International Relations and Pacific Studies

UC San Diego is home to the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS), which is ranked by the journal Foreign Policy as one of the top ten schools in the country for studying foreign affairs and public policy.
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One student, Matt Hill, was an IR/PS student who took advantage of an internship in Malaysia. After he graduated from the program, he went to work in China to set up operations for a computer software company. He is currently a “rest of the world” recruiter for Qualcomm and uses his international experience every day, working with colleagues around the world.

Studying abroad is an integral part of the IR/PS student experience and each summer, students travel around the world to work with businesses, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. From these internships, students have started preschools in Latin America, developed economic models in third world countries and fought AIDS in Africa. These unpaid internships, although not required, are an important step toward developing students’ knowledge of other countries, gaining real-world experience and working toward professional goals. For many students, these internships play an important role in getting hired after graduation.