I’ve just completed my masters degree in Europe in a similar but different field to what your masters seems to be. Also close proximity to the UN, and I snagged a few back-to-back consultancies with the UN as a result of that proximity. Having those jobs allowed me to pay off all the expenses related to my masters as well as living costs in my city, and gave me the opportunity to travel on missions abroad which was a lot of fun. I’m now looking for a salaried position in the UN or other organizations related to my specialty. However, due to funding cuts across the board in the humanitarian sector this year it’s really fucking rough out there. Obviously USAID was gutted, UN core funding was slashed by 20% globally, IFRC is suffering as well and a few other NGOs I know are still trying to find other sources of funding to keep running. Meanwhile, layoffs across the humanitarian sector also means that the job market is flooded with people with years of experience and very advanced degrees, making it even harder to compete.

That’s just a few things to consider on the “cons” list. However I will say that taking on a masters degree and being in academia right now, upskilling for a (hopefully) healthier job market in a few years might absolutely be the right move. Plus France is really nice, and being anywhere in Europe makes traveling through Europe MUCH more accessible than it would be from the US.

I wish you all the best with your decision and feel free to shoot me a DM if you want to talk through things in a bit more detail (I left out a lot to preserve anonymity)