lovergirl asked:
I want to major in international relations but i would like to know wat would be a good minor also… i plan on being a diplomat.. is this a good road to take?? any suggestionss???
I want to major in international relations but i would like to know wat would be a good minor also… i plan on being a diplomat.. is this a good road to take?? any suggestionss???
Tags: Diplomat, Good Road, International Relations
If you want to be a foriegn service officer you will need to get a masters in international relations. So, my advice is to go to a college/university where you can get the best gpa to get into a top graduate school program. The best grad schools for international relations are (imo): Princeton (which is run through Tufts); Georgetown; and Harvard. Imo you should take some political science courses focusing in the part of the world you want to be a diplomat in (ie. middle east, china) that way you will understand the history and political dynamics of that country and part of the world. You should also take a couple of economic courses because this will impact a countries foriegn policy and leverage system. Finally, please become proficient in a foriegn language because this (the ability to communicate) with the government officials and citizens in the country you are assigned to will greatly influence your carrer success and advancement. I also think it helpful to have 1 class in logic and two in writing. Deductive reasoning skills and the ability to express yourself with the written word will also go far in promoting your professional development. Finally, consider a junior year (fall semester abroad). Living overseas and studying there shows you are serious. Doing it in the fall instead of the winter allows you to take the GRE or GMAT in the winter of your junior year. That way it is out of the way early for when you apply for grad school and if you do poorly you have plenty of time to retake it and up your score before you apply to grad school in September of your Senior year. Please apply in September. The earlier you apply the more seats that are available to compete for. The fewer seats that are available when you submit your application the more competitive your application will have. Also, by waiting you could lose out on a seat that you could have taken with less competition having gotten your application in earlier.
One last thing. Consider doing a senior thesis. This will supplement your application to show grad school you are capable of doing a scholorlay piece of work. It can also be the foundation for your dissertation in graduatae school.