Graduate School of Public and International Affairs—Master of Public and International Affairs (MPIA)

The MPIA degree has three majors: global political economy (GPE), security and intelligence studies (SIS), and human security.

The global political economy major studies the interaction between economic and political processes in an international order moving toward globalization. Their studies will include courses in international trade; international finance; states and markets; multinational corporations; trade and technology; debt distribution and welfare; and protectionism and liberalization.

The security and intelligence studies major considers the meaning of security as it has changed and broadened in recent decades as the range of threats to national and international security has widened to include some that were previously ignored and others that were unimaginable. Students in the security and intelligence studies major will examine the concept of security itself, the evolution of threats to national and international security, including conventional military, nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, as well as forms of terrorism and threats to economic and security and the environment.

Requirements for Master of Public and International Affairs

Global Political Economy

For the major in global political economy, students are required to complete a minimum of 48 credits:

Security and Intelligence Studies

For the major in security and intelligence studies leading to the Master of Public and International Affairs, students are required to complete a minimum of 48 credits:

Human Security

In today’s increasingly globalized world, the most pernicious threats to human security emanate from the conditions that give rise to genocide, civil war, human rights deprivations, global epidemics, environmental degradation, forced labor, and malnutrition.  The major in human security responds to the breadth of threats that pose continuing, intractable, and sometimes overwhelming problems for governments, international organizations, and nongovernmental organizations responsible for coping with them.

Threats to human security endanger individuals, and by extension, humanity, rather than states.  These threats cannot be dealt with by states acting individually nor can they be dealt with by national or international military forces, although the actions of such forces may make them worse or help reduce their impact.

The goal of the major in Human security is to prepare students for roles as analysts and practitioners with the skills to inform policymakers and others in governments, nongovernmental organizations, think-tanks, the United Nations, and other international affairs organizations.  Students will have the opportunity to pursue their research interests through GSPIA’s Ford Institute for Human Security; the institute is currently conducting research projects on genocide; slave and forced labor; corporate social responsibility; intrastate conflict and human rights; internal displacements,

This major complements existing MPIA majors in Security and Intelligence Studies (SIS) and Global Political Economy and existing MID majors in NGOs and Civil Society and Developmental Planning and Environmental Sustainability.

For the major in Human Security, students follow the curriculum below:

Four additional courses are to be selected from among the following:

Human Rights/Rule of Law

    PIA  2129 Law and Civil Society

    PIA 2348 Rules of War

    PIA 2361 Liberty and Security in the Age of Information and the War on Terror

    PIA 2366 International Organizations

    PIA 2507 Principles and Issues of Global Human Rights

    PIA  2513 Religion and Development

    PIA 2555 Forced Migration: UNHCR and Durable Solutions

Conflict and Violence

    PIA 2101 Managing Emergencies and Disasters

    PIA 2324 Peacekeeping and Peacemaking

    PIA 2343 Humanitarianism in World Politics

    PIA 2347 Sex, Power and Security

    PIA 2392 Post Conflict Resolution (DC Semester)

