Students & Alumni
The International Relations, MA Program provides theoretical foundations and practical skills to advance your current career trajectory or transition to a new one. Our students have opportunities to make an impact and our alumni have gone on to work a variety of fields.
Student Profiles:
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Tayler E Stephenson (International Relations MA) is a Wyoming native and grew up in Casper. She joined the Army National Guard after completing her BA in English at the University of Wyoming. Tayler discovered her love of international politics through her time on guard and realized the importance of good leadership in international affairs. She moved to Boston and embarked on a journey to help build a better world. Additionally, she is a part of the BU ROTC program intending to lead people even from within the military. She has a deep passion for community service. She works at the PKG Center at MIT to help bring students to community service. She is dedicated to public service and hopes to work for the government in the future. |
Alumni Profiles:
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David Hackett (International Relations AMP) has had a longstanding interest in global affairs and political science. Beyond the scholastic rigor of the program, David argues that one of the school's greatest assets is the sense of community and collaboration that defines McCormack. The investment of faculty, staff, and students into the well-being of the institution is what makes McCormack so special. Between networking opportunities with experts in the field, the genuine care that faculty and staff have for the students, and the support networks which our students build to assist each other: one never feels alone when studying here. It is the community-oriented outlook that made him feel like he was "a part of something" as a student, and it has shaped his present professional and academic goals. David's future goal My future goal is to pursue a Ph.D. in the discipline of Political Science/International Relations. |
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Vlad Nekhoroshykh (International Relations AMP) chose International Relations because it is a field of study that he found appealing from an early age. His interest in IR was inspired by his childhood in Ukraine, a very politically turbulent country, and his mother's career as an economist. Vlad hopes to use his skills to help Ukraine in some way, as it requires and it will require a great deal of international assistance to repair the damage it has sustained because of the Russian invasion. For Vlad, the Accelerated Masters Program in IR was lots of fun at UMass Boston. One element that stood out to him was the incredible diversity of the student body and getting to learn with people from unique ethnic backgrounds which allowed him to engage with a broad variety of perspectives. |
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Geymi Santana (International Relations AMP) is passionate about education and how it impacts the economic development of a state. She chose the International Relations AMP to shine a light on the importance of education and the crucial role it plays in development. As a student at UMass, she studied IR and education abroad at KU in Seoul, South Korea. Geymi currently holds a fellowship with Boston Plan for Excellence, Americorps, and is an ESL Academics Support fellow for Boston Public Schools while working towards BA and MA in International Relations with a double minor in English and Sociology. Her career goal is to work for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) or with community organizations helping immigrant students. |
Our Fulbright Students
- Fulbrighter is at the Forefront of a Media Revolution in Afghanistan. Afghan journalist Samiullah Mahdi featured on PRI The World: Television in Afghanistan is pushing boundaries, and viewers like what they see. Mahdi is studying international relations at UMass Boston on a Fulbright scholarship. Read more about this student.
- International relations students Parfait Gasana and Wade Cedar have won a Diversity and Inclusion (DANDI) Award
- International relations students earns two awards.
Alumni Careers
Alumni work in a variety of government and non-government organizations, academia, and international humanitarian institutions. Here are some examples:
- Co-founder and President, Kigali Reading Center, Rwanda
- Monitoring and Evaluations Specialist, Media in Education Trust Africa
- Research Associate, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard University
- Freelance Journalist, Myanmar
- Community Developer, Peace Corps, Ukraine
- Collaborative Conflict Management Specialist, Resologics, Inc.
- Account Supervisor, VOX Global Strategic Communications
- Administrator, Global Risk Management and Industries, Marsh Global Insurance Brokers
- Department Supervisor, Ministry of Customs and Trade, Turkey