MA in International Affairs

Prepare to change the world—in just one year

Globalization and the rapid pace of innovation have forever changed the way we work, live, and conduct business. 

Our new Master of International Affairs program will prepare future leaders like you for the challenges and opportunities of an ever-evolving global marketplace. A joint effort between the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies—the national leader in language and area studies—and the world-renowned O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, this degree program will sharpen your toolkit, giving you the practical skills and in-depth knowledge to succeed in an internationally focused career.

Best of all, you can get it done in just one year.


Application deadline

Fall semester

  • Priority deadline – January 15
  • International deadline – March 1
  • Final deadline –  May 1

Description of the video:

in order to affect change in the world you first need to try and understand the world
and so a master of international affairs will do
exactly that we live in a global interdependent
world and to be successful in any type of career
we need to better understand how our world works
how it functions and how you can act within
it to make change the program is designed to
teach students public administration public
affairs international economics as well as a
broad foundation in international history and
politics across disciplines an appreciation
of international and global factors is really
essential to being a well-informed and effective
leader students should feel like they can make
an impact in whatever field they're passionate
about that has an international context to it the
quality of the education i received at Indiana
university enabled me to successfully interact
with people who had gone anywhere to school
it was really excellent and i'm just very proud
to be an alumnus of IU we really have faculty
they're at the forefront of their fields people
who are academically oriented who publish in the
top journals in the world but also people who
are practitioners who advise organizations like
the world bank the united nations to provide you
those connections to the outside world in a very
practical way both the Hamilton Lugar school
and the O'Neill school frequently bring in
some of the world's leading policy makers
and statesmen former senators ambassadors
leaders and for our students we provide them an
opportunity to meet and learn from these leaders
to know what it takes to excel in international
affairs it also provides our students with an
opportunity to start building and growing
their own professional networks students
have an opportunity to get some experience
while they're here as well they can explore
opportunities to work for arts organizations ngos
that are located in Bloomington we also offer a
variety of international programs in particular
ones with internships in places like Portugal
or brazil you also have the ability to work in
a practicum course where you work on real world
problems and you apply what you're learning in a
meaningful way the great thing about a combination
of the international degree and management
degree like O'Neill is it's not just theoretical
all the people who graduate with this master of
international affairs are going to be little seeds
we're planting out there to put that knowledge to
use to help our state our country and eventually
the world so it's not just an academic perspective
it's actually a practitioner's perspective

Choose your path in global affairs

Where do you want to go? For MIA students, the choice is yours. Our one-year program will help you acquire the experience, skills, and knowledge to pursue positions in a diversity of career tracks, including: 

  • Multilateral organizations and regionally focused institutions with global mandates
  • Private sector organizations in consulting, energy, environment, technology, media, financial services, and healthcare
  • NGOs and domestic nonprofits involved in advocacy, research, education, social enterprise, impact investing, grant-making, and/or field work
  • National-level development agencies, ministries of foreign affairs, ministries of defense, intelligence agencies, environmental agencies, international trade offices, and globally-oriented departments at the state and local levels

Get the tools to make a lasting impact

The rigor of the MIA curriculum will prepare you for a career on the world stage by blending the best of advanced quantitative analysis and qualitative learning with tailored electives and three multidisciplinary concentrations:

  • Security, Diplomacy & Governance
  • Finance & Trade
  • Global Development, Environment & Sustainability

How it works

You will take 36 credit hours across three semesters, including five required core courses to develop competence in international and global governance, history, statistics, economics, and policy analysis. From there, you'll take an additional required core concentration course, three additional concentration courses, and three electives from a broad set of courses at the Hamilton Lugar and O’Neill Schools and within Indiana University's College of Arts and Sciences.

Fall Semester

  • 2 general core courses
  • 1 concentration core course
  • 1 additional concentration course
  • 1 elective 

Spring Semester

  • 2 general core courses
  • 2 additional concentration courses
  • 1 elective

Summer

  • 1 general core course
  • 1 elective 

Note: You may also substitute an internationally-focused internship as an elective. This could potentially be paired with an online course over the summer.

  • History of the International System (INTL-I 520)
  • International Economic Strategies and Trade Policy (SPEA-D 577)
  • Global Governance and International Organizations (INTL-I 521)
  • Statistