Career Opportunities

International Development
Learning a second language is critical if you aspire to a career in human rights, gender justice, women's entrepreneurship, law, rural development, agricultural development, translation/interpreting, or similar international development disciplines. Whether you want to in working with a non-profit organization or a corporation, solid foreign language skills will put you ahead of your peers when it comes time to look for a job. International job listings abound on the internet. Try these for starters:

• U.S. Department of State: Careers in Foreign Service
• USAID Careers
• Devex
• Peace Corps

Secondary Education
Many RLL alumni choose to serve in the field of education. For public schools in New York State, this requires obtaining certification through an MAT program, such as the Learning and Instruction program at the UB Graduate School of Education. For private, parochial and charter schools, teachers may be hired with only a bachelor's degree in a language. Additionally, the NYC Teaching Fellows Program trains college graduates to teach specifically for the Department of Education in New York City, functioning as an alternative certification program. For a change of climate, the Southern Teachers Agency recruits recent college graduates for teaching positions in the Southern United States.

Medicine and Health Care
Whether you want to practice medicine or work in public health in a refugee community right here in Buffalo, or join an international medical team in Africa or South America, excellent second language skills are key. Recent RLL graduates have gone on to careers in opthamology and dentistry. Get some ideas about Centers for Disease Control global health jobs and opportunities. Check out opportunities at the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Teach Abroad
Spain and France have Teaching Assistant programs that pay college graduates to teach English conversation classes in their public schools. Chile has a similar program, but for volunteers.

Academia
For a career in higher education, many students pursue an RLL graduate degree. We have a highly competitive placement rate for our PhD alumni, with most obtaining full-time tenure-track employment within five years. The faculty take an individualized approach toward guiding students into the best possible career positions. Former students are now tenured or tenure-track faculty at institutions such as Hofstra, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Franklin & Marshall College, University of North Georgia, University of Denver and Ithaca College. If you are interested in an academic career, make an appointment with one of your favorite professors to get started!