MA in International Affairs

Overview

The MA in International Affairs is a 3 semester program that offers an exceptional opportunity for you to explore Paris’s multicultural landscape and central role in international politics and policymaking. The program balances theoretical mastery with hands-on, project-based learning in conflict resolution and civil society activism. You will acquire a rigorous, well-rounded understanding of contemporary international affairs, enriched by study trips, internships and your capstone project.

Project Based Learning

AUP modules provide you with an exciting opportunity to work alongside visiting professionals to advance your skills and networks through intense three-day workshops. Our experts specialize in pressing global concerns such as humanitarian assistance, diplomacy, non-profit management, negotiation, legal problem solving, health assessment in conflict zones, and human rights storytelling. 

Discover some of these opportunities:

• Ecole de Guerre Practicum
• Partnership with the Sorbonne
• Summer Human Rights Institute
   

Your capstone project builds on project-based learning, encouraging you to engage in with a grassroots NGO (in Cambodia, India, Morocco or Zambia, for example) or pursue an internship with an international institution (UN, OECD, UNESCO, among others) to enrich the knowledge base for your thesis. Graduate students are eligible for competitive funding to pursue on-site fieldwork.

International Partnerships

As part of the program, you will engage with the world at large through AUP's prestigious partnerships with the French War College, the Sorbonne and UNESCO (through the UNESCO Chair in AI and Human Rights). At the War College, for example, you may participate in Exercise Coalition, a two-week, polyvalent simulation of a military operation with civilian partners. Students play the role of international and NGO humanitarian aid workers on the ground in a conflict zone; working with mentors from the World Health Organization, the International Committee of the Red Cross-Red Crescent and the International Criminal Court to build a viable humanitarian aid plan that provides relief to the tens of thousands of virtual civilians caught in the crossfire.  

Meanwhile, the UNESCO Chair in AI and Human Rights brings you into the conferences and round tables of the UN as we work to shape policy for current and future technologies within a human rights framework. Other UN agencies, such as the OHCHR, also work with AUP faculty and students to reinforce the human rights framework while the University hosts the inter-university F4R platform to promote freedom of religion and inter-cultural dialogue.

Learning Objectives

• Build an in-depth understanding of a cosmopolitan canon of academic and expert publications in international affairs, international law, public policy, transnational affairs, conflict resolution and civil society development.
• Develop clear analytical thinking as demonstrated by contributions to in-class discussions and argumentation as developed in written work including in the exploration of causality in your Master's thesis.
• Demonstrate initiative in selecting a range of rigorous academic sources for oral and written work and in the pursuit of original research for your Masters thesis.
• Gain a mastery of qualitative methodology (especially case study methods) and a basic understanding of statistical method.
   

Experiential Learning

Experiential learning plays an important role in all AUP programs. The curriculum of our IA program is particularly enriched by students’ own first-hand knowledge of, and experience with, the world. Learning to translate concepts from international affairs, conflict resolution and civil society development into real situations, where stakes are often high, involves witnessing and interacting with actual actors on site.

In addition to providing students with real-life experience in the fields they will integrate upon graduation, field studies also allow students the opportunity to network and learn the ropes of the institutions and organizations they may find themselves working for. Through contact with key professionals, students develop a sense of the breadth of career pathways available to them.

International Affairs students often participate in cultural trips offered by other programs, such as those in India, Fez and Cambodia. For example: 

Faculty & Lecturers

Students in the MA in International Affairs program benefit from close interaction with expert faculty whose professional experience and academic expertise encourage extraordinary intellectual collaboration both in and out of the classroom. Students regularly form close bonds with their professors, who act as mentors and advisors as well as teachers. 

The faculty of the International Affairs Department represent our programs’ multi-disciplinary and global approach to contemporary international affairs, law and diplomacy research. Many have lived and worked in multiple countries and speak two or more languages, bringing rich, diverse perspectives from their international experience with them into their teaching. Their research and expertise shine through a number of peer-reviewed articles, books and conference appearances annually.

In the 2022-23 academic year, for example, the nine full time faculty teaching core or elective courses produced 24 articles, essays or book chapters and delivered 60 workshops, conference presentations or invited talks. At the graduate level, our research assistantship program provides an opportunity for young scholars to work closely with their faculty mentors on publication projects in the discipline.

Careers

Graduates from the MA in International Affairs go on to meaningful careers in diverse fields. The interdisciplinary and rigorous nature of the program produces professionals and scholars equipped to engage with and lead in a rapidly evolving global landscape.

Internships

During the course of your study, you are encouraged to build on your education at AUP by applying gained knowledge and skills. An internship provides you with the crucial connection between theoretical knowledge and the real world experience that can ultimately kick start your professional career.

In the past our students have undertaken placements with companies that include: OECD, UNESCO, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Bredin Prat, US Embassy Paris, Pour Une Planete sans Frontieres, African Artists for Development, Ogilvy & Mather Paris, Elan Edelman S.A.S., United Nations, WLPGA, Turner Broadcasting.

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Employability

As a student you will benefit from hands-on fieldwork and research development as you gain professional skills throughout the duration of your studies. This, together with your rigorous academic training, can lead to jobs in companies, non-profits and government institutions around the world.

What Our Alumni Are Up To Now

The diverse career paths of our alumni community reflect the non-traditional approach to International Affairs education that you will experience as a student of our programs. Through dedicated mentoring and a balance of theory and fieldwork, our graduates are fully prepared to continue their journey in non-profits, private sector companies, international organizations and academia.

Recent Fulbright recipients have specialized in post-conflict civil society building in Ivory Coast; women's rights in India; and the impact of corporate social responsibility on climate change.

Admissions

AUP’s graduate programs welcome applications from motivated, high-caliber individuals who feel they will thrive in AUP’s international and dynamic environment. When assessing applications, we take a holistic approach to identifying the next cohort of Graduate Global Explorers, considering education, experience and general fit with AUP values and curriculum. Students can pursue our innovative program in Paris on the MA in International Affairs in either Fall or Spring. 

Tuition and Scholarships

Depending on the length of your graduate program, the cost will vary. Find out more about tuition and costs for the MA in International Affairs.

AUP offers need- and merit-based scholarships to graduate students. The majority of our financial awards range from 25 percent to 50 percent of tuition and the average award amounts to about 30 percent. 

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Deadlines

We review completed applications in rounds throughout the year. We encourage you to apply early: priority for admission and financial aid is given to those who apply in the earlier rounds. 

Fall Admission

Spring Admission

Requirements: MA in International Affairs (38 Credits)

Requirements and credit counts differ for the various Master’s programs at AUP. Graduate students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00. Students with a GPA of less than 3.00 will be placed on probation. Only two grades of C (or C+) may be counted towards an M.Sc. degree. Students do not earn credit for grades below C.

ALL COURSES CARRY FOUR (4) CREDITS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. 

Please note that all requirements from previous years can be found in our archive catalogs.

Core Courses (8 credits)

Select two courses from the following list.

* The length of the internship or thesis may vary, however—many students choose to take additional time for these components.