International Studies Degree

[nbdy]

So, the oldest has decided he wants to change his major to International Studies. I asked him toward what career objective and he doesn't seem to know. Now, I am all for studying that which interests him, but I simply don't know much about this degree. I know there are lots of young folks on this board, so I figured I'd ask you all. What does one do with a degree in International Studies?

[thalassa]

Re: International Studies Degree

I have a friend that has a degree in International Studies and *I forget the foreign language*....she became and intelligence officer in the Air Force, and an interrogator. Now she's a stay-at-home-mom and does translating on the side...but when she got out she worked for a big international company in their corporate security operations. I know someone else with an International Studies minor and an Environmental Science degree and they went to law school and now they do environmental law with some non-profit and owe tons of money in student loans.

Its been a while since I was in college, but I remember being told that if you wanted a degree in something like International Studies or Political Science, etc, you should have a good minor or good internships/work experience in whatever field you actually want to work in. A lot of international business companies, non profits, etc like IS majors, but usually want to see a good background then in something like business, accounting, management, public health, environmental science, etc.

TBH, most major employers want to see internships or work experience that relate to their operations.

[DanieMarie]

Re: International Studies Degree

I have a friend that has a degree in International Studies and *I forget the foreign language*....she became and intelligence officer in the Air Force, and an interrogator. Now she's a stay-at-home-mom and does translating on the side...but when she got out she worked for a big international company in their corporate security operations. I know someone else with an International Studies minor and an Environmental Science degree and they went to law school and now they do environmental law with some non-profit and owe tons of money in student loans.

Its been a while since I was in college, but I remember being told that if you wanted a degree in something like International Studies or Political Science, etc, you should have a good minor or good internships/work experience in whatever field you actually want to work in. A lot of international business companies, non profits, etc like IS majors, but usually want to see a good background then in something like business, accounting, management, public health, environmental science, etc.

TBH, most major employers want to see internships or work experience that relate to their operations.

I'd second this.

Also, I'm not sure if he's interested because he wants to work abroad or not, but if he is interested in international life, that's a fairly broad degree that won't really have much merit outside of the US. In a lot of countries (especially in Europe), they prefer more focused degrees...so instead of International Studies, they'd prefer German Studies or Scandinavian Studies or East Asian Studies or something like that. Something that applies to a specific market. And I think even then, work experience, internships, and a solid minor have to be in place. For example, I have two friends who both majored in American Studies (keep in mind that I live in Germany, so that's studying a foreign culture) with a minor in British English studies (which combines literature, language, and culture coursework). Both have very similar backgrounds. One found a job immediately after college and the other is still struggling to find work. I think it was the internships that did it. One had a lot of really good internships (embassies, government offices, research institutes) and I think that helped her set herself apart.

I have American friends who studied International Business or some kind of cultural studies program. Most of them work in Washington and are doing fairly well for themselves. But they all speak second languages, got work experience abroad, did a lot of internships, etc. All of them also have post-grad degrees.

[nbdy]

Re: International Studies Degree

That is sort of what I was thinking, that he should have an objective and be tailoring the program to that objective. He has vague ideas about moving to Japan and I think latched onto a vague major to go with that idea. Thanks for the input.

[DanieMarie]

Re: International Studies Degree

That is sort of what I was thinking, that he should have an objective and be tailoring the program to that objective. He has vague ideas about moving to Japan and I think latched onto a vague major to go with that idea. Thanks for the input.

I think it's probably too vague a major to really have any weight abroad. Granted, Germany is a totally different culture than Japan, but I can't see the Germans taking an "International Studies" degree seriously on its own...it doesn't say anything, really. The world is a huge place.

I've been living "abroad" for a decade (I'll put that in quotes, because I think if you live somewhere for that long and intend to stay, it's your home and you're not "abroad" anymore), and I know a lot of people who have lived in various countries around the world. From personal experience, most countries highly value qualifications. I'd say that when it comes to developed countries, The US, Canada, and Australia are pretty unique in that it doesn't tend to matter much what your degree is in as long as you bothered to study. Almost everywhere else, they like to see something related to your profession, and although experience matters too, you have to have the degree. That being said, experience DOES matter a lot. If he wants to live abroad, I'd say that it's a good idea to get a degree related to something he wants to do there (you have to be able to get a job once you're there..."live in Japan" won't really cut it) and build some specialty knowledge about the place. The latter doesn't even have to be formal...it could be volunteering with a local cultural group or taking language classes on the side. And I don't care what anyone says....if you want to live abroad, you HAVE to know a language other than English, even if it's not the local language. NO ONE outside of English speaking countries is impressed with the ability to speak English. Most Internationals are bilingual and most people in non-English speaking developed countries learned enough English in school to call themselves bilingual. I think Japan is a bit different, but in Europe, speaking two languages isn't even sort of impressive. Most people I know speak 3-4 languages. Speaking 2 is just a given.

I think I know where he's coming from, though. When I was still a teen, I desperately wanted to live outside of Canada. My original dream was to move to London, but that quickly changed in my first year of university, when I took a German class and decided to set off for Berlin. I did it, and here I am, 10 years later. I never took German studies or even any other formal German classes beyond that one class. I majored in music in Canada, which didn't serve me too well here, and then got a second degree in marketing a few years ago, which served me very well. What I did do was learn everything I could about Germany and practiced the language as much as I could before I showed up. I saved a nest egg for myself, then took odd jobs once I got here (lots of people I know did the same thing...most taught English or did bar work). Once I'd been here for a while, I was able to set myself up for good. Success with living abroad is about building experiences, being able to support yourself while you get on your feet, and having some kind of rough plan (that being said, I had NO plan beyond getting here, and I still made it...)

[Shahaku]

Re: International Studies Degree

If he's interested in Japan, maybe you could get in touch with Jembru. She has the most experience on here with that and could give a good idea of what would be necessary. I will say, if he can do a semester abroad in Japan, go for it. Seriously. He'll make friends and build connections, networking, that could stand him in good stead if he decides to move there. If he wants to move to Japan, he needs to study the language. We aren't the only ones who don't like someone moving into our home and not bothering to learn the language. Jem might be able to help with that too.

I'd also say that, if he isn't sure of an eventual career, to reconsider college right now. International studies can open doors into certain career paths, sure, but if he doesn't know what he wants to do with it, it could very well be a lot of money wasted. This can give you an idea of what he could do with the degree: http://www.apsia.org/careers/career-...ional-affairs/ I would seriously recommend that he job shadow as much as possible and that he find internships in the areas he thinks he wants to work. And maybe do that before he continues with his degree. I wasted years in college with no real clue of what I could realistically do with a degree. I wish I would have worked first, a lot, a got experience in different fields so I could have a better grasp of what I wanted to do. There's nothing wrong with taking some entry level jobs over the course of a few years to build experience and find out what you really enjoy.

[DanieMarie]

Re: International Studies Degree

You know, if he's not sure about his major and is interested in experience abroad, he could always get an English teaching qualification and teaching English abroad for a year. It doesn't involve as much savings as a long-term move, it's fairly easy to get a visa to teach English in most countries, and it's fairly easy to find work. A gap year can offer a lot of perspective and can provide some international experience. TEOFL and CELTA are the most popular in Europe, but it's always worth researching what tests people like to take in the destination country.