Master of Arts in International Affairs
The M.A. in International Affairs program is designed for working adult students with professional interests in:
- international economics, trade and business
- international law and politics
- foreign cultures
- environment and technology issues
Many students in this 30-credit program complete the Master's degree in two years.
Courses are offered during fall, spring, and summer in the late afternoons and evenings. Faculty include Washington University faculty and corporate specialists.
Advanced Certificate in International Affairs Requirements: For the 15-unit Advanced Certificate, you must take two international issues and two foreign area-studies courses. The fifth course may be chosen from the I.A. curriculum or a related area. All courses must be on the 400 (graduate) level or above. Tuition rates and application procedures are the same as for the 30-credit M.A. degree. For details on the Advanced Certificate in International Affairs, click here.
For more information, E-mail ucollege@artsci.wustl.edu.
Admission
Admission to the Master of Arts degree program in International Affairs is open on a selective basis to qualified persons with a baccalaureate degree who seek to augment their professional training with part-time study in international affairs.
To apply to the program, please submit:
- a completed Application for Graduate Admission form, including an essay of 300-350 words describing your interest in and qualifications for the program;
- a non-refundable $35 application fee;
- official transcripts of all previous college work;
- three academic or corporate letters of recommendation;
- a recent writing sample;
- we strongly recommend a personal interview.
Admissions preference will be given to applicants with a strong undergraduate record and several years of professional and/or international experience. In addition, successful applicants are expected to possess good writing and critical thinking skills. Previous course work in economics, history, and/or political science is helpful, although no specific undergraduate courses are required.
Admission Time Line: University College and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences review completed applications and make admissions decisions on a rolling basis. The process typically takes four to six weeks, and so we urge applicants to submit their materials by the following schedule in order to ensure a timely decision: mid-November for spring; mid-April for summer; mid-July for fall. If you plan to apply for federal financial aid, please note that this process can take six to eight weeks. It is suggested that applicants begin by completing their FAFSA at the time of application. For additional information about Financial Aid and step-by-step Financial Aid application instructions, click here. Qualified students may take up to six units on a non-degree basis. To do so, fill out and submit this Graduate Unclassified Study Program Application form.
Degree Requirements
Total Number of Credits for Graduation: 30 credits of graduate (400-level and above) course work is required for the M.A. degree. A maximum of 6 credits of related and comparable graduate-level course work may be transferred from another university or from a related graduate program at Washington University with the approval of the program director. These must be graduate-level units not used to fulfill undergraduate degree requirements. Transfer credit may be granted only for authorized courses for which the student received a grade of B or higher.
Required Courses: Students must successfully complete an introductory seminar, Current Issues in International Affairs (3 credits), early in their program of study. In addition to completing Current Issues in International Affairs, students also must complete a minimum of four other International Affairs seminars (minimum 12 credits), to count as distribution requirements or electives as noted below. The remaining courses may be may be chosen from International Affairs seminars or other graduate-level courses authorized by the program director in economics, history, political science, foreign languages, or other related areas.
Distribution Requirements:
Students must include in their program:
- at least two "international issues" courses (minimum 6 credits) focusing on international trade, finance, politics, law, development, and other issues; and
- two "area studies" courses (minimum 6 credits) that explore the politics, economics, history, and culture of various regions of the world: East and Southeast Asia; Europe and Russia; Latin America; Africa; and the Middle East.
Research Project (3 credits): In most courses, students do research on issues related to their professional concerns. After the student has completed his/her course work, a three-credit research project, supervised by a Washington University faculty member, is required for the M.A. degree.
Foreign Language Proficiency: In addition to the 30 credits of graduate study in international affairs, M.A. candidates are required to demonstrate reading knowledge in a foreign language (normally equivalent to two semesters of college-level language study) as approved by the program director.
Oral Examination: After the student's research project is complete, students are required to discuss their independent research project in a meeting with three Washington University faculty members.
