International Relations Careers

Career destinations

Our courses equip you with the skills for a range of jobs, with former students working for organisations including:

• the United Nations
• the OECD
• the European Union
• the European Investment Bank
• the Asian Development Bank.

You can also work for government departments, NGOs such as Oxfam and Amnesty International, or work in journalism

Our Masters courses also provide the perfect training for you to progress to PhD study.

Careers by course

If you want a career in international development and peace-building, see our MA in Conflict, Security and Development course.

If you want a career in the analysis of current international affairs as policy-advisors, journalists, researchers, and global and country risk-analysts in the security and private sector, see our MA in Geopolitics and Grand Strategy course.

If you want to do either a PhD in international security, or would like to work in a role where knowledge of international security is essential, see our MA in International Security.

PhD career support

To help you develop a range of transferable skills and give you exposure to practitioners in the field, you can attend a range of workshops and talks throughout your course.

This includes:

• doctoral researcher-led conferences
• workshops with universities from the UK and across the world including the London School of Economics and Copenhagen University. Through these workshops you get quality feedback on your written work, experience presenting your research at a conference, and a chance to network and develop contacts in the field
• workshops with advice on how to get published and apply for grants
• conferences with other students and researchers from the School of Global Studies

Frances’ career perspective

"My experience as a Masters student motivated me in my work as a teacher at the Autonomous University of Manizales in Colombia and transformed my understanding of the global political economy.

"It left a lasting and deep imprint on me as a person and the teachers at Sussex showed unwavering dedication both to the subject matter and students’ learning. 

"The M.A. at Sussex also pushed me to develop critical thinking and writing skills, which were essential in my continuing research."

Frances Thomson, former MA student

Joel's career perspective

"After graduation, I worked at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), in Singapore.

"My research focused on norms in regional institutions, such as the human rights and the rule of law, where I was involved in a survey on rule of law as well as presenting papers in Addis Ababa and Jakarta on the subject. 

"I also worked on a project on global governance, humanitarian interventions, and human rights, focusing on Thailand, Myanmar, Sudan and Cote D’Ivoire.

"I believe the education I received at the University of Sussex has played a vital role in my understanding of global issues and enabled me to take a tremendous step up in working in international affairs."

Joel NG, former MA student