The Master of Arts in International Affairs is a challenging and interdisciplinary program dedicated to preparing tomorrow’s global citizens and leaders by combining theories, concepts, and methodologies from a range of disciplines with study abroad and experiential learning opportunities in Boston, across the country, and around the world.
We live in an increasingly interconnected global environment where people, goods, ideas, and conflicts traverse borders with rising frequency. Leaders in the activist, policy, and academic spheres must learn not only how to critically analyze these phenomena but also to envisage harnessing their constructive potential. The Master of Arts in International Affairs is an interdisciplinary graduate program dedicated to preparing tomorrow’s global citizens. A holistic approach to enhancing our understanding of the world must span the limits of any one academic field and embrace cross-disciplinary analytical competencies.
Spanning several social sciences and humanities, our courses are taught by leading scholars who research democratization, gender, globalization, ethnic conflict and cooperation, human rights and international law, international relations, social activism, and social justice—among other topics. The program is designed to respond to the increasing demand, evident in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors for professionals equipped with the substantive, analytic, and methodological skills needed to address a wide array of issues facing societies and organizations across the globe.
Through its core courses, its two tracks—Globalization, Development and Social Justice; and International Public Policy—as well as global and regional electives, this graduate program allows students to pursue a variety of themes.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
In-Class Case Studies—Professors integrate case studies, small group exercises, and applied projects into the classroom to add a real-world perspective to the coursework.
Research—Students collaborate with faculty on groundbreaking, use-inspired research in class and in our research centers—The Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy, The Social Impact Lab, and the Boston Area Research Initiative.
Thesis—Students have the option to complete a thesis.
Opportunities Abroad—Students can participate in a one-semester exchange program with the Universiteit van Amsterdam or KU Leuven. This academic, research-oriented opportunity will be complementary to our professionally focused Master of Arts in International Affairs Program.