Graduation: The Master of Arts degree in International Affairs is conferred by the Washington University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Although degrees are awarded three times a year, commencement ceremonies are held only in May, at which time International Affairs degree recipients are recognized.
Final Project
Final Project
M.A. in International Affairs
Final Project and Oral Exam
All candidates for the master’s degree in International Affairs are required to complete a final written project. Normally completed during the final semester of the program (and in some cases the final year), the project entails substantial research and analysis on a topic determined by the student in consultation with the program coordinator. The project is completed under the primary supervision of a faculty advisor, along with a faculty committee, and it is evaluated by this committee in the form of an oral examination at the conclusion of the student’s program. There are two options for the final written project: 1) Directed Research Project (DRP), the minimum requirement for all students; and 2) Master’s Thesis, available to exceptionally strong students authorized by the program coordinator.
Directed Research Project
The standard final project option is the three-credit Directed Research Project (DRP). The one-semester DRP will eventuate in a paper of approximately 40 pages in length. Researched and written under the guidance of the faculty advisor, the paper will reflect a substantive and sophisticated engagement with the chosen topic and will incorporate relevant scholarly and critical sources. The DRP will be defended in a final oral examination convened by the student’s committee (advisor and two faculty readers).
Master’s Thesis
International Affairs students with a cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher and a compelling and well-articulated research agenda may be authorized to pursue the two-semester Master’s Thesis rather than the Directed Research Project. The Master’s Thesis is subject to the formal regulations of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Typically, the first semester of the thesis project will entail research, analysis, and detailed outlining. The second semester will be taken up with writing and refining the thesis drafts. The final paper is to be approximately 75 pages in length. The Master’s Thesis should make an original contribution to scholarly research and writing on the subject, and it will be defended in a final oral examination convened by the committee. Students who are approved for this thesis must meet Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Master's Thesis guidelines.
Advisor and Committee
All candidates for the master’s degree in International Affairs complete the final project (DRP or Master’s Thesis) under the supervision of a faculty advisor and committee. The program coordinator will assist the student in selecting a faculty advisor and two other faculty readers for a thesis or one faculty reader for the DRP. The advisor or “director” works closely with the student at all stages of the project. The committee reads the final paper and participates in the student’s oral examination. DRP advisors and committee members should be teaching faculty with the relevant graduate program. Master’s Thesis advisors and committee members should be tenured or tenure-track faculty at Washington University. Students select the appropriate advisor and committee members in consultation with the program director and University College.
Oral Examination
At the conclusion of the final project (DRP or Master’s Thesis), students will sit for an oral examination together with their final project committee.
Final Essay
As the examination also serves as the capstone event of the program, the student is required to submit, in advance of the examination, an essay of 3-4 pages that briefly reflects upon one’s course of study in the International Affairs program, notes strengths and weaknesses of the program, offers suggestions, and remarks upon one’s future plans.
Procedures and Timeline
It is important to adhere closely to requirements and deadlines associated with the final project in order to ensure timely completion of the project and fulfillment of program requirements. Please read carefully "Directed Research Project and Master’s Thesis Guidelines and Timelines" for detailed information about procedures, requirements, forms, and deadlines. All candidates for the master’s degree in International Affairs are required to complete the Final Project Proposal Form for M.A. Programs. All students authorized to pursue the Master’s Thesis also must complete the Title, Scope, and Procedure Form. See Directed Research Project and Master’s Thesis Guidelines and Timelines (below) for detailed information about procedures and deadlines.
Directed Research Project and Master's Thesis Guidelines and Timelines
Planning
You should begin planning for your Directed Research Project the semester prior to your final semester of study. If you have authorization to pursue a Thesis, begin planning two semesters prior to your final semester of study. The Title, Scope and Procedure of Dissertation (Thesis) Form must be completed and returned to University College at least six months before the month in which the degree is expected to be conferred. University College will forward approved Title, Scope & Procedure forms to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.
