[tan-z]

just to make it clear, i'm not the one who'll take up this course, it's my cousin.
so we were just thinking.. she's in her last year of highschool already and since she's
going to college soon, she decided to take up what she wants.

Now, she wants to study international studies but her parents are kinda worried about her future, first off..
they want her to take up either business or nursing rather than International studies [take note: she's going to study in her home country, the philippines] and her parents are worried that it will not open up many opportunities of her working in the future ..

Guys, i want you to help me :

what's international studies all about?
Pro's and Con's of it ---
What opportunities can it give you in the future?


thanks

[vc1188]

I think the International Studies/Relations major at each school will be quite different. Here at my school, the major consists of a mishmash of classes from all of the social sciences (econ, political science, sociology, anthropology, etc.) A common theme in all of the classes, I've noticed, is globalization. But there are different areas of focus, such as conflict resolution, global society & culture, and global issues & institutions. Also, the major at my school has a regional focus, and there's a certain number of upper-division classes one must take about one region (East Asia/Pacific Rim, Middle East, the Americas, etc.)

Hope that was helpful. But check out the different I.S. programs at each school your cousin's interested in

[itrayya]

^ perfectly said.

im a IS major.
and i LOVE LOVE LOVE it.
i love international anything.

it's more based on politics abroad.
if not from a political view then it can be like... langauges, cultures, sociology, etc.

im focusing on southeast asia.
i wanna work for ngos, maybe united nations, amnesty international, etc.

if your cousin likes international law, politics then it's good. because it's a globalized world.
if your cousin wants to do it. she can. go for it!
she can work at the ambassy. she can work for international organizations that are in the philipines.
she can be like... the representative of the philippines for different countries, etc.

PROS: really good networking abroad.
CONS: if there's no passion, it's hard and long.

GOOD LUCK. take care.

[`LANE]

i was also possibly thinking of majoring in international studies, specifically east asia.

and i'd agree with itrayya, if shes all interested in that stuff then she can do it

[itrayya]

i was also possibly thinking of majoring in international studies, specifically east asia.

and i'd agree with itrayya, if shes all interested in that stuff then she can do it

^^^ THANKS.

that's exactly what im doing.
international studies with an emphasize in south east asia.
that's my passion right thur.

work hard everyone!
take care.

[Happiidayy]

lol i was actually looking into international relations and stuff.. dunno if this fits, like i understand the studies etc. but what kind of jobs will u get? wages etc @@~

[itrayya]

there's a lot of jobs.
non-profit organizations (NGOs),
Amnesty International, United Nations, etc,
be an ambassdor, be a spokesperson for poverty, etc.
work for Human Rights Watch.

you dont have to work internationally,
you can focus on business and do business abroad.
you can be an international lawyer.
you can work with the c.i.a, interpol.
be a philanthropist and fund raise to help poor countries, etc.

there's a lot you can do.
help the military, c.i.a, white house understand international relations by doing research.

there's a lot to do.
depends on what you're looking for.
this degree is good international work. i think so.

good luck.
take care.

[kikuye]

Woo that is my major!! Although I think I might change it.

The courses I took this year kind of made me. . .depressed. You learn a lot about global issues/ politics (You pick a specific area your junior year of college). But basically so far I learned. . the world sucks. Everything is corrupt and unfair and there's really nothing that a single individual can do about it. T^T. . . Don't get me wrong, it's really interesting, just depressing.

[CONSTANCE]

its my major too

majoring in poli sci with emphasis on international relations focusing on east asia
im taking my IR class right now and its soo amazing
maybe its cus of my professor or not, but really its so crazy
you learn soo many things about differnet cultures and its really fun ^^

im also a double major too with history in the western civilization.
its so true though, if its not your passion, this subject will bore you to death lol

[15;;1/2]

Here's a brief overview http://www.collegeboard.com/csearch/majors...rs/45.0901.html

It depends on the school's specific program. Generally, IS/IR involves courses on history, political science, law, foreign language, economics, and the like. Some schools offer more specialized tracks such as peace studies and international politics.

Schoolwork usually involves a lot of reading, writing, and research. In my school, we have conferences and assemblies with other schools (local and international). As for career opportunities, you may choose to take the Foreign Service exam and get a job in the embassy or Department of Foreign Affairs. I know some IS/IR graduates (in the Phils.) who work in the HR field since there's not much openings for IS/IR graduates (for entry level, that is).

[Delster]

If you love learning about people and their relation to how the world works and issues surrounding it, you'll love doing IR.

Can anyone name organizations dedicated to Human Rights/Development other than the UN and Amnesty International?
I'm hoping to get into Nursing, it's so competitive they want you to have a backup major which is Sociology for me. I have a special interest in Third World (politically incorrect now I know =P) development.

[w4termelon]

^ perfectly said.

im a IS major.
and i LOVE LOVE LOVE it.
i love international anything.

it's more based on politics abroad.
if not from a political view then it can be like... langauges, cultures, sociology, etc.

im focusing on southeast asia.
i wanna work for ngos, maybe united nations, amnesty international, etc.

if your cousin likes international law, politics then it's good. because it's a globalized world.
if your cousin wants to do it. she can. go for it!
she can work at the ambassy. she can work for international organizations that are in the philipines.
she can be like... the representative of the philippines for different countries, etc.

PROS: really good networking abroad.
CONS: if there's no passion, it's hard and long.

GOOD LUCK. take care.

wow you made it sound even more amazing than my mom would've said.
I love international everything,too. Guess i sorta chose the wrong major?=P
but i agree wit your Cons =]

[litoxshortaii]

i used to be a nursing major, then i switched to IR (except it's called international affairs at my school). just like a previous poster said, IA/IR is a mixture of econ, poli sci, anthropology etc. it really depends on what your interests are and you can probably double major/minor in a specific field- they just all have the "international" piece in common. the focus at my school is mainly on international, or even just national, politics/law/econ; however, im more interested in anthro, education and health and im thinking of going into public health so im trying to develop a different track for that (i'll prob minor in health sciences). it's not set in stone though, which is what i like about it.

international affairs/studies is probably not considered a "stable" major because it's so broad and doesnt lead directly to a career like nursing or engineering do, for example. however, that's exactly why i think it's a good major- you get to learn a little bit of everything so you can pick and choose what you want to concentrate on and you also dont get bored because there are so many different classes you can take and things you can learn. right now, im applying to internships that are all different- for example, one's a nonprofit dealing with family homelessness, one's a corporate company that handles student study abroad programs, another promotes health and education in 3rd world countries and one is a national pharmaceutical. i have a wide range of interests and if i was only a nursing major or a finance major, i might not be able to get certain internships because those majors are more specified. for some ppl, that may or may not be a good thing. it works for me cuz i dont feel stuck or bored studying one subject. and there are actually a lot of opportunities, you just have to figure out what you want (which is what college is for) and go for it.

yay international affairs. lol