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4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016 United StatesMaster's degrees
MA in Ethics, Peace, and Human Rights
Offered jointly through the School of International Service and the Department of Philosophy and Religion in AU’s College of Arts and Sciences, the Ethics, Peace, and Human Rights program offers an ethical approach to contemporary global problems. The purpose of this interdisciplinary program is to prepare you in the practical application of ethical theory and policy analysis so you can approach difficult ethical choices in global affairs.
MA in Global Environmental Policy
The Global Environmental Policy program helps you understand causes of environmental harm and identify ways to build a more sustainable world. Particular areas of program focus include climate change, sustainable energy, water, food and agriculture, environment and development, peacebuilding, and urban design and sustainability.
MA in Global Governance, Politics, and Security
The Global Governance, Politics, and Security program takes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding relations among states and societies. Our students are dedicated to evidence-based policy and acquire foundations in politics and economics before specializing in one of four professional tracks: global security; multilateral diplomacy and global governance; international economic policy; and states, society, and politics. Our graduates find careers in multilateral organizations, government agencies, the private sector, and NGOs.
MA in Global Governance, Politics, and Security: Quantitative Economic Methods
The Global Governance, Politics, and Security: Quantitative Economic Methods (GGPS:QEM) STEM degree provides a focused education in quantitative methods and applied economics essential for students of global security, multilateral diplomacy, political economy, and economic development. Our graduates are well-positioned to shape policy with data-driven, effective solutions at ojbs in government affairs, multilateral organizations, and international business. The STEM designation enables international students to apply for a 24-month extension of Optional Practical Training (OPT), granting them the ability to work in the US for up to three years in their major field of study.
MA in Intercultural and International Communication
The Intercultural and International Communication program prepares emerging global leaders to shape communication at the international, inter-organizational, and interpersonal levels. The first program of its kind in the United States, the program's faculty and alumni continue to lead the field in concentrations, including public and cultural diplomacy, international education, intercultural relations, global social media, technology and policy, and global health communication.
MA in International Affairs Policy and Analysis
International Affairs Policy and Analysis (IAPA) provides students with the skills they need to tackle the international and foreign policy problems that they care about. This program blends the analytical rigor of traditional international affairs with a consolidated set of hard policy and management skills. As such, the curriculum offers significant flexibility. Students self-design a specialization drawing from courses across subfields of international affairs and select a Professional Competency Track composed of skills-based courses.
MA in International Affairs: Natural Resources and Sustainable Development
Natural Resources and Sustainable Development is a dual master’s degree in which you will receive degrees from both American University and the United Nations-affiliated University for Peace in Costa Rica, where you’ll spend your second and third semesters. American University offers international relations and environmental politics studies and unique exposure to Washington, DC, policy institutions and NGOs, while the University for Peace provides practical experience in sustainable development. Courses are taught in English, with mandatory free Spanish instruction provided for one year.
MA in International Affairs: United States Foreign Policy and National Security
The United States Foreign Policy and National Security program presents courses on defense policy; intelligence; the formulation and implementation of foreign policy; and the social, political, economic, strategic, and historical underpinnings of U.S. foreign policy. It is a rigorous course of study that combines considerable programmatic flexibility with the benefits of specialization in a concentration you select.
MA in International Development
For nearly 50 years, the MA in International Development (MAID) program has trained graduates to work toward addressing the world’s most pressing economic, environmental, health and humanitarian challenges. MAID is unique in its focus on essential job skills, rigorous research methods, and critical histories and theories of development. The program emphasizes links between global and local action, acknowledges the interrelatedness of environmental, political, economic, and global health challenges, and equips graduates to become effective and ethical agents of change.
MA in International Peace and Conflict Resolution
The International Peace and Conflict Resolution program is the premier choice for those seeking careers related to conflict and peace. We prepare graduates to be peacebuilders in a wide variety of professional settings and political contexts. You will gain deep insight into the causes and impacts of war. You will learn the strategies and practices for resolving armed conflict and for preventing its resurgence, and you will learn to stand with populations impacted by war so that they can be collaborative agents of peaceful transformation. The program is committed to contributing to sustainable peace by addressing root causes and overt manifestations of violent conflict.
MS in International Relations and Business (online)
Offered jointly with the Kogod School of Business, the MS in International Relations and Business equips students with the skills to navigate complex business environments across borders and cultures to produce effective outcomes. Combining foundational knowledge in both business and international affairs, the program is delivered online to meet the needs of part-time students.
MA in International Relations (online)
International Relations Online offers you a foundation in the international relations field and the chance to gain specialized expertise through concentrations in global security, international development, international negotiation and conflict resolution, and U.S. foreign policy and national security. Classes are delivered to you on an engaging learning platform—wherever you are located around the globe—and combine self-paced content with live virtual class sessions. No other highly ranked program offers a comparable online master’s degree in international relations
Master of International Service (International Studies Track)
International Studies Track
The international studies track is designed for you if you are currently enrolled or have recently completed a master's-level program in international affairs or a related field at a partner institution. You’ll benefit from cross-continental academic experiences that augment your educational and personal development. Graduates from the program are conferred a dual degree from SIS and the partner institution.