Registration
The Final Project Proposal Form must be completed with all required signatures for registration. Registration follows the normal academic schedule. Refer to the current course schedule for registration deadlines. Submit your Final Project Proposal Form to the Administrative Assistant for Academic Programs, University College, January Hall, Room 100; this will serve as your registration form.
Schedule Your Oral Defense
The Oral Defense should be scheduled as soon as possible after you have registered. The Oral Defense should take place no later than two weeks prior to the end of the semester you plan to graduate. Consult with your committee to find a time that is agreeable. Your Oral Defense will probably only last 1 hour, but schedule 1.5 hours for the defense to provide a small cushion of extra time if needed. To schedule and reserve space, contact the Administrative Assistant for Academic Programs, 314-935-6759.
Please consult the University College online calendar for specific deadlines for the oral defense. Usually the defense must be completed by the beginning of September for summer graduates, the beginning of January for fall graduates, and late April or early May for spring graduates. Please note that these dates conform to deadlines for all graduate programs and are not flexible.
Submission of the Final Project (Directed Research Project or Master’s Thesis): Submit a copy of your final project to each member of your committee two weeks in advance of your oral defense to allow time for review. Upon successful defense of the project, the final version must be submitted to University College along with a copy of the final paper. In addition, thesis candidates must submit an electronic copy and one hard copy of the Master’s Thesis to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences according to the deadlines listed in the online calendar. Please refer to the Graduate School Arts & Sciences Master’s Thesis guidelines for formatting and presentation requirements.
Important Contact Information
Marvin Marcus,
International Affairs Program Coordinator
mhmarcus@artsci.wustl.edu
(314) 935-4797.
Elizabeth Fogt,
Director of Advising and Student Services,
University College
efogt@wustl.edu
(314) 935-6778.
Cassandra Schroeder,
Administrative Assistant for Academic Programs,
University College
cschroed@artsci.wustl.edu
(314) 935-6759.
Faculty
Faculty in the International Affairs program include accomplished scholars and teachers from the University and the St. Louis community. Some are mentioned below:
Thomas Bottini, J.D., lecturer in international law (international business law)
John R. Bowen, Ph.D., professor of anthropology (Southeast Asia; religion and culture)
Pedro Cavalcanti, Ph.D., professor of anthropology (Latin America; social structures)
Vincent Ciarpella, Ph.D., adjunct instructor
Matthew Gabel, Ph.D., associate professor of political science
Ewan Harrison, Ph.D., lecturer in political science
Repps Hudson, adjunct, M.A. in International Studies (global communications, Arab-Israeli conflict, failed states, international environmental issues, globalization)
Nate Jensen, Ph.D., associate professor of political science
Ahmet Karamustafa, Ph.D., associate professor of Asian and Near Eastern languages and literatures (Islamic religion and society)
Victor T. LeVine, Ph.D., professor of political science (Africa, Middle East, international politics)
Marvin H. Marcus, Ph.D., program Director, associate professor of Japanese languages and literatures (Japanese literature and culture)
Charles R. McManis, J.D., professor of law (intellectual property; unfair trade practices)
Stamos Metzidakis, Ph.D., professor of French
Petar Milich, Ph.D., adjunct instructor
Manoo Mofidi, Ph.D., adjunct instructor
Max Okenfuss, Ph.D., associate professor of history (Russia)
Timothy Parsons, Ph.D., professor of history, professor of African and Afro-American Studies
Stefan Schindler, Ph.D., professor of German language and literature
Eugene B. Shultz, Jr., Ph.D., professor of technology and human affairs (international development; environmental management)
Andrew Sobel, Ph.D., associate professor of political science
Chikako Usui, Ph.D. (UMSL)
Richard J. Walter, Ph.D., professor of history (Latin America)
John Williams, Ph.D. (Principia College)
Students
Our students include business executives and managers, lawyers and bankers, journalists and educators, military and government personnel, information and financial analysts, advertising and marketing professionals, and many others.
Some of the companies and organizations represented among International Affairs students and graduates include:
|
|
