Available Services
It’s never too early to start thinking about your career after graduation—and we’re here to help. We offer a comprehensive set of services, from day one at SIA to beyond graduation.
SIA professional development is organized around helping you make the transition from academic studies to career opportunities. Embedded in the academic objectives and outcomes of the school's curriculum, professional development at SIA is designed to help you think concretely and deeply about your internship and career objectives, strategies for achieving those objectives, and specific steps toward success in the process.
Personalized Support
As you begin your studies at SIA, you will meet one-on-one with the Director of Career Services to discuss your background, interests, and career goals, and develop a strategy to maximize your time as a graduate student. The director will help you refine your resume, sort through your Capstone options, identify and apply to internships, navigate networking opportunities, and cultivate extracurricular activities to enhance your skills.
Career Exposure Trips
Each year, SIA organizes trips for current students to meet with professionals at organizations working in international affairs and related fields. The purpose of these trips is to help students explore career options, gain advice from potential employers, and expand their professional networks.
Previous career trips have included visits to the United Nations, World Bank, Council on Foreign Relations, SOS International, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Population Services International, AMIDEAST, U.S. State Department, the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, OutRight International, World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, CRDF Global, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and many more.
Professional Development Workshops
SIA hosts numerous professional development workshops on relevant and timely career-related topics to help you prepare to enter the job market. Throughout the year, we also host alumni career panels, presentations, and guest speakers who offer additional career insights and networking opportunities.
Alumni Network
When you graduate from SIA, you will join our growing SIA alumni family who are making a major impact across the globe. You will also become part of a powerful network of more than 740,000 Penn State alumni around the world—in all 50 states and more than 160 countries.