In today’s job market, nearly every industry has an international dimension, whether that is conferring with foreign clients and companies, or contextualizing political or economic trends. The world is becoming increasingly globalized and the individuals who have the educational training to discuss and analyze information in a transnational context are those who are more qualified and desired as job applicants. Approaching your education from an internationalist perspective can allow you to position yourself as the most experienced and flexible candidate in an increasingly competitive job market.
The Discipline of International Relations
With this information in mind, pursuing a graduate degree in International Relations is one such avenue with which to differentiate yourself from other individuals and increase your career opportunities. The discipline of International Relations encompasses a wide field, but most are generally concerned with analyzing trends of national interaction and the roles that institutions, non-governmental organizations, and other groups play globally. Because the discipline of International Relations is so broad, there is a myriad of opportunities to find a specialization that fits your field of interest, whether that is national security or the study of human rights. International Relations is an interdisciplinary field that unites the study of history, politics, language, and sociology and will give you the tools to engage in comprehensive research and writing.
The Skills You Gain as an International Relations Student
Pursuing a degree in International Relations provides you with many opportunities to develop skills that are increasingly necessary for all fields from business to academia. Individuals studying International Relations learn foreign languages and are taught to engage in both quantitative and qualitative research. These types of skills are easily translatable to a variety of other fields from business, to technology, to publishing, and even the arts. An International Relations degree provides you with a set of critical thinking and research skills defined by a globalist perspective, traits that are extremely in demand as companies and institutions begin to expand abroad.
Options for Pursuing a Degree in International Relations
Attaining an International Relations degree is now easier than ever before. There are now excellent programs such as the Norwich University masters in international relations program that offer a specialized yet flexible online degree program for individuals seeking to globalize their worldview and increase their leadership skills. Norwich University’s international relations graduate programs provide students with the education and training to join numerous industries and compete for highly skilled and sophisticated jobs, all jobs with an international dimension. Unlike other educational tracks, International Relations careers are expected to increase in growth in the coming years, as more industries will begin to add positions to cope with their global interaction with other companies or institutions.
Conclusion
Ultimately, if you are considering going back to school for a degree, the discipline of International Relations might be the best decision. A degree in International Relations will give you the tools and training to be the most competitive in your field, whatever specialization you may choose. All industries now have an international dimension and in the future, will need more and more individuals with critical thinking and writing skills who have a globalist perspective. You could be one of those individuals if you choose to pursue a degree in International Relations.
James Hendrickson is an internet entrepreneur, blogging junky, hunter and personal finance geek. When he’s not lurking in coffee shops in Portland, Oregon, you’ll find him in the Pacific Northwest’s great outdoors. James has a masters degree in Sociology from the University of Maryland at College Park and a Bachelors degree on Sociology from Earlham College. He loves individual stocks, bonds and precious metals.