Editor’s note: This is part two of a letter prepared for students in Dr. Armstrong Willams’s capstone IR Theory class (delivered virtually after the closing of campus in the spring 2020 semester).  Traditionally the final weeks of this course are used to discuss future plans including graduate school, study abroad, and career opportunities.  

Graduate Education & Transition Experiences

If you are interested in having your higher education paid for, you might want to consider traditional Masters and PhD programs in Political Science which focus on International Relations and Comparative Politics.  You should then look for state schools on the following list: https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/02/20/top-fifty-schools-international-relations-foreign-policy/

Dr. Armstrong-Williams during a trip to Korea. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Armstrong-Williams)

Just be careful to not bias yourself to programs within the beltway.  Most large state institutions have great programs with a great deal of financial support.  If you have successfully completed our program and you have a strong GPA you should consider furthering your education.

In addition to these schools, there are other excellent programs.  One which can really assist students, particularly with an interest in comparative politics is the University of Pittsburgh.  They have a unique scholarship that you can combine language study with a IR course of study https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/main/flas-fellowships-faq This fellowship pays up to $15000 a year plus free tuition.

As you are going into looking at programs at state schools make sure to: