<p>I want to work for the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs. I am a junior majoring in English. My research interests are in immigrant issues and the relationships between the U.S. and other countries/cultures. I would like to explore my areas of interest through literature. </p>
<p>Additional information:
I have maintained a 3.9 GPA and have interned in an immigration law firm for two summers. I currently lead English conversation classes to assist adult immigrants with their comprehension of the English language.</p>
<p>None of us can tell you what the right degree is for you.</p>
<p>What do you want to <em>do</em> with your degree? What career field do you want to pursue? That is ultimately going to direct you toward a graduate program - or not. You may not even need a master’s degree for the jobs you’re interested in. The best path may be through internships.</p>
<p>If you do want to pursue a master’s degree, a degree having anything to do with literature does not seem to be the best choice for someone who is interested in working in government. Degrees such as a Master of Public Administration are centered around practical skills for managing and directing government bureaucracies.</p>
<p>Are there no jobs in the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Affairs for bachelor’s degree holders? Investigate those first.</p>
<p>Also, do you have to work specifically for that office? What you mean, surely, is that you want to do a certain kind of work - work in immigrant issues and U.S. relations. You can certainly do that with a BA. You can work for the foreign or the civil service. You can work for the UN or other NGOs that assist immigrants. You can work for an immigration lawyer as a paralegal.</p>
<p>I advise you to try to find a job first - rather than ask what master’s degree you need, ask what jobs you can do with your BA within your field. Then after that, you can use your work experience to get into a master’s program. What kind of master’s program you go to depends on what you want to do.</p>
<p>Do you want to administer government programs for immigrants? Maybe an MPA.
Do you want to do clinical or community social work with immigrants? Think about an MSW.
Are you interested in issues of policy and legislation surrounding immigrant issues? Think about an MPP.
Are you interested in issues of immigrant health? An MPH may be the degree you want.
Do you want to defend immigrants in court? Think about a JD.
Do you want to go on to do research on immigrant issues in a think tank or university? An MS in a variety of fields, leading onto a PhD, is your best bet.</p>
<p>Or you may find that you need none of these degrees because you can do what you want with your BA.</p>