What it takes to earn a career in United Nations
Hey everyone, so recently I am interested in earning a career in United Nations. But what are some suggested majors/minors a student should pursue in college to possibly work towards a career in the United Nations. I want to major in International Relations while minoring in the Chinese Language. I feel that this is not enough, so is there anything I can add to my majors list/minors list to enhance my preparation for possibly a career at the United Nations? Also, what schools are best for this? Thanks!
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I think you're already on a great path! International relations is a degree that many UN officers majored in, but it's not offered everywhere. Political science is a common degree that many colleges offer, and you can specialize in international relations within the political science degree as well.
Some colleges have more specific degrees that would definitely help you stand out. USC offers a Peace, War, and Defense major as well as a NGO Management major. Some schools, like UChicago and Georgetown, offer dual international relations and business degrees that would DEFINITELY help you stand out as a job applicant and would help you get more competitive jobs within the UN. Although a master's degree would be a great help for you to get a job with the UN, it's not completely necessary.
In terms of a language, definitely minor in one of the UN languages, like Chinese. Some schools, like Georgetown, have a larger emphasis on the language component of the international relations degree. Georgetown actually REQUIRES all international relations graduates to be fluent in a new language by the time they graduate! However, you should look into the different international relations degrees at different universities to see what their programs are like.
My final tip: Global Relations is the same thing as International Relations, but International Studies and International Relations are two polar opposite degrees!
Best of luck! :)
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https://www.tbd.community/en/a/un-job-guide Here's what I found: Requirements normally stipulate a Master's degree (or equivalent) in a development-related discipline, a minimum of two years of paid working experience in a relevant field, preferably in a developing country, written and spoken proficiency in at least two of the three official UN languages.