Education
Why Get A Post Graduate Degree In International Relations
Today a post-graduate degree in international relations may be more valuable to you than an MBA.
While an MBA is the go-to post-graduate qualification in business, there are other options. For example, if your focus is international relations then you’d be better off choosing a qualification in that discipline.
Leveraging the Opportunities of an increasingly Globalized Business World
While an MBA will give you a great education in business, in the modern business world it is equally if not more important to be able to identify and take advantage of opportunities presented by the global market.
By understanding the trade laws and diplomatic situations between different countries and knowing about international economics, you can identify where good markets are to expand. Global business isn’t just about tapping into customers in other parts of the world and ensuring you can sell things to them compliantly, however. You may also want to seek out investment from people in other countries or negotiate with foreign suppliers or manufacturers.
Using suppliers and other services from other countries can save you a lot of money if you do it wisely and understand things like the exchange rates between your nations and where these may cause your costs to fluctuate. First, however, you need to understand many things you’d learn on an international affairs master’s course to successfully find the right suppliers and make good deals with them.
Be Introduced to More New Information Than in an MBA
An MBA will undoubtedly teach you a lot of beneficial things. However, if you have a background in business or corporate experience (which are prerequisites for an MBA), you may be able to learn a lot of this through your own research. However, an international relations degree will introduce you to topics you may have had no exposure to before relating to law, economics, and international diplomacy.
You can choose the areas you want to focus on in your degree, so while the right path of study for someone looking to use the degree in their business will be different to someone who wants to work in politics or be a journalist, you will certainly be able to tailor what you study to your own plans.
If you are looking for a post-grad course that will help you in your future in business, it is well worth considering this study path as an alternative to an MBA.