Receipt of a bachelor's degree in international relations provides a thorough background in the major global issues facing the modern world. These issues involve globalization, American foreign policy, third-world debt, the United Nations, the European Union and a host of other issues involving how nations relate to one another.
Careers in international relations are hard to come by with only a B.A. Seeking higher education will make you more competitive in the job market. However, graduates with a B.A. in international relations are still eligible for work in several fields.
The Foreign Service is the most obvious possibility. Foreign Service employees work as diplomats or administrative staff at embassies throughout the world. Foreign Service workers must submit to an extremely rigorous selection process. Although there are no formal education requirements, the entrance examination is extremely difficult and requires a high amount of knowledge about both global and domestic issues.
Other government agencies offer jobs requiring a knowledge of international relations, including the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Agriculture, Defense, Transportation, Treasury, Labor and State. Jobs range from counterterrorism analyst to agricultural economist.
The intelligence community is another possibility. Positions are available in the Department of Defense as well as intelligence organizations such as the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. You could end up working as either an analyst or a clandestine operator. These positions are also hired on the basis of the applicant's performance on an exam.
A host of private research groups and "think tanks" in Washington focus on foreign policy. The best way to get a job at one is to seek an internship through an organization that interests you.
Private corporations, both foreign and domestic, also hire many people with an international relations background. However, these people are increasingly coming from more specialized backgrounds and often are required to have a masters in business administration.
The nonprofit sector is also a possibility. Countless organizations are involved in international affairs worldwide. They often hire people based on strong performance as volunteers. The pay is often low, but the work can be very rewarding.
A final possibility is teaching at the university level. However, this almost always requires a Ph.D. in international relations.