International Students

International students are a key component of the SSP student body and bring diversity of perspective and experience to the classroom and the SSP community.  Currently the SSP enrolls students from 21 countries.

The Office of International Programs (OIP) provides international students with immigration counseling, including applications for student visas and work authorization. 

While many international students pursue professional opportunities in the US during and after their studies, it is essential international students be aware of their visa status at all times.  Immigration regulations are strict and eligibility for positions with the U.S. federal government, particularly within the intelligence community, are exceptionally difficult to obtain.  That said, however, the resources of both the SSP and the Graduate Career Development Center are readily available to guide international students to available opportunities.

The SSP's international alumni hold a variety of positions around the world.  Most return home after completing the degree and assume jobs with their home government, intergovenmental and transnational organizations, research insitutions, and media outlets.  Examples of entities employing SSP alumni include:

  • the governments of Afghanistan, Chile, Colombia, the Repbublic of Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, Romania, and Switzerland.

  • the European Union, the International Organization for Migration, the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance, the Organization of American States, the United Naitons, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization.

  • the Brookings Institution, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Iran Policy Committee, The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the Rand Cooperation, the British Broadcasting Corporation, Dow Jones & Company, USA Today, and Reuters.

 

SSP Student Profiles

Ruslan Monolbaev, SSP ‘07
Undergraduate Institution:  University of Arizona, B.A., Political Science
SSP Concentration:  Technology and Security

“The strengths of the SSP are threefold:  the program’s proximity to major research institutions, think tanks, and embassies, the strength of SSP faculty, and an unmatched variety of courses designed specifically for SSP students.”

Birna Thorarinsdottir, SSP ‘08
Undergraduate Institution:  University of Iceland, B.A., Political Science
SSP Concentration:  International Security

“I chose the SSP because I wanted to understand and master the key issues of today's international security challenges.  The programs wealth of expertise and the breadth of its courses have provided me with a unique academic environment to seek answers to my questions and be challenged by the new questions that arise. I believe that the SSP is the best program to study the elements and politics of international security today.”

Frédéric Wils, SSP ‘07
Undergraduate Institution:  University of Potsdam; Magister Artium, Political Science
SSP Concentration:  International Security

“When I started the program as an international student I felt very welcome by the SSP student body and faculty … both international and American students in this program learn a lot from each other regarding to how to deal with the most urgent security problems.   The program teaches me … to look at security problems from different points of view…”