Career Paths into International Development

Abstract

Public Policy graduate students in the United States are very interested in international development and global issues. However, students know little about how to take steps towards careers in it despite their significant interest and close study of international development and global policy in the classroom. For example, 26.5% of all applicants to the Humphrey School of Public Affairs in 2010 applied to Global Public Policy or Masters of Development programs, but data on alumni shows that only a handful of Humphrey graduates actually obtain jobs related to development or work overseas. This paper seeks to shed light on the numerous paths into international development, and what professional life is like in various sectors (bilateral and multilateral organizations, and NGOs). It also addresses gaps between classroom learning and the pursuit of a development career.