Sarah Gilbert came to the The New School's programs in International Affairs after spending more than a decade in Europe’s financial sector. She led software implementation projects for European banks and insurance companies, but after the financial market crash in 2008, she wanted to change her professional trajectory and focus more on international affairs.
“The MS in International Affairs at The New School was exactly what I was looking for,” says Gilbert, who graduated from the program in 2011. “I was searching for a master’s degree program that valued my professional experience and took consideration of people that wanted to live their lives but still wanted to pursue a higher degree.”
Gilbert said was attracted to the MS in International Affairs because it took her extensive work history into account and allowed her to focus her studies on development. The faculty encouraged her to use her professional background to guide her studies, while opportunities such as the International Field Program enabled her to develop hands-on skills abroad.
“I would recommend the MS program for professionals who know what they want to do and want a higher degree to leverage their work experience,” she says.
With support from The New School’s Career Services, Gilbert landed an International Development Fellowship at Catholic Relief Services (CRS), where she supported the implementation and management of projects in the sectors of health, livelihood, good governance, and inclusive education in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Shortly after completing her fellowship, she accepted a permanent position at CRS as an emergency specialist, a role in which she provided support for emergency response and recovery activities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Philippines, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan.
Gilbert is currently the head of Programs for CRS operations in Turkey. She manages a multi-sector team in implementing programs with a value of more than $19 million in agriculture, psychosocial support, and provision of non-food items and shelter, funded by USAID and the Catholic International Development Charity.
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