Alumni

So what do people actually do with an International Studies major? This is a common question for students at Northwestern or individuals considering our program. The options are highly varied as students have different focuses. One person might enjoy humanitarian work while others prefer large corporations and businesses. Some choose to work with non-profit organizations, such as the Red Cross, and some opt for non-government organizations, like the United Nations.  Law school and continued graduate work is also a common option after completing an undergraduate degree at Northwestern as our majors have won Fullbright scholarships. Many of our alum opt to work for the Department of State in the Foreign Service or choose to teach English in other countries.

To obtain those types of positions, our students perform a wide variety of work prior to graduation. Often this can include internships or summer employment.

For ideas, please see our LIST OF NON-PROFIT AND GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS for either employment or internships ideas. Although many of these organizations are located either in Chicago or America, some have international branches. This list can also inspire new ideas in potential career options.

Here are some specific choices our majors have recently made:

INTERNSHIPS

• Working for one's Congressperson

• MTV in their International Operations Department in New York

• The Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers

• The Middle East Institute in Washington DC

• The International Legal Resource Center, run by the United Nations Development Programme and housed in the American Bar Association in Washington, DC.

• The Department of State in embassies world-wide

• The Central Intelligence Agency

• The Geneva Center for Security Policy

• The Bipartisan Security Group in Washington DC

• The Bureau of Western Hemispheric (in the State Department) researching public diplomacy.

WORK (Post-Graduation)

• Teaching on the JET program (teaching English in Japan)

• Reporting with Dow Jones Newswires in Buenos Aires, Argentina

RESEARCH

• Researching neighborhood change in Andersonvillle, a formerly homogeneously Swedish, and now one of the most multiethnic/cultural neighborhoods in Chicago with a research grant

• Researching discrimination with the American Civil Liberties Union

• Studying in Chiapas, Mexico the impact NAFTA has had on the rural sector in Mexico with a research grant

MISC.

• Study abroad

• Participate in the International Student Symposium on Negotiation and Conflict Resolution in The Hague, Netherland