International Studies (BA)

After graduation

What are your skills after graduation?

The three-year bachelor’s in International Studies provides students with the tools to study regional developments and put them in a global context, while focusing on history, culture, politics and economics.

After graduating from our programme you will not only have acquired knowledge about the dynamics of globalisation and your region of choice, you will also possess valuable skills that are sought after by employers and by universities selecting candidates for master’s programmes. These skills include:

• Cultural sensitivity
• Writing
• Researching
• Working independently
• Analysing and assessing information
• Forming an opinion
• Working in teams
• Self-reflection
• Presentation skills
• Project management

In this video, you will meet three alumni who have followed different paths after studying International Studies at Leiden University in The Hague. Guido is a researcher at Clingendael Institute, where he analyses international affairs, Paulien is a management trainee at Fugro, a global leader in geosolutions, and Lennart is a media analyst at the Dutch Ministry of General Affairs, where he tracks the news and advises the government. Do you want to see what their jobs are like and how they use their skills? Watch the video and find out!

Your career prospects

Would you like to continue your academic education? After obtaining your bachelor’s degree you can go on to follow a master’s programme. Your master’s diploma will increase your chances of finding a job at a higher (academic) level.

Read more about our Master's programmes

Your future work and workplace will depend upon your interests, knowledge and skills, and on the elective choices you have made during your study. Students who complete this programme find themselves prepared for a wide range of occupations.

Sectors in which some of our alumni have found employment include: finance, consultancy, ICT, communications and marketing, research, management, government, education, NGOs, and the cultural sector.

Read more about your career prospects

Boris Kowalski

Alumnus

"After graduating, I went on to do a master’s in Russian and East European Studies in Oxford. Subsequently, I found a job as a junior programme assistant with the German Marshall Fund. This is an American think tank that aims to strengthen transatlantic cooperation, with a focus on security and foreign policy. I currently am based in Poland, a very interesting country that happens to be my grandfather’s native country. I am learning the language, and of course, already knowing a regional language like Russian helps here. Poland is a complex country, there are vast differences between political parties. The communicative and intercultural skills that I developed during International Studies prove very useful here, it helps to get people around the table and to open up discussions."

Marliese Vollebregt

Alumna

"My study time was a great time to try out new things, this was very helpful in determining my career path. International Studies is broad, which I really liked. For my elective space I chose to study in Santander, Spain. I learned a lot about myself here. After graduation I took a gap-year, during which I held a board position of a student association. After my BA I did two masters: the MA International Relations and Public Administration (MSc) at Leiden University, during which I did an internship which made me realise that diplomatic life was actually not what I wanted. The experiences I collected during and next to my studies lead me to my current position as project-leader at JINC, an NGO which organizes projects with companies to make sure that kids growing up in less affluent neighbourhoods get acquainted with the job market. A cause that I am very passionate about."

Ugnė Mikalajūnaitė

Alumna

"I felt very well prepared to work in an international environment, because I had already been in contact with people from different countries every single day during my studies. You get social skills as well as professional skills, like doing presentations and finding a job."

Campus The Hague Career Event

What do you want to do after you graduate? The Campus The Hague Career Event is your chance to learn everything you can about how to find the job you want and successfully attain it. The event includes workshops on a wide range of topics as well as opportunities to network with alumni and potential employers and attain tips, information and potential job leads.

Career Service

The Career Service of Leiden University’s Faculty of Humanities will be pleased to give you personal advice and guidance about internships and jobs, as well as courses and workshops in career-planning, job applications and interviews. The advisors can also provide contact details for potential employers. Furthermore, an internship coordinator and career advisor will help you match your interests and abilities with suitable internships and career options. You can contact the Student Career Service during your studies or up to six months after you graduate.