Department of Political Science and International Studies

Master of Arts Degree in International Studies

Dr.M’bare N’gom, Chairperson
Holmes Hall, Room 311

Tel: 443.885.3095
Fax: 443.885.8228

Objective

The Master of Arts degree program in International Studies is designed to prepare students for international careers in Foreign Service, journalism, education, and business. It is a research intensive program that encourages students to pursue further training through field work and travel experiences.

Admission to Program

For unconditional admission, applicants must have:

1. A minimum of fifteen 15 credit hours of course work with an international content;
2. Earned an undergraduate academic average of 3.0 in their major area of study and not less than 3.0 average overall.
3. All students must provide Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores for admission. Test scores may not be more than 5 years old prior to the date of application.
   For conditional admission applicants must have earned a minimum academic average of 2.5 in their major area of study and not less than 2.5 average overall.

General Requirements for Degree

1. All candidates for the Master of Arts degree must complete a minimum of 33 credit hours, submit an acceptable thesis, and pass a written comprehensive examination.

2. In addition, all candidates for the M.A. degree must pass an examination which demonstrates oral and written competency in one of the following languages: Arabic, French, German, Russian, or Spanish. Upon written approval by the Department, students may substitute for any of the above languages one deemed essential to their research or field of major concentration. The department may waive the examination for candidates with exemplary qualifications.  Students who do not successfully pass the foreign language examination may be allowed to retake the exam when scheduled by the Department of Foreign Language.

3. Students are expected to select an area of study as their primary focus which will ultimately prepare them for researching their thesis work. Students are also expected to take classes outside of the discipline to further their knowledge of Economics and Foreign Languages.

4. Candidates for the M.S. must:
   Attend an internship in an approved agency and write a public policy paper
   Complete six additional credits and write a substantial research paper
   Participate in a study abroad for a minimum of 15 weeks and write a research paper

Program of Study

General Core Requirements (15 credits)

TOTAL CREDITS: 33