Diplomacy, Foreign Affairs, Public Policy, Security

President Obama speaking at the UN General Assembly

As an International Studies graduate, you will develop a broad historical and cultural knowledge to engage in critical international conversations to pursue a more just and humane world. Whether you work as a Foreign Service officer or as a local policy analyst, your political, economic, and language skills gained in the INST program will help you finding a meaningful and successful career.

Examples of jobs and employers reported by International Studies alumni

Assistant Director (security and strategy), The Brookings Institute),
Analyst (Doing Business Team), World Bank
Foreign Service Officer (Beijing, China), U.S. State Department
Country Officer, U.S. Department of State
Policy Analyst/Program Manager, City and County of San Francisco

Kraig Cook photo with trees in background

Vice Consul, U.S. Consulate General, Krakow, Poland

Every day, I am presented with vast amounts of information which I must quickly analyze to make decisions that could impact the national security of the United States. The interdisciplinary nature of INST prepared me to look at this data with a variety of lenses- political, economic, historical, socio-cultural- that allow me to develop a richer and more comprehensive analysis and ultimately make better decisions.

Kraig Cook International Studies Graduate

How your degree prepares you for positions in these fields

Relevant required International Studies courses: See below a list of courses that are required for INST majors and are relevant for this career path:

INST 2000 - Global Cultural Citizenship

INST 2300 – Introduction to Comparative Politics

INST 2600 – Introduction to International Politics

HIST 2010 – Workshop in World History

ECON 2130 – Principles of Economics – Macroeconomics
Examples of relevant courses that count as International Studies major electives: See below a list of examples of elective courses that count towards the INST major and are relevant for this career path:

INST 3340 – Chinese Politics [cross-listed with PLSC 3340]

INST 3660 - Comparative Foreign Policy [cross-listed with PLSC 3660]

INST 3910 - US & the Middle East Since 1776

INST 3910 – Culture Clash

INST 4950 – International Studies Internship [strongly recommended]

CMME 3100 – Intercultural Communication

ECON 3710 – International Political Economy

ECON 4770 – Policy Analysis in International Development

PLSC 3640 – US–Latin American Relations

PLSC 3650 – East Asian Security

PLSC 2500 – Middle East Politics

PLSC 3610 – U.S. Foreign Policy

SOCW 3910 – Global Migration
Examples of relevant minors & courses from other programs: In addition to the INST major, you can take courses from other programs in SU, and may obtain an additional major or minor. See below a list of potential minors and/or courses that are relevant for this career path (some of these courses have prerequisites. Please consult with SU Catalog)

Political Science minor

PLSC 2300 – Introduction to Comparative Politics [count as required foundational INST course]

PLSC 2500 – Middle East Politics [may count as INST elective]

PLSC 2600 – Introduction to International Politics [count as required foundational INST course]

PLSC 3340 - Chinese Politics [may count as INST elective]
PLSC 3640 – US–Latin American Relations [may count as INST elective]

PLSC 3650 – East Asian Security [may count as INST elective]

PLSC 3660 - Comparative Foreign Policy

PLSC 3610 – U.S. Foreign Policy

Non-profit and Public Administration Minor

PUBA 2020 – Citizenship and Society

PUBA 2150 – Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector

PUBA 4410 – Policy Analysis

PUBA 4740 – International Environmental Governance [may count as INST elective]