Accelerated degree for experienced professionals
Master of International Service (on-campus and online)
The MIS degree is designed for experienced professionals and practitioners with at least seven years of relevant professional experience. The program places emphasis on decision-making, strategic communication, leading multicultural workforces, and change and crisis management. Additionally, you will be offered a wide variety of possible concentrations in fields such as foreign and security policy, peace and conflict resolution, international negotiation, and international development. Most course offerings are available after business hours to accommodate the needs of part-time students. Both on-campus and online options are available.
MS in Development Management
Development Management is for those who have at least four years' prior field experience and a strong applied and practical focus. You'll work on development projects and programs, capacity building, organization or institution building, NGO management, or monitoring and evaluation in developing countries or among disadvantaged communities abroad. You can use the elective concentration courses, such as gender and development, environment and development, or social entrepreneurship, to focus on a sector of your choice or to deepen your management skills.
Doctoral Degree
PhD in International Relations
The PhD program trains you to produce new knowledge of the highest scholarly caliber. The program prepares you for a career as a teacher and scholar at universities and research institutes in both the private and public sectors. The core curriculum covers the foundational fields of international studies: international relations, comparative and regional studies, and social theory. You will pick one of eight concentrations and also take a three-course, multiple-methodology sequence that introduces you to the major qualitative and quantitative research techniques used in the social sciences today. SIS provides you with generous financial support, which includes tuition remission and a stipend, both of which can be renewed for up to four years. You will have the opportunity to work closely with a faculty member on their teaching and research
Dual Degrees
Students interested in pursuing a career at the intersection of international affairs and business, law, teaching, or theology have the opportunity to pair their master's with a JD, MBA, MAT, or MTS degree via an SIS dual-degree partner school. Contact our Graduate Admissions team for more information.
Certificates
Graduate certificates provide students with a valuable credential that complements their master's degree by offering foundational knowledge and skills in emerging and cross-cutting areas of international affairs. These certificates help degree-seeking students build expertise in an intersecting field, helping them stand out among graduates in their primary field of study.
With advanced planning, students may be able to complete a certificate with few to no additional credits, depending on how closely the certificate requirements align with their degree program requirements. This makes our certificates a flexible and cost-effective way to enhance your academic qualifications. Certificates can also be completed as a stand-alone credential for students not enrolled in a degree program.
Non-degree
The School of International Service (SIS) offers graduate non-degree study for students who are interested in pursuing graduate coursework without the commitment of a degree program.
Eligibility, Policies, and Applying
Eligibility
To apply for non-degree graduate study at SIS, applicants must be either a US citizen, permanent resident, or hold a visa status of A1, A2, G4, or H1. Students holding B1, B2, F1, or J1 visas are not permitted to take classes in non-degree status.
Applicants must have completed at least a bachelor’s degree at an accredited institution. Applicants who have been denied admission to a graduate program in SIS are not eligible for non-degree study during the academic year after having been denied admission.
Graduate Certificate students are not eligible for federal loans/FAFSA.
Applying
Prospective, first-time non-degree students should direct their application for non-degree study to AU Central.
Policies
- Once registered, non-degree students must abide by American University policies, including, but not limited to, polices on academic integrity, and tuition payment and registration deadlines, including withdrawals and refunds. The Academic Regulations outline University policies, and important registration deadlines are listed on the Academic Calendar.
- SIS non-degree course tuition is charged by the credit hour. Non-degree students will be invoiced and may pay their bill through the Student Accounts office.
- Non-degree students may not register for courses that require special permission from the instructor/department or courses that are restricted to a particular degree program.
- Non-degree students who wish to take a course with a pre-requisite must receive written approval from the instructor and provide this documentation to the SIS Graduate Advising office prior to registration.
- Non-degree students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative graduate GPA in order to take courses at SIS.
Course Selection
To review the SIS semester graduate course opportunities and class schedules, please review the Schedule of Classes. Graduate courses are listed under International Service, begin with the prefix SIS, and have course numbers 500 and above. Registration for first-time non-degree students will begin in November for the fall semester. It is recommended to complete your application early to allow adequate time for processing.
Using non-degree coursework toward an SIS graduate degree
Students may transfer up to 12 credits of relevant coursework taken as a non-degree student toward a graduate degree program at SIS. Non-degree students who intend to apply to a graduate program at a future date and wish to discuss potential programs and/or selecting courses towards a particular program of study should contact the SIS Graduate Admissions office.
Note that completing coursework in non-degree status does not guarantee admission to a degree program. All non-degree students seeking admission to a degree program must complete the SIS application to a graduate program. All graduate courses taken at AU, including non-degree but not courses taken as part of a completed program, will be counted in a student’s cumulative graduate GPA, even if not counting towards the requirement of a graduate degree program.