International Affairs

Some of our EWU students majoring in the IA program have worked in the Peace Corps.

As a prominent agency for the US government, the Peace Corps sends its personnel to third world countries to help them adopt the latest American-style economic and social models while presumably assisting the people of other countries to improve their socioeconomic situations.

The Peace Corps volunteers experience living in foreign cultures, learn managerial and technical skills, and acquire cultural and linguistic competency—the kind of knowledge that international businesses, government agencies, research institutes, colleges, advocacy groups, NGOs, and IGOs highly value.

This is why the IA program at EWU encourages its majors to study abroad, learn a foreign language, and find internships in organizations like the Peace Corp.

By far, the bulk of International Affairs majors end up working for government agencies other than the State Department. While there is no single recruiting device such as the Foreign Service Exam, job opportunities in Federal agencies are ample. IA students can find careers in both military and civilian sectors.

Historically, both the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency have hired and trained IA students, as has the US Agency for International Development (AID), which administers American Foreign aid.

Besides big-name government agencies, there are many smaller federal, state, and local executive agencies that have international activities or offices. These agencies offer interesting opportunities in areas such as foreign trade, agriculture, human rights, legal issues, environmental sustainability, cultural exchange, urban planning, tourism, etc.

The private sector by far contributes to the largest portion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the United States. In recent years, the private sector has faced a shortage of employees equipped not only with specialized, technical knowledge but also with creative, critical, and communicative skills necessary to solve both the unknown and known challenges at work.

The IA program at EWU prepares students for learning the kind of skills that large, medium, and small size businesses highly value. Worthy of note in the private sector are:

• International Business – Multinational Corporations (MNCs) play a prominent role in hiring and training IA students. However, they are not the only ones.
• Medium and Small sized businesses in need of critical and creative thinkers and doers. IA students in general have as much, if not better, of a chance as other majors in social sciences.
• Think Tanks including Advocacy Groups – In addition to MNCs, there are literally hundreds of research and advocacy groups. While some depend on US government contracts, others rely on foreign governments or the private sector for funding.

There are hundreds of private, volunteer-based organizations that hire international affairs students. While some are quite large, others are local. Regardless of size, NGOs play a significant role at the local, state, national, and international levels. Worthy of mention are internationally well-known NGOs like Oxfam, Red Cross, Catholic Relief Services, etc.

United Nations (UN)

The UN is the most prominent international organization under which other international organizations operate. Together, these intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) provide thousands of opportunities to IA majors along with other nationals.

Among the most famous IGOs are UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations), International Civil Aviation Organization, International Labor Organization, International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization, World Tourism Organization, and many others.

International Government Organizations (IGO’s)

In addition to organizations under the UN, there are other international government organizations that operate according to various international treaties to which the United States is a signatory. Although IGOs are fascinating places to work, it is rather difficult to find a starting position in them.

Nevertheless, IA graduates are well-equipped to find internship opportunities in these organizations. In fact, finding internship opportunities are extremely useful for all IA students who aspire to move up to senior positions in various sectors.

American graduate programs provide students with highly desired international expertise and training in areas ranging from international finance to banking, trade, economic development, education, planning, and other highly specialized careers.

With an IA degree in hand, EWU students can apply to various master’s and/or Ph.D. programs both at home and abroad. Historically, many of our IA majors have successfully gone to graduate schools and are now serving as experts in their fields, including becoming college professors across the country.

Many IA undergraduate students go on to become lawyers as many law schools across the country recognize the field of international affairs is an ideal route for prospective lawyers. Naturally, many IA undergraduate students end up going to law school.

In fact, law schools across the country recognize the field of International Affairs as an appropriate degree for admission. This is because the IA program, as an interdisciplinary field, prepares students for eventually practicing both domestic laws and international laws, which delves into international human rights, environmental, and trade laws, among other issues.

Along with the jobs above, the International Affairs degrees prepare students for a wide variety of jobs including:

• Diplomats
• Foreign Service Information Management
• Regional Specialists
• Country Specialists
• Security or Economic Consultants
• Various Careers in USAID
• Foreign Language Teachers
• Researchers