Careers & Skills
The International Relations MA Program equips individuals with the skills needed to work in international organizations, globally-oriented national or local government agencies, nonprofit or non-governmental organizations, international business consulting, or to continue on to an academic career. Check out this virtual info session to learn more about careers in international relations.
Program Strengths
Our program is jointly offered by the Department of Political Science in the College of Liberal Arts, and the Department of Conflict Resolution, Human Security, and Global Governance in the McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies. This gives our students a unique, multidisciplinary perspective with which to approach the study of international politics.
Some areas of strength within the program include:
- The Study of International Organizations. Our faculty has extensive experience working in and alongside international organizations. Students can benefit from their expertise and personal familiarity with these important international actors.
- International Environmental Politics. Students and faculty within our department have engaged directly in international environmental debates. Students can access resources at the Center for Governance and Sustainability and work with scholars dedicated to sustaining and preserving our global environment.
- Conflict Resolution and Negotiation. Students interested in international diplomacy can draw from resources from our programs in conflict resolution, acquiring practitioner skills to bring to the study of international politics.
- International Development and the Politics of the Global South. Our faculty and affiliates have both academic expertise and extensive field experience in the global south. Students also benefit from the resources of the Center for Peace, Democracy, and Development to further their practical skills in international development.
Faculty Expertise
Our faculty have regional expertise in many areas of the world, including Africa, East Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Faculty members are engaged in research, service, and policy analysis in the following areas:
- bargaining and negotiation
- economic and political development
- foreign policy analysis
- global environmental politics
- global governance
- human rights
- international law and organization
- international political economy
- peace and conflict studies
- political psychology and cultural studies
- poverty reduction
- transnational activism
Learning Outcomes
The MA in international relations prepares students to face a wide range of global policy problems through a flexible, interdisciplinary program. Our program specializes in helping students bring academic rigor and scholarly insight to pressing policy challenges.
Students will gain:
- A solid intellectual foundation for understanding our increasingly dynamic international system
- Systematic insight into pressing issues in international politics
- Advanced academic skills in research design and methods
Center for Governance and Sustainability
Linking analytical rigor and policy action in environmental, developmental and sustainability governance globally through state-of-the-art research, interactive dialogue, and comprehensive training for innovative leadership.
Director: Maria Ivanova, PhD
Contact: maria.ivanova@umb.edu
Center for Governance and Sustainability website
Center for Peace Democracy and Development
Promoting conflict resolution, democracy, economic development, education building, media development, and legal and judicial reform through partnerships and training programs across the globe.
Executive Director: Darren Kew, PhD
Contact: darren.kew@umb.edu
Center for Peace, Democracy, and Development website
Other McCormack Graduate School Research Centers and Institutes
Our nationally and internationally known centers and institutes also provide students with opportunities for jobs, internships, and possible thesis or dissertation data.
Full list of McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Study Centers and Institutes