In Florida, international relations initiatives are the domain of no fewer than five World Affairs Councils, located in Naples, Sarasota, Central Florida, Jacksonville, and Palm Beach:
- Naples Council on World Affairs
- Sarasota World Affairs Council
- World Affairs Council of Jacksonville
- World Affairs Council of Palm Beach
These nonprofit organizations connect stakeholders in Florida with the global community with the goal of educating, inspiring and engaging Florida citizens in an effort to promote global understanding.
The World Affairs Council also supports the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, which encourages professional exchange between international visitors and U.S. colleagues in the same field. The goal of the program is to increase mutual understanding through communication at both the personal and professional levels. Participants of this program include foreign leaders in government, new media, education, politics, labor relations, science, and a number of other key fields.
Florida’s foreign trade activity speaks to the value of maintaining strong relationships with foreign stakeholders. In fact, with more than 61,000 international exporters, Florida is home to the second highest number of businesses in the nation involved in exporting goods and services to foreign markets. In 2014 alone, Florida-based companies exported nearly $59 billion in goods and more than $34 billion in services to more than 200 countries around the world.
Choosing the Right Degree for a Career in International Relations
Whether in the non-profit sector, in industry, or with state or federal government agencies, a solid educational background in international studies helps foster the kind of global perspective necessary to take on the most pressing issues of the 21st century – global health, international development, global environmental concerns, education, global security and more.
Careers in diplomacy, global security analysis, and nongovernmental humanitarian work all begin with a formal education in international relations:
- Foreign Policy Advisor
- Diplomat
- Ambassador
- Foreign Outreach Worker
- NGO Humanitarian Aid Program Director
- Intelligence Analyst
- Global Security Analyst
- Immigration Specialist
- Geopolitical Analyst
- Translation Specialist
- Senior Political Affairs Officer
- Military Analyst
- Development Advisor
Bachelor’s Degrees in International Relations
A bachelor’s degree with a major in international relations could lay the foundation for careers with government agencies, nongovernmental organizations and even private sector corporations:
- Project analyst with a federal government agency
- Regulatory affairs associate with a multinational corporation
- Assistant director of communications with an international disaster relief organization
- Diplomatic services assistant with a US embassy aboard
A bachelor’s degree with a major in international relations may go by a number of names:
- Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
- Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs
- Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Diplomacy
- Bachelor of Science in International Affairs
These programs provide students with a theoretical understanding of the processes by which people and nations engage. In addition to a core in global issues, comparative politics, and international politics, systems, and organizations, bachelor’s degrees in international relations allow students to choose a minor in such areas as:
- Global Security Processes
- Global Socio-Economic Processes
- Global Public Policy
Many programs also allow students to focus their undergraduate degree in international relations on a specific region of the world, such as:
- Asia
- Europe
- Middle East
- Latin America
- Africa
Master’s Degrees in International Relations
Graduate studies in international relations can open up professional opportunities for such senior-level leadership positions as:
- International regulatory affairs specialist for executive search firms
- Director or diversity and multiculturalism in academia
- Business analyst in international healthcare services
- Business intelligence developer for multinational software development companies
- Director of international marketing for multinational media corporations
- Development director for nonprofit organizations
- Economics sanctions program compliance analyst with multinational banks
A master’s degree with a major in international relations may be designated as:
- Master of Arts in International Relations
- Master of Arts in International Affairs
- Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Relations
- Master of Arts in Global Studies and International Relations
A master’s degree prepares students for careers as professionals, practitioners, and scholars in the field of international relations. Graduates of these programs are prepared to assume senior-level positions with government agencies, think tanks, multilateral organizations, consulting firms, leading universities, and nongovernmental organizations.
Admission into a master’s degree program in international relations requires a bachelor’s degree and, often times, an admission essay, a minimum undergraduate GPA, and GRE scores.
Like their undergraduate counterparts, master’s degrees in international relations allow students to choose a concentration within the field. Each concentration brings with it a unique specialty-specific course list:
- Security and Diplomacy
- Ethnic conflict
- International security
- S. national security
- Security and Diplomacy
- Law and Conflict
- Human rights and international law
- Humanitarian intervention
- War crime and terror
- International humanitarian law
- Law and Conflict
- Human Rights
- Humanitarian intervention
- Minority rights
- Civil war
- Ethnics and international politics
- Human Rights
- International Political Economy
- Global finance
- Global marketing
- International trade law
- International Political Economy
- International Development
- International political development
- Humanitarian intervention
- Diplomacy and civil society
Florida’s Contribution to Global Security, Development, and Humanitarian Aid
There are a number of organizations in Florida that are dedicated to ensuring that the global interests in the state are supported through positive international relations:
Enterprise Florida – Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) is a public-private partnership between Florida’s business and government leaders. It serves as the principal economic development organization for Florida, and its mission is to expand and diversify the state’s economy through job creation.
EFI works closely with a statewide network of economic development partners. Both the State of Florida and private sector businesses supply the funding for EFI. EFI is the primary entity for trade and export development in the state, supporting more than 60,000 Florida exporting businesses.
Office of Foreign Missions (OFM), Miami Regional Office – The Office of Foreign Missions (OFM), Miami Regional Office provides liaison and services to foreign honorary consuls. OFM Miami is responsible for ensuring equitable treatment of U.S. diplomatic and consular personnel abroad and providing benefits and services to the foreign mission community in the U.S.
Miami Council for International Visitors – The Miami Council for International Visitors serves as the official host of the U.S. Department of State’s sponsored visitors. The mission of the Council is to promote, sponsor, and administer programs that provide opportunities for professional and cultural exchange and foster global friendships between international visitors and South Florida’s citizens.
Florida-Based Organizations Dedicated to Maintaining Strong Global Ties
Organizations throughout Florida support the state’s international relations efforts:
World Affairs Council
- Naples Council on World Affairs
- Sarasota World Affairs Council
- World Affairs Council of Jacksonville
- World Affairs Council of Palm Beach
Humanitarian Organizations
- Fresh Ministries, Jacksonville
- Footprints Foundation, Miami
- Love Unlimited Foundation Inc., Miami
- Farm of the Child Inc., Jacksonville
- Advocates for World Health, Tampa
Governmental Agencies
- U.S. Export Assistance Centers of Florida
- Florida District Export Council
- Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs
- Florida Department of Commerce