MA in European Politics/Studies - Useful?

[Wanderlust90]

Hello all,

I've been torn for quite on a while on whether or not it is smart to pursue a graduate degree in European politics. I recently graduated from undergrad with a double-major in International Relations and German, and I've had significant travel experience in Europe (lived in Germany as an exchange student in high school; will be moving back to Germany next year as a Fulbright English teaching assistant). I'm deeply interested in politics, and my true passion lies in transatlantic relations (e.g. US-EU politics). However, I fear that a degree in European politics is too specialized and the job market for such graduates (particularly in the States) is rather slim. I've considered applying to the following programs: Georgetown MAGES, American SIS (regional specialization in Europe), GWU (European/Eurasian Studies), LSE European Studies, and Freie Universität Berlin (International Relations). I've also thought about applying for a program in International Security with a concentration in European regional studies so as to make the degree more marketable.

Any thoughts? Would I be making a foolish choice in pursuing a degree in European politics? (I'm also not an EU citizen, which would make working in an EU member state quite difficult).

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Edited June 2, 2012 by Wanderlust90

[MYRNIST]

Try thinking of it this way: you can either

a. get a more practical degree (MPA, MPP, MBA, etc.) that gives you a professional skill-set valued by many employers, but doesn't give you a predefined European specialty. Develop said European specialty through work experience; take your fancy new degree and get a job at the European section of the World Bank, State Department, Booz Allen Hamilton, etc.

b. get an area studies degree that certifies you as knowledgeable about a region, but doesn't train you for practical professional skills: balance a budget, analyze a policy issue, manage an organization. Try to find and land a job at aforementioned institutions: at the World Bank with no economics training, at a national security think tank with no federal budgetary process training, etc.

As is obvious, I think you will have a hard time with the second. Detailed knowledge of a region is not professionally valued in isolation - it is always contingent on trying to get something done, whether it be banking or education policy or espionage. If you don't bring some sort of practical skill to the table to complement your European knowledge, it will be rough sledding.

Basically, there are no organizations (outside the ivory tower) that exist solely for intellectual pleasure of studying Europe. There are lots of organizations that sell things in Europe, work with European governments, provide military defense for Europe, and so on. Get whatever professional skill you find the most interesting/marketable, and carve out a European specialty through work experience. It will be a lot easier than doing the opposite.

Edited June 4, 2012 by MYRNIST

[RTR13]

While I agree with MYRNIST for the most part, I think that he's assuming that all European Studies programs don't include things such as "analyze a policy issue, manage an organization..." however that's not true. I'm looking at a European studies program right now where part of the curriculum specifically includes a project management course, there’s also a strong emphasis on analyzing European public policy, as well as internship placement during the program with European institutions both private and public. Best part is it’s in Europe at a top 100 university! In fact there are tons of European studies programs both domestic (US) and abroad just like the one I mentioned, all from from highly respected universities. About actual employment, your student visa while you're in graduate school allows you to work in the EU and countries such as Denmark allow six months after you graduate to look for employment (find a job=you get to stay, yay!!). I would argue if it came down between two candidates (who we’ve establish both have training in practical matters) and one had a said “practical” degree and had been to Europe a couple of times and one had a degree in European studies and had wrote his/her thesis relating to said “practical” area, had a “practical” type internship (all of these possibilities in a European Studies program) and had lived in Europe for two years, they would get the job in the European section of the World Bank, State Department, Booz Allen Hamilton, etc. It’s all about what unique qualities do you bring to the table? They are going to have hundreds of MPAs, MPPs, MBAs filing in and out of the human relations department, if you can prove you have multidimensional practical as well as specialized education/experience in what you love, you’re golden. It may be a slight risk but the opportunities to succeed are definitely there plus you’ll truly be studying what you’re passionate about!!! And it will definitely pay off in comparison to everyone who took the safe path (typical practical degree). Just the other day, I read a Wall Street Journal article that not only said business majors are a dime a dozen but “companies say they need flexible thinkers with innovative ideas and a broad knowledge base derived from exposure to multiple disciplines.” Bottom line: Do what you love, it may seem unconventional/risky but it really isn’t, in the end the overall pay-off is much more rewarding then those who played it “safe.”

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” -Robert Frost

On a side not: most MPA, MPP, MBA programs required 2-3 years of prior professional experience (they are after all known as professional degrees), which I’m assuming you don’t have.