<p>I am looking into the International Studies degree at Macalester College. I hear they have a very good program, and they are a good springboard for grad school. Is this a good major, or is it just glorified political science? I would be interested in some sort of international company and if possible, get to travel. Would a statistics minor be a good idea, or economics, or something else? At Macalester I think you are required to learn a second language if you major in the program. I'm not sure what I want to do, but this looks interesting.</p>
<p>International studies is more or less a major to prepare you for the FSOT.</p>
<p>Is that a good or bad thing?</p>
<p>^If you want to become a Foreign Service Officer and are (or can make yourself into) a competitive candidate to do so, by all means a good thing.</p>
<p>Macalester has been offering International Studies since 1949, and a commitment to internationalism is a core mission of the college. At Mac, students who major in IS customize it based on their own interests. So students interested in science, political science, economics, another social sciences, or even art tailor the concentration to meet their needs. It is a rigorous major and does require the acquisition of a second language. Global Health and International Development are now their own concentrations/majors. However, at Mac, it’s common to double major or have a concentration in addition to a major. At Mac, IS is more than glorified political science. Graduates do get jobs in the foreign service, but they also get jobs doing lots of other things and many attend graduate school.</p>
<p>It’s a good choice if you really can’t/won’t narrow down a specific geographical interest. Or your interests can’t easily be pigeonholed into one field of study e.g. politics or language. </p>
<p>Many people are skeptical about ‘Studies’ degrees because of that breadth. Personally, I think it acknowledges the subjectivity of academic designations and the need for interdisciplinary work. I did Educational Studies because I had a real passion and interest and simply wanted to learn more. I have a far rounder (and dare I say richer) view of the field and all the inter-playing factors that I wouldn’t have had if I just took Politics or Sociology. 12 (ouch!) years post graduation and I don’t regret it for a second.</p>
<p>I do take IS with plans to start a career with something involving national security. It is a great path that offers many career choices. With the right amount of passion this field can take youu anywhere.</p>
<p>I’m also an International Studies major from California. International Studies is an intedisciplinary major, meaning you cover a wide array of subjects from Anthropology, to Economics, to Gender, to Politics. It’s a great major, and ofcourse, you’ll encounter many people taking it to travel the world with no clear objective in mind. My advice, figure out what you want to do. The foreign service is a route that most IS majors who actually have direction (1/4 of the total IS majors) take. Also, be aware that intelligence jobs in the government (CIA, NSA, DOD, DHS, DIA, etc) are expanding at the moment and they specifically want people with a background in either international studies or political science.</p>
<p>My advice as a fellow student: Get internships relevant to your field of study, whether it be Congress, Senate, local think tanks, summer DC internships, etc. 1 internship is good, 2 will seperate you from the pack. Also, pick up a strategic or critical language such Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Farsi, Russian, Hindi/Urdu/Punjabi, Pashto, Turkish and Central Asian Turkic langauges. If your school doesn’t offer them, do study abroad or apply for programs that offer them. Intermediate fluency in these languages will be a foot in the door. If you have time, pick up a technical skill, such as computer science, finance, economics, anything math or science oriented. Find a professor who will allow you to help her/him do research and write you good letters of rec. Lastly, be proactive about your career plans NOW and be realistic about the jobs that are available by doing research. You’ll be golden.</p>