Study international relations abroad - 3 yo

A global view

Abroad, world political and socio-economic processes are studied in a comprehensive manner, which allows students to better and more deeply understand the relationship between states and international organizations, and to feel more subtly intercultural, interethnic and interfaith dialogue.

Top Educational Institutions

In the United States and many European countries, the diplomatic tradition has been formed over the centuries, and with it prestigious universities and diplomatic schools have been formed, recognized at the global level and occupying high lines in international profile rankings.

There are more and more schools for foreign students studying international relations.

 International Environment and Language Practice

Students study in a multicultural environment, which helps to develop intercultural competence and improve their knowledge of foreign languages, especially English, French, Spanish, Russian and Chinese – the main languages of modern diplomacy.

Networking opportunities

During their studies, students meet with diplomats and politicians, experts from international organizations (UN, EU, IMF, WTO), entrepreneurs working in the international field – the connections created in this way can play a key role in future employment.

Internships and internships

Many foreign universities cooperate with the UN, UNESCO, the European Union and other international organizations, embassies, ministries of foreign affairs of different countries, offering students practice and internships. This is a valuable experience that helps to find a promising job after graduation.

Career prospects

Graduates of international relations and diplomacy programs can work in international organizations, diplomatic and consular offices, consulting, analytical and research centers, the media, and large international companies.

The educational process in schools is based on special courses and programs designed to develop analytical and communication skills, critical thinking. Courses include both academic disciplines and practical training through participation in Model United Nations (MUN), debates and internships.

The choice of programs is quite wide.

• In the UK , there are two of them - A-Level and IB (International Baccalaureate). Within the framework of the first one, students choose several disciplines for in-depth study: these can be Politics, History, Economics, and Global Perspectives. The IB has an integrated course on Global Politics, covering international relations, diplomatic mechanisms, human rights, and global conflict. Thus, A-Levels allow you to focus on individual disciplines, while the IB will require the study of a wider range of subjects, including Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge (ToK), which develops critical thinking.
• American schools have AP (Advanced Placement) and High School Diploma. Here, along with the specialized Comparative Government & Politics (analysis of the political systems of different countries), the United States Government & Politics offer special courses in world history, international relations and law (the American system traditionally gives more freedom in the choice of subjects).
• As part of the Swiss Matura program, students study not only political science, but also international law, geopolitics, diplomacy and world conflicts. Geneva schools (e.g. the International School of Geneva) offer elective courses in diplomacy and the work of the United Nations (an additional advantage is direct access to international organizations such as the UN, WTO, WHO).

Extracurricular practical activities are of great importance:

• Model United Nations (MUN) is a popular educational model in which students imitate the work of the UN, represent different countries,
• Debate clubs,
• Internships, trips and excursions involving visits to the offices of international organizations and acquaintance with the work of diplomatic departments.

International Relations (IR) programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels differ in structure, depth of study of topics, and specialization opportunities. A bachelor's degree provides basic knowledge of global politics and diplomacy, while a master's degree allows you to focus on specific areas, such as international law, security, or the global economy.

Bachelor

It lasts from 3 to 4 years, depending on the country. The key task at this stage is to provide fundamental knowledge of international politics, economics, law, history and diplomacy. Students study an introduction to international relations, world history and history of diplomacy, comparative political science, analyze the impact of countries on the international system, international law, and theories of international relations. Only in their senior years do they choose a specialization: it can be diplomacy and foreign policy, global economy, security and intelligence, international law, or regional studies.

As a rule, undergraduate students are offered a wide range of additional opportunities – the UN model, debate clubs and simulations of negotiations, summer schools and exchanges to other countries, internships in international organizations.

The best undergraduate programs in international relations are:

• BA in Politics and International Relations from the University of Oxford, BSc International Relations from the London School of Economics and C fromUNT Andrews University;
• Harvard's Government and International Relations, B.A. in Political Science with an International Relations focus at Columbia University , and International Studies at Johns Hopkins University;
• Bachelor's in international relations and political science at the French Sciences Po, B.A. International Studies at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations, and outside Europe and the United States, the Bachelor of Arts (International Relations) at the University of Sydney and the International Development and Political Science at McGill University in Canada.

After a bachelor's degree, you can continue your studies in a master's program or start a career in diplomacy, analytics, and international companies.

Master

It lasts 1-2 years, the goal is to help develop specialized knowledge and professional skills, such as diplomatic strategies and the art of negotiation, learn how to work with international organizations, assess foreign policy, military and investment risks. A separate interesting area is the law of international conflicts and international justice. The law of international organizations and the law of the EU separately are considered very promising.

The strongest programs here are considered to be:

• Master in Public Policy (MPP) with a focus on International Relations at Harvard Kennedy School,
• Master's in international security or Master in International Public Management at Sciences Po in Paris,
• Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) at Georgetown University and Walsh School of Foreign Service,
• Master of International Relations (MPhil) from the University of Oxford.

Master's studies are usually not limited to lectures and writing a thesis, but also international internships at embassies, UN bodies, the EU, and even fieldwork in conflict zones (for example, work in the UN or NGOs in Africa and Asia). Many undergraduates work on analytical projects with the participation of real diplomats and experts.

Diplomatic Schools

There are also a number of specialized institutions where not only international relations are studied, but also future diplomats are trained, for example:

• Geneva School of Diplomacy (GSD, Switzerland),
• Diplomatic Academy of Vienna (Austria),
• Sciences Po, Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA),
• Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts University, USA),
• College of Europe (Belgium and Poland).

Focused on international relations and diplomacy, summer camps provide students with the opportunity to develop skills in leadership, rhetoric, critical thinking, and analysis of global issues. Teenagers take part in Model United Nations (MUN), discussions, diplomatic simulations, and expert workshops.

Examples include the Oxford Royale Academy in Oxford and Cambridge, the Cambridge Summer Institute at the University of the same name (shifts from 2 to 4 weeks are available here), the Geneva Summer Program (2 weeks) in Geneva, and the International Relations Summer Camp at European University in Barcelona, Catalonia (2 weeks). A great option is the Georgetown Summer Program in International Relations in Washington (from 2 to 4 weeks), there are interesting summer preparatory programs on this topic at Harvard, Yale, and Stanford.

Finally, if you need flexibility, there are also online courses of varying length and intensity (for example):

• Harvard Online (HarvardX) — International Relations Theory,
• Coursera (LSE, Georgetown, Leiden University, etc.) — there is a wide range of courses on diplomacy, global security,
• edX (Harvard, MIT, Georgetown) — International Relations and Global Diplomacy.
• United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) – various courses in diplomacy and global governance.