    PIA 2365 Transnational Crime

    PIA 2406 Conflict Theory

    PIA 2742 NGOs and Humanitarian Disasters

Economic Security

    PIA 2308 Topics in International Political Economy

    PIA 2312 Globalization and Welfare in Developing Countries

    PIA 2331 Poverty and the World Economy

    PIA 2492 Europe, Human Security, and the Security-Development Nexus

    PIA 2502 Global Environmental Policy and Development

    PIA 2551 Women, International Development and Global Health   

    PIA 2553 Global Health Policy and Development

    PIA 2572 Earnings and Employment in the Third World

    PIA 2574 African Development Seminar

MPIA Program Course Listings

PIA 2001 Quantitative Methods 2
PIA 2003 Research Methods
PIA 2004 Microeconomics for Public Management and Policy (prerequisite: PIA 2008 or waiver)
PIA 2005 Macroeconomics (prerequisite: PIA 2008 or waiver)
PIA 2007 Quantitative Methods
PIA 2008 Economics for Public Affairs
PIA 2009 Policy Analysis (prerequisite: PIA 2007: Quantitative Methods)
PIA 2011 Managing International Organizations
PIA 2090 Foreign Study
PIA 2096 Capstone Seminar
PIA 2097 Independent Study
PIA 2094 Professional Development Seminar
PIA 2098 Internship
PIA 2099 Thesis
PIA 2101 Managing Emergencies and Disasters
PIA 2129 Law and Civil Society
PIA 2300 Global Governance
PIA 2301 Global Political Economy
PIA 2302 International Financial Policy
PIA 2303 Security and Intelligence Theories and Public Policy
PIA 2304 Dilemmas in Globalization
PIA 2305 Foreign Policy and Diplomacy
PIA 2307 Human Security
PIA 2308 Topics in International Political Economy
PIA 2310 States between Markets
PIA 2312 Globalization and Welfare in Developing Countries
PIA 2316 Intercultural Communication
PIA 2317 International Law
PIA 2319 International Trade
PIA 2322 World Economic Patterns
PIA 2324 Peacemaking and Peacekeeping
PIA 2325 Current Issues in U.S. Security Policy
PIA 2327 Terrorism
PIA 2330 Topics in Global Political Economy
PIA 2331 Poverty and the World Economy
PIA 2332 New Issues in Security Policy
PIA 2333 Political Economy of Proliferation and Arms Control
PIA 2336 Role of Strategic Intelligence in International Security Studies
PIA 2340 Space and National Security
PIA 2341 Non-Military Approaches to International Security
PIA 2343 Humanitarianism in World Politics
PIA 2344 Problems in International Security
PIA 2345 Global Internal Security and Counterterrorism
PIA 2347 Sex, Power, and Security
PIA 2348 The Rules of War
PIA 2349 Issues in American Intelligence
PIA 2351 Espionage, Covert Action and Counterintelligence
PIA 2355 World War II: The Cold War and its Impact on Developing Nations
PIA 2357 The Challenges of Military Transformation
PIA 2358 Regional Foreign Policy Seminars
PIA 2361 Liberty and Security in the Age of Information and the War on Terror
PIA 2363 Nationality, Nation-States, and International Politics
PIA 2365 Transnational Crime
PIA 2366 International Organizations
PIA 2367 Nuclear Weapons Policy: Past and Present
PIA 2369 Intelligence Support to Policymaking: The Impact of 9/11
PIA 2374 Theory of International Relations
PIA 2376 Transatlantic Relations
PIA 2377 U.S. and the Atlantic Alliance
PIA 2382 Theory and Concepts of Comparative Politics
PIA 2383 Politics of the European Union
PIA 2390 International Law for Policy Practitioners
PIA 2392 Post Conflict Resolution (DC Semester)
PIA 2393 Crisis Communication (DC Semester)
PIA 2394 Financial Issues and Development (DC Semester)
PIA 2397 Trade and Economic Negotiation (DC Semester)
PIA 2398 Strengthening Inter-Agency Negotiation (DC Semester)
PIA 2406 Conflict Theory
PIA 2446 Globalization and Inequality
PIA 2451 International Cooperation and Regimes in Economic Security
PIA 2456 Comparative Political Behavior
PIA 2490 Topics in International Affairs
PIA 2492 Europe, Human Security, and the Security Development Nexus
PIA 2502 Global environmental Policy and Development
PIA 2507 Principles of and Issues in Global Human Rights
PIA 2510 Economics of Development
PIA 2513 Religion and Development
PIA 2551 Women, International Development, and Global Health
PIA 2555 Forced Migration:UNHCR and Durable Solutions
PIA 2572 Earnings and Employment in the Third World
PIA 2574 African Development Seminar
PIA 2742 NGOs and Humanitarian Disaster