Hi Suivie, Thanks a lot for your reply and your advices! There is nothing I am absolutely sure about so like you warned, I should be careful about putting my entire academic focus on one region. I was looking at some Asian universities (like Peking University and Hong Kong University) which gives you a general masters degree in I.R. or I.A. but makes you take a number of courses on China/Asia/East Asia. I think this is a good balance because it allows you to get a good general grasp of international relations while giving you a good knowledge of the region you are particularly interested in. As for the U.S. universities, I will probably apply to a few universities that are well-known for their I.R. program. I haven't looked into it that much yet. If you don't mind me asking, which university did you end up going for your MA? Did you ended up focusing on a region? Yes, languages are indeed important. But I am less concerned about that. I am fluent in English and French. I can also speak fluent Chinese (thanks to my parents, who are Chinese!) but I cannot read or write it very well. I'm hoping that, if I go study in Asia, I can take a Chinese course and improve my Chinese writing and reading skills! Unfortunately, I don't think I will be able to take a year off to do some internships and figure what I want to do exactly. I think I will just take my chances and go for it. What kind of internships did you do? Were you able to do them before going into graduate schools? Also, do you know if it is difficult getting an internship with the embassy during the summer? Hope to hear more from you and thank you!! :)
Once again, I don't know how it works in Canada, so take this for what it's worth, but I would talk to a professor, a career counselor at your school or somebody you know (who knows somebody who knows somebody) who works in the field you're interested in or at least knows something about it. They would probably be able to help you out by telling you whether studying abroad would help or hinder your career goals. By "hinder" I mean the opportunity cost of it more than anything - I would've loved to go galavanting around the world, but I knew that in order to get a job in DC, I had to intern in DC, which meant I had to stay put in DC for the time being. My experiences are DC-specific and not in the government sector, so again, check with somebody who knows something about the Canadian foreign service.
I'm currently at American University and I LOVE it. I didn't end up focusing on a region, but I'm focusing on security and state fragility, which is flexible and marketable.
I didn't intern before grad school (I did my undergrad abroad, it's a long and complicated story), but I worked for six months and then worked and interned throughout my first year in the nonprofit sector. I'd *highly* recommend taking at least a year off before grad school in IR - you don't have to intern, you can work and volunteer, for instance, but really, it's very important for personal growth and having work experience on your resume when you apply gives you a serious advantage. I don't think you'll strike out if you apply in your senior year, but it's an important experience that will help you step back, focus and weigh your options/interests/etc.
I have no idea how Canadians hire embassy interns, so I'd ask a career counselor or somebody with knowledge of the field.
Thanks a lot for your reply and your advices!
There is nothing I am absolutely sure about so like you warned, I should be careful about putting my entire academic focus on one region. I was looking at some Asian universities (like Peking University and Hong Kong University) which gives you a general masters degree in I.R. or I.A. but makes you take a number of courses on China/Asia/East Asia. I think this is a good balance because it allows you to get a good general grasp of international relations while giving you a good knowledge of the region you are particularly interested in.
As for the U.S. universities, I will probably apply to a few universities that are well-known for their I.R. program. I haven't looked into it that much yet. If you don't mind me asking, which university did you end up going for your MA? Did you ended up focusing on a region?
Yes, languages are indeed important. But I am less concerned about that. I am fluent in English and French. I can also speak fluent Chinese (thanks to my parents, who are Chinese!) but I cannot read or write it very well. I'm hoping that, if I go study in Asia, I can take a Chinese course and improve my Chinese writing and reading skills!
Unfortunately, I don't think I will be able to take a year off to do some internships and figure what I want to do exactly. I think I will just take my chances and go for it. What kind of internships did you do? Were you able to do them before going into graduate schools? Also, do you know if it is difficult getting an internship with the embassy during the summer?
Hope to hear more from you and thank you!! :)
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I'm currently at American University and I LOVE it. I didn't end up focusing on a region, but I'm focusing on security and state fragility, which is flexible and marketable.
I didn't intern before grad school (I did my undergrad abroad, it's a long and complicated story), but I worked for six months and then worked and interned throughout my first year in the nonprofit sector. I'd *highly* recommend taking at least a year off before grad school in IR - you don't have to intern, you can work and volunteer, for instance, but really, it's very important for personal growth and having work experience on your resume when you apply gives you a serious advantage. I don't think you'll strike out if you apply in your senior year, but it's an important experience that will help you step back, focus and weigh your options/interests/etc.
I have no idea how Canadians hire embassy interns, so I'd ask a career counselor or somebody with knowledge of the field.
Good luck!
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