments (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/07/us/pol...tml?_r=0). If you want to work for the government, then yes, go to SAIS. That's really the only reason if you are paying for it.

The international students probably got the best jobs (working at the World Bank or IMF, they get tax free salaries, and if they are from a small country they have a HUGE advantage in getting hired). As an American, it is brutally competitive to get these jobs, and many of my classmates spend years jumping from one short term contract to the next on various WB projects, trying to get ETCs and eventually that coveted permanent job. The thing is though, without an Economics PhD, you are limited in how high you can go in the international finance orgs.

A number of my classmates also went on to law school or got an MBA after SAIS, as they had a hard time finding an "international affairs" related job (don't get me going on what the hell that actually is anyway), and as they realized that the policy world has a lot of suckage in it, that if you apply for business jobs they won't really get what the hell an "international relations and economics" MA is, and that DC is Hollywood for ugly people.

If you want more specific information, PM me, the SAIS world is relatively small and I prefer to remain vague and not easily identifiable.

Post: #16

(11-17-2014 03:14 PM)VolandoVengoVolandoVoy Wrote:  A number of my classmates also went on to law school or got an MBA after SAIS, as they had a hard time finding an "international affairs" related job (don't get me going on what the hell that actually is anyway), and as they realized that the policy world has a lot of suckage in it, that if you apply for business jobs they won't really get what the hell an "international relations and economics" MA is, and that DC is Hollywood for ugly people.

If you want more specific information, PM me, the SAIS world is relatively small and I prefer to remain vague and not easily identifiable.

Thanks for this post Volando. Are you currently working in a field where you can apply your education?

Its realistic talk like this that more people need to hear that want to get into international affairs. I've done fuck all with my degree since I graduated a year ago, besides sitting a tiny NGO here in Phnom Penh. This is why grad school is so tempting.

Based on what you just said, it just reaffirms a recurring thought that I should probably get a masters that teaches practical skills, like finance.

Post: #17

(11-17-2014 10:26 PM)Laurifer Wrote:  

(11-17-2014 03:14 PM)VolandoVengoVolandoVoy Wrote:  A number of my classmates also went on to law school or got an MBA after SAIS, as they had a hard time finding an "international affairs" related job (don't get me going on what the hell that actually is anyway), and as they realized that the policy world has a lot of suckage in it, that if you apply for business jobs they won't really get what the hell an "international relations and economics" MA is, and that DC is Hollywood for ugly people.

If you want more specific information, PM me, the SAIS world is relatively small and I prefer to remain vague and not easily identifiable.

Thanks for this post Volando. Are you currently working in a field where you can apply your education?

Its realistic talk like this that more people need to hear that want to get into international affairs. I've done fuck all with my degree since I graduated a year ago, besides sitting a tiny NGO here in Phnom Penh. This is why grad school is so tempting.

Based on what you just said, it just reaffirms a recurring thought that I should probably get a masters that teaches practical skills, like finance.

I was considering that also, but my B.A. degree is almost completely useless for any sort of consideration for an MBA. I'm not sure, but I think Geneva would be my best choice due to the fact that I would be able to get a similar degree for much, much cheaper.

Post: #18

I am assuming you are American.

There are hundreds of "masters in international relations" working "program manager" jobs in international development firms and the government in Washington. Most of them are female.

"Program manager" is often a glorified title for administrative clerk, where you are managing payroll submissions, budget and HR paperwork for people in the field and working on tenders and bid proposals.

The people who are actually overseas in the field have specialized skills in things like agriculture, public health, economics, law, and finance, and have had real-world experience in those specialties. Whether you want to join the Foreign Service or work in the private/NGO sector, specialized skills and experience are better than "international relations."

I like your idea of going to Sciences Po or another foreign university, though.

Like it or not, your best, quickest and surest route for experience and a real career in the international field is a commission in the military, if you can qualify. Even a direct commission in one of the reserve branches would help. (1) you get a security clearance, (2) you will be actually working overseas, (3) you will be eligible for veterans' preference, (4) depending on speciality and assignment, you might learn some really interesting stuff.

Plus, you won't be one of those fuckers I despise, think-tankers theorizing about war and international security without any military experience.

Post: #19

(11-17-2014 10:26 PM)Laurifer Wrote:  

(11-17-2014 03:14 PM)VolandoVengoVolandoVoy Wrote:  A number of my classmates also went on to law school or got an MBA after SAIS, as they had a hard time finding an "international affairs" related job (don't get me going on what the hell that actually is anyway), and as they realized that the policy world has a lot of suckage in it, that if you apply for business jobs they won't really get what the hell an "international relations and economics" MA is, and that DC is Hollywood for ugly people.

If you want more specific information, PM me, the SAIS world is relatively small and I prefer to remain vague and not easily identifiable.

Thanks for this post Volando. Are you currently working in a field where you can apply your education?

Its realistic talk like this that more people need to hear that want to get into international affairs. I've done fuck all with my degree since I graduated a year ago, besides sitting a tiny NGO here in Phnom Penh. This is why grad school is so tempting.

Based on what you just said, it just reaffirms a recurring thought that I should probably get a masters that teaches practical skills, like finance.

No, unless you use the most general and vague definition of application. There is a certain amount of prestige attached to my undergraduate and graduate degrees, and that is useful when talking to clients and connecting with them.
I currently work in real estate.
What's been important in this?

1. My father's name, who's been a broker in my area for several decades.
2. Game.
3. Self education (ordered four real estate books from amazon, two turned out to be good).

My initial motivation in this was to pay off debts (I'm a bit irresponsible and unwisely invested in a medical marijuana dispensary) and build some wealth before moving abroad again. It's kind of hard to build up wealth if you make 40 or 50 k and live in DC, and might over the course of years move up to the low 6 figures.

An MA could be a springboard out of the situation you find yourself in.

But if your goals are more tilted toward wealth creation, you would probably be better off rebranding yourself as an emerging markets specialist. You are already in Cambodia. See what contacts you can network, try your university alumni network, try the commerce sections of local embassies, try cold contact through websites. Intern/volunteer, take on a consulting project. Express an interest in someone's work. If nothing else this will look very good on paper, and combined with a good recommendation and test scores, will get you into just about any MBA program. And who knows, you could end up making real money and not even have to go back to school.

Post: #20

Everyone hit on excellent points. One thing that I did not see recommended is that if you want to really get into IA, you need some "core languages" skills: Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Farsi, Pashtun, etc. Your profile says you can speak Swedish. That's not really a high value language right now. Just knowing some or even one of those languages could mean the difference in getting an interview or not. Yes, you heard right. An interview.

Also like many others before said, ex-military types dominate these areas in a way. One of the reasons they do is because many of them learned these languages while being out in the field. How can you compete with an Airborne/Green Beret like guy that can speak 3 or 4 middle eastern languages and even knows some dialects? You kinda can't. Unless you have good languages in your tool chest as well. This is all part of that field. Being and thinking international. You have to live, eat, and breathe this stuff.

A girl I went to college with could speak fluently: Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Portugese, Hebrew, French, German, and Italian. She was a monster. She had soo many options after school compared to everyone else it was ridiculous.