Global Education

Post-Grad Opportunities

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Post-graduation opportunities to work, teach English, volunteer, or pursue internships abroad are readily available. The following information will help you consider which option is best for you.

Work Abroad

  • GoinGlobal helps job and internship seekers find opportunities both at home and abroad.
  • Interexchange offers opportunities for students to teach, au pair, and work in foreign countries.
  • MyPerfect Resume provides great resources for finding a job outside of the US. The site allows you to search by country/region and also gives information about the logistics of having a career abroad.
  • Visit JobMonkey.com to explore employment opportunities, including summer and seasonal positions, all over the world.
  • Jobs.GoAbroad.com provides information on international internships and opportunities to teach and work abroad.
  • Alliance Abroad is an organization that specializes in matching people with international work and volunteer opportunities.
  • CareerOne is a site focused on employment opportunities in Australia.
  • CIEE (Teach Abroad) is a study abroad organization that also offers programs for students to teach abroad after graduation.
  • Cultural Vistas offers a wide variety of internship and exchange programs around the world.
  • The HWS Salisbury Center for Career, Professional and Experiential Education provides HWS students and alums access to a multitude of job search resources.

Teach Abroad

  • The Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program provides opportunities to teach English in other countries while serving as a cultural ambassador for the U.S.
  • The English Program in Korea (EPIK), affiliated with the Korean Ministry of Education, enables participants to share their knowledge and language with Korean students and teachers within the Korean public school system.
  • The Teaching Assistant Program in France offers 7-month placements teaching English to French students of all ages. Assistants teach 12 hours a week and can be placed in all regions of metropolitan France and the overseas departments of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion.
  • The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET) offers individuals a chance to work in schools, government offices, and on boards of education across Japan. This program offers different opportunities based on the applicant’s skills and abilities.
  • English Open Doors is a program jointly funded by the United Nations Development Program and the Ministry of Education of Chile. This programs trains and places native-English speakers to teach English in under-resourced communities throughout Chile. Teachers must pay their own way to Chile but otherwise receive local transportation, housing, food, medical insurance, and a small stipend for ‘incidental’ expenses in Chile.

Preparing to Teach Abroad

  • HWS is among the few liberal arts institutions in the country to offer a Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), an entry-level credential that is required for many jobs teaching English abroad. Those interested in pursuing the certificate should contact Audrey Roberson in the Education Department (ROBERSON@hws.edu) and visit the Education Department webpage. TEFL Certificate Handout

Volunteer Abroad

  • The Peace Corps, established in the early 1960s and operated by the US government, provides service opportunities for those looking to do more extended volunteer work outside the US.
  • The Mercy Volunteer Corps provides opportunities for participants to serve in a variety of capacities in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana. A one-year commitment is required with the opportunity to renew for a second year.
  • Omprakash is a searchable database of non-profit and NGO’s around the world.
  • The HWS Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning (CCESL) maintains a detailed list of Gap Year service opportunities.

Intern Abroad

International internships are a good way to build on the skills and knowledge you have already developed while gaining professional experience and networking within your field of interest. You can intern abroad as an undergraduate or after you graduate. Both options can help you gain practical experience, explore new career options, and strengthen your resume. You can participate in an internship as part of a study abroad program or find a position through a placement provider such as Cultural Vistas or Cross-Cultural Solutions.

  • BUNAC offers a wide variety of volunteer, intern, and work experiences abroad. Experiences range from interning in the UK to work/travel program opportunities in Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
  • Visit Studyabroad.com for information about opportunities to study (including intensive language courses and full degree programs), intern, volunteer, and teach abroad. Articles discussing the benefits of working and living abroad are also available on the site.
  • Connect with the HWS Salisbury Center for Career, Professional and Experiential Education
    for more information about international internships. Schedule an appointment with a Career Counselor to learn more.

Marketing Your Study Abroad Experience

Studying abroad has made you more marketable to future employers. The skills you developed and knowledge you gained while abroad are readily transferable and will be highly valued by employers. But it is up to you to demonstrate the link between your study abroad experience and what an organization may be seeking in a prospective employee.

Utilizing the Skills and Knowledge You Learned Abroad

International Fellowships & Scholarships

An international fellowship or scholarship can provide you with the financial and logistical support needed for a professional or academic experience abroad. There are a wide array of opportunities available, and taking advantage of them requires early planning, research, and a well-prepared application.

Post-Graduate Fellowships & Scholarships

  • The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers fellowships for graduating college seniors, graduate students, young professionals,and artists to teach English, study, and/or conduct research abroad.
  • The Boren Scholarship provides funding to both undergraduate and graduate students looking to go abroad to study less widely taught languages.
  • The United States Department of State sponsors the Critical Language Scholarship Program (CLS) for overseas intensive summer language instruction in thirteen “critical need” foreign languages. CLS institutes provide fully-funded group-based intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences for seven to ten weeks for US citizen undergraduate and graduate students.
  • The Luce Scholars Program is a national fellowship program meant to enhance the understanding of Asia among potential leaders in American society. The program provides stipends, language training, and individualized professional placement in Asia. Applications are welcome from college seniors, graduate students, and young professionals in a variety of fields who have had limited exposure to Asia.

For more information on international fellowships and scholarships, visit the Academic Awards and Fellowships webpage and contact Scott MacPhail at macphail@hws.edu.

Graduate School

Think that a summer, J-term, or semester abroad is your only opportunity for international study? Think again! There are many options to continue your international academic journey as a graduate student.

3 Primary Tracks
1) Enroll in a Master’s or Doctoral program through a foreign institution. It can be less expensive to earn your graduate degree abroad than in the U.S., even paying international student fees. Master’s programs tend to be of shorter duration abroad than in the U.S., reducing the total time needed to pay tuition and fees and to earn your degree. Many countries include employment privileges as part of obtaining a student visa, so you might even be able to work part-time while going to school. In addition to considering graduate programs in English-speaking countries (the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong and South Africa), increasingly it is possible to earn an advanced degree in English even in countries where a different language is spoken. (We still recommend that you learn the local host language to facilitate everyday life and to make strong connections to the host culture). Finland, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Germany, The Netherlands, Korea, and Turkey are just a few of the countries where at least some universities offer some advanced degrees in English.

Finally, all of HWS’s study abroad exchange partners offer graduate programs and may give preference in admission to students coming from HWS and other partner schools.

2) Enroll in a U.S. Master’s or Doctoral program that includes a semester or year abroad. Not all graduate programs offer a semester or year abroad option; in many cases this won’t be relevant to your particular degree. However, if you are pursuing a degree with an international focus, such as international relations, international business, international law, foreign language, or area studies, OR if you are pursuing a professional degree such as architecture, your U.S. degree program might have an option to spend one or more semesters abroad. Even if your program doesn’t offer a set location for a term abroad, it might be possible to undertake a research semester or year in support of your thesis or dissertation.

3) Enroll in a Master’s program in International Education or Cross-Cultural Management to prepare you to work in the field of study abroad. Many programs include a summer or semester abroad, This may provide an opportunity to gain experience directing a program and/or an opportunity to conduct research and/or gain experience directing a program.

Learn More
Intrigued by these graduate school options? Want to learn more about how to get started? Make an appointment to see Amy Teel, teel@hws.edu.