What can I do with an International Relations degree?

International Relations embraces complementary and inter-related disciplines. The field provides language and concepts with which to explain, justify and criticize the modern world. Students explore issues of power, conflict, diplomacy, arms control, terrorism, developmental politics, civil society, foreign policy, humanitarian aid, and the international political economy.

The skills that an International Relations major develops are equally diverse: The study of International Relations requires the ability to research and analyze information from a variety of sources, possibly in different languages. Through this, International Relations students should develop skills in problem-solving and conflict resolution and the ability to weigh arguments and to sift material. Written and verbal skills are necessary to present and discuss your opinions and conclusions in essays and seminars. All of these are qualities which are much valued by employers; in addition, your understanding of complex political and cultural issues, often in changing environments, can also be highly relevant to the world of work.

International Relations graduates have skills that transfer well to many work environments. Understanding how your skills work in the context of the job description is important. Adding another degree, such as Law, or doing a double major, can enhance your prospects considerably, and may even be necessary.

There are, however, a range of organizations for which the particular mix of skills and knowledge acquired by International Relations graduates is uniquely relevant, even if in some cases additional qualifications or experience are also required. These include:

A wide range of employers, including the federal government, local authorities and other public sector organizations, both national and international, universities and colleges, manufacturing and commercial companies, financial institutions, solicitors' firms, publishing companies and media employers employ graduates with significant coursework in international relations.

It is a good idea to start laying the groundwork for a career in International Relations while you are still studying. This includes two strategies:

Here are some websites that may be useful to you as you think ahead to your career planning:

Top Language Jobs: http://www.toplanguagejobs.co.uk/
Going Global: http://www.goinglobal.com/
CareerMosaic, an international Gateway - database of job opportunities, career advice and links to international job sites: http://www.careermosaic.com
WWW Virtual Library International Affairs Resources; provides links to international organizations worldwide: http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/orgs.htm
Foreign Affairs Online; links to official government sites in the US and other countries; the entire UN system, NGOs, IGOs, think-tanks and human rights sites: http://www.people.virginia.edu/~rjb3v/rjb.html
List of IGOs with links to their websites: http://www.libsci.sc.edu/bob/IGOs.htm
Oneworld; an online community of over 600 organizations involved in human rights and sustainable development worldwide: http://www.oneworld.net/
Idealist; a comprehensive directory of nonprofit and volunteering resources on the Web. The site includes: 20,000 nonprofit and community organizations in 140 countries: http://www.idealist.org/
The Institute for War & Peace Reporting; has useful links to media organizations and NGOs: http://www.iwpr.net/
The Office of Career Services at the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy; includes a list of internship resources: http://www.careercenter.umd.edu/student/intern/intern_main.asp
Working in International Development; advice and information from the University of Sussex: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/CDU/intdev.html

Postgraduate study may enable you to explore aspects of International Relations in greater depth or to study a new subject. You should consider why you want to do postgraduate work, whether it will affect your career prospects and whether you are likely to get funding. Law, Business, Information Science, or one of several excellent Master's programs in International Affairs will give you an additional professional qualification.

Like many graduates, you may not want to go straight into a full-time job or course when you graduate. Alternatives may include time off, voluntary work or starting your own business.