Deciding to attend graduate school is not just about seeking higher education, but ultimately about finding a job in a career that's right for you. Simply being in school opens many doors for students to obtain internships or fellowships, in addition, Josef Korbel School students have access to the Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD) which provides a wealth of additional opportunities and resources to assist matriculated students as they work through the internship and career search process.

An example of these efforts includes organizing career fairs that introduce students to potential employers from across the country. Last year, the school hosted both a security fair and a non-government organization (NGO) networking forum where students were able to interact directly with the hiring managers from places such as the CIA and the Department of State at the security fair and ACCION and Global Greengrants Fund at the NGO forum.

In total, the OCPD held 118 events last year in an effort to help students develop skills, engage with employers and network. The office helps with resume and essay reviews, mock interviews and holds numerous information sessions on a variety of subjects. These opportunities, coupled with a Josef Korbel School education, appear to pay off. According to the most recent OCPD report, of those alumni who responded from the 2010 graduating class, 84% are employed, with 8% still seeking employment. Of those employed, 40% work for NGOs, 32% work in the private sector and 21% work in the public sector.

Approximately half of all students stay in Colorado after graduation.

“They don't come in thinking that they'll stay here but they fall in love with Colorado,” Mira Morton Luna, the Associate Director of Employers and Career Development, said. “The skills they learn here are applicable to many different jobs.”

One reason graduates opt to stay in Colorado is because of its plethora of NGOs and government contractors that students familiarize themselves with while at the Josef Korbel School, whether through the career fairs, volunteer work or a number of other informational outlets the school utilizes. In fact, according to the Colorado Nonprofit Association, Colorado is home to over 18,000 501(c)3 many of which focus on internationally-oriented issues.

Additionally, many students find employment following a successful internship since a majority of the Josef Korbel School's degree programs require students to complete one. Some students are involved in multiple internships, many of which are in Denver or the surrounding area.

During the 2010-11 academic year, Josef Korbel School students registered for 227 internships or practicums, in 32 countries with 106 of them taking place during the summer. Most of those summer internships were at non-profits and NGOs (71), while 27 were in the government. While most students opt to do their internships over the summer, there are opportunities to complete one during any academic quarter.

And for those students who ultimately want to work in the nation's capital, the Josef Korbel School certainly offers a pathway to get there. The OCPD also manages career connection trips to Washington, D.C., New York and Boston. Every winter break, students have the opportunity to spend five days in Washington, D.C., to network with employers and alums at government agencies and NGOs and to learn more about different career tracks. Such site visits include the National Counterterrorism Center, Pentagon, United States Institute of Peace, World Bank and several others. During spring break, students have a similar opportunity in New York City and occasionally in Boston.

Students looking to spend more than a week in Washington, D.C. can do so through the school's D.C. program. This is a partnership program with the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and GPSIA at the University of Pittsburgh whereby students spend the fall quarter of their second year interning and taking classes in the nation's capital.

As the world's 11th best international relations masters program according to Foreign Policy, the Josef Korbel School has shown it can offer something for everybody and has a knack for getting students to where they want to be.

- M. Schwinn, MA Candidate, International Security
Josef Korbel School of International Studies