working for an ngo or a un agency

seempand · 10-17-2007, 03:53 PM

I'm currently applying to undergrad schools and am wondering if its worth it to spend a lot of money if i just then have to go to grad school afterwards. i either want to work for an ngo, or work for a un agency, like unesco. unesco has a young professionals program that says you need a "university degree". does that mean you only need a bachelor's or does that mean you need a graduate degree as well. do you need a graduate degree to work at a place like amnesty international? it doesn't really specify on their websites, so i was wondering if anyone knows.

samonite16 · 10-17-2007, 10:45 PM

Well, NGO's like Amnesty hire lots of people straight out of undergrad. The UN is a dicier proposition, but I think it is possible to get in with a subsidiary agency out of undergrad. To advance higher into the ranks, though, you will likely have to get an MA in International Affairs or a Masters in Public Affairs (or possibly a JD, MBA, or PhD, depending on what you want to do) after a couple years of working.

joexc07 · 10-19-2007, 01:37 AM

To get an MA in International Affairs, does one have to study International Studies/Relations in undergrad? I am planning on majoring in History and English.

SilverClover · 10-19-2007, 03:32 AM

For the UN, you need to be in grad school just to have a shot at any of their INTERNSHIPS, let alone full time jobs. I'd say some form of higher degree would be in your best interest. Personally, I'm planning on getting a MPP and also possibly get a masters degree in sustainable development in conjunction with the Peace Corps.

gub · 10-19-2007, 08:15 AM

I'm interested in this as well. I'll probably have to work for a few years after ungrad and before grad school, but I would really like to work for the peace corps then. But since I'll probably have student loans to pay back, that won't be the most practical option. My dream job would be to work for the UN as well, but I first I need to get accepted into a college!

samonite16 · 10-19-2007, 10:32 AM

No, you don't need to major in international affairs. You do need to be relatively proficient in a foreign language and have taken some econ classes. Ideally, your college major should relate to what you want to do in international affairs, as should your work experience. The whole thing is like a picture that you have to piece together, if that makes sense.