BA in Conflict Analysis and Resolution

#1-ranked Conflict Program in the US

Da Jung (Michelle) Jung, 2020

Da Jung (Michelle) Jung

Da Jung (Michelle) Jung graduated last summer with a BA in Conflict Analysis and Resolution. She was recently admitted to several esteemed graduate programs in the field of international affairs, including Johns Hopkins University SAIS, University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, and The Fletcher School at Tufts University.  She was also awarded several scholarships. After long and careful consideration, she has decided to pursue her master’s degree at JHU SAIS.

Jung confidently states that her undergraduate career paved the way for her graduate school success. In addition to her studies, she proactively sought internship opportunities through Mason’s career development centers. She began as a student intern at Mason Korea’s Office of Academic Affairs and later served as President of Mason Korea Student Ambassadors. At the Fairfax campus, she was the Event Coordinator & Interpreter at the 2017 Peace Series Conference with North Korean Defectors under the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution (formerly S-CAR). She also interned at the Office of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Fairfax County.

As for experiences outside of the university, Jung considers her international organization experience crucial to forming her career interests. In particular, she worked as a Programme Assistant at the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) Secretariat and as a Public Administration Intern at the United Nations Project Office on Governance (UNPOG). “I acquired all but one of my internship experiences through Mason’s career development centers, both at the Korea and Fairfax campuses,” she said. “Both centers are extremely welcoming and resourceful when it comes to helping students find internships or jobs. I tried to participate in activities and programs that align with my career interests as much as possible, which I later connected into one larger theme on my graduate program application.”

To her fellow Patriots who wish to pursue graduate studies abroad after graduation, Jung offers her most pragmatic advice: “Aim high, but be strategic. Try your best to develop relatively concrete research interests or desired career paths during your time at Mason, and plan your future decisions around them.” While admission to graduate programs often requires years of professional experience, she stresses that fresh graduates also make great candidates if they can demonstrate clear career and research interests along with achievements that reflect those interests.