Impossible for Ph.D. from top Canadian univ. to land me WashDC policy job?

[rasta723]

Hello all,

I recently received an offer of Ph.D. admission from McGill University's history department, my only offer so far (3 schools left to hear from). This is the only program to which I applied that wasn't in the US. Given the horror stories we all know so well re: the US academic job market, I'll remain interested in the possibility of applying for Washington, DC-based federal, think tank, or non-profit careers after earning my degree, probably 5-6 years from now. I do have 3 solid years of post-undergraduate (US) federal job experience under my belt already, and have studied 2 "critical languages," so am trying to determine whether pursuing my degree in Cold War diplomatic history at McGill, up in Montreal, would be a good or bad choice given what I have in mind.

If it isn't apparent, I only have a vague sense of what might be available in places like DC or even other East Coast cities for a newly-minted Ph.D. graduate (in foreign relations history) as opposed to, say, someone who just earned a Master's in something policy-specific from the Kennedy School, Wilson, Georgetown and the like, so would also appreciate if anyone could speak to what doors a Ph.D. might open for me?

Thanks for your thoughts!

-20something from Maryland

[Nerd_For_Life]

A lot of this depends on what networking you are able to do. Getting your foot in the door is the most important thing. McGill is internationally recognized as a phenomenal school and would not be a barrier to you getting a US job. It's the connections and networking that matter at the end of the day, in combination with what you publish.

Edited February 15, 2012 by nicolemc