Is IR a dead major?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does your student agree with current-era Marco Rubio sending legal immigrants to El Salvador? Or Steve Witkoff selling out Ukraine to Russia? The end of soft power and U.S. participation in multinational organizations and treaties? Or does your student have citizenship in another country?

That’s the trouble when you ask people about majors. People answer for the world today and not the world 5,10 years from now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a ridiculous question. There are fewer USG and USG-adjacent jobs but the world is a very big and busy place and an IR major will remain valuable.

I agree with this comment but I would have them combine it with economics, accounting, Spanish, homeland security or something to be more marketable and well rounded.

Combine it with mandarin.

"I'm going to France."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a good time to start studying it.

Why? By the time the kid graduates, Trump will be gone, and we will need tons of people to clean up the IR mess he made.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a good time to start studying it.

Why? By the time the kid graduates, Trump will be gone, and we will need tons of people to clean up the IR mess he made.

Isn't there talk of a 3rd term? Heard rumors it might be allowed. Even rumors of Obama running against him.

[Anonymous]

For some years, there has been an oversupply of IR graduates. Highly competitive to get a job in the field. Definitely not the best choice if the goal is a stable high-paying job.

Maybe study Econ undergrad then do an MBA at someplace like UToronto or LSE, as a setup for an international business career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For some years, there has been an oversupply of IR graduates. Highly competitive to get a job in the field. Definitely not the best choice if the goal is a stable high-paying job.

Maybe study Econ undergrad then do an MBA at someplace like UToronto or LSE, as a setup for an international business career.

Would getting a degree from a highly ranked program, like Georgetown’s SFS, help graduates find a job in this field?

[Anonymous]

I graduated from a school with an IR degree program in 2010 (I did a different program in the same school) and have friends that graduated from another highly regarded IR program. Even before the current chaos, I have been very underwhelmed by the outcomes my friends had. IR is a tough field and IR degrees don't teach practical skills. They are networking programs, kind of like MBAs but less marketable.

[Anonymous]

No. It is my kid’s major and he loves it. He switched from business which he found mind-numbing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For some years, there has been an oversupply of IR graduates. Highly competitive to get a job in the field. Definitely not the best choice if the goal is a stable high-paying job.

Maybe study Econ undergrad then do an MBA at someplace like UToronto or LSE, as a setup for an international business career.

Would getting a degree from a highly ranked program, like Georgetown’s SFS, help graduates find a job in this field?

Yes. Georgetown SFS is totally plugged in with career US Foreign Service community. Student needs to actively network with SFS faculty and the FS community while at SFS if they want to go that route. Success will not happen by accident.

As a PP already noted, combining IR with a good minor (e.g., Econ, Stats) also helps differentiate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a good time to start studying it.

Why? By the time the kid graduates, Trump will be gone, and we will need tons of people to clean up the IR mess he made.

Isn't there talk of a 3rd term? Heard rumors it might be allowed. Even rumors of Obama running against him.

lol

[Anonymous]

What, outside of business, CS, engineering and econ ARE practical majors according to DCUM?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What, outside of business, CS, engineering and econ ARE practical majors according to DCUM?

IT, agricultural science, communications, law

Look at the orgs you'd look for IR jobs at. What skills are they looking for?