Relevant Work Experience Vs Work Experience

[BCINT]

Hi Everyone,

I'm starting the process of getting my things in order to apply to grad schools for an MA/MS in international relations (specifically programs in Georgetown, LSE, University of Chicago, King's College of London, and John Hopkins). Other than a few internships as a Research Assistant at a think tank and some local non-profits during my undergrad term, my main work experience (post Undergrad) has been as a City Planner for a mid-size city. I was wondering if this would play against me in my application.

It's a little hard to find schools that explicitly state what kind of work experience they're looking for from applicants. The only place I've found specific mentions are in some grad school pamphlets produced by Foreign Policy magazine. I'm just wondering if this passes muster, or if it'll be looked at as unrelated and therefore it will hurt my admission chances.

 

Thanks!