The Master of Arts degree in International Studies provides students with skills and knowledge demanded by the 21st century workplace. The curriculum combines coursework in relevant Political Science sub-fields (primarily International Relations and Comparative Politics) with skills courses in data analysis, and with the option to take further classes in data analysis and research design, or to select from a variety of Public Administration courses that provide practical, marketable skills to help students qualify for jobs in the government and non-profit sectors.

The admission deadline for the program is April 1 (Fall admission only).

Learning Outcomes

1. Students will develop and demonstrate a sophisticated grounding in world affairs and demonstrate expertise in a career-relevant field of specialization.
2. Students will critically analyze various international policies and quantitative data relevant to international affairs and political science.
3. Students will effectively communicate discipline specific knowledge that will allow them to search for, identify, and apply for professional positions in international affairs, including employment and internships.

Degree Requirements (30 Hours)

Students must take 12 hours of Core Substantive courses, 12 hours of Core Skills courses, and an additional 6 hours of electives or thesis hours. 12 hours (4 required courses) are taught in the Department of Political Science. For the remaining 18 hours, students may take a variety of additional Substantive and Skills courses offered in Political Science, or could substitute relevant courses in other departments, with the approval of the Director of the MAIS program. There is no language requirement, though students can take up to 6 credit hours of language courses as electives. Foreign langauge courses generally cannot be accepted as Core Substantive or Core Skills courses.

Core Substantive Courses (12 Hours)

Required:

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
POLI 715	International Relations Theory	3
POLI 780	Theories of Comparative Politics	3
Select six additional hours of internationally-themed courses (which may include courses outside POLI)		6
Total Credit Hours		12

Core Skills Courses (12 Hours)

Required:

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
POLI 502	Methods of Political Analysis	3
POLI 706	Advanced Methods of Political Analysis	3
Select six additional hours of skills courses (which may include research design, Public Administration courses, and courses outside POLI)		6
Total Credit Hours		12

Electives (6 Hours)

If not choosing the thesis option.

Electives can consist of additional substantive or skills courses. Additionally, students who prefer to take foreign langauge courses may take up to 6 hours as electives.

MAIS Thesis Option (6 Hours)

If not taking the additional electives.

Students who plan to apply for Ph.D. programs should choose the Thesis Option. Students who choose the Thesis Option must enroll in six credits of POLI 799B, which may be taken all in one semester or distributed across more than one semester. Students must defend the thesis in an oral examination conducted by the MAIS Director.

MAIS Non-Thesis Option

Students who do not take the thesis option, opting instead to take 6 hours of electives, must pass an oral examination during their final semester, conducted by the MAIS Director. Typically, this oral examination will cover the substance of a course paper of the student’s choice, which must be submitted to the MAIS Director.