Daretodream91

I recently received my B.A. in Political Science and am wanting to attend grad school to study international relations. However, I am wanting to take the next year or so to work on developing my language skills and gaining experience living abroad prior to applying. My dilemma at the moment is about which region/language I should focus on. I am primarily debating between Russia/Eastern Europe/Central Asia and the Middle East. I have some language experience in Russian and Hebrew, and I would enjoy learning Arabic at some point as well. Does anyone know if either region is more desirable/beneficial than the other in terms of attending grad school and potentially in working in diplomacy or intelligence analysis in the future? Thanks!

Hi everyone, I recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University with a B.A. in Political Science and a Certificate in Homeland Security. I intend to study international relations in grad school, but I am struggling to determine which world region I should focus on in order to later work for the government in either diplomacy or intelligence analysis. I am trying to decide between Russia (and the former Soviet Bloc) and the Middle East. Of note, I have studied a bit of Russian and a bit of Hebrew in the past. Either way, I am going to need to improve my language skills quite a bit between now and when I apply for grad school. I may even take another year to study abroad and gain more experience. My question is: which regional focus would be more beneficial to me in terms of future grad school attendance and career opportunities? Thank you.