Curriculum

The 28-credit Master of International Studies requires students to take a minimum of 19 credit hours in residence at the Elliott School. The program includes:

Core Field (9 credits)

The core field provides a foundation for understanding key theories in international studies and their practical application. These courses should be transferred from the partner institution with the approval of the M.I.S. Program Director. If equivalent courses are not offered by the partner institution, students must take the core courses at GW.

In cases where no course work taken at the partner institution satisfies a core requirement, the equivalent number of credit hours of major field or elective coursework must then be transferred from the partner institution with the approval of the Program Director.

Major Field (12 credits)

M.I.S. students select a major field that best complements their previous Master's coursework to create a viable combination of expertise. The major field consists of four courses related to any one of the global issues or regional areas.

Electives (6 credits)

Students choose elective courses from over 500 courses offered across The George Washington University. Courses may be selected from a wide range of disciplines including anthropology; business, economics, education, history, public administration, political sciences and many other fields.

The electives may include up to 3 credits of skills-based workshops.

Capstone Course

This course, IAff 219, is taken during the last semester to test students' ability to address a policy problem using the skills and knowledge they have acquired during their course of study.

Language Proficiency Requirement

Students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in English and another modern foreign language. The Language Proficiency Requirements for the M.I.S. follow the same guidelines as for the M.A. in International Affairs program.

This description of the requirements for the Master of International Studies program is taken from The George Washington University Bulletin, Graduate Programs, 2006-2007.

Last updated: 10.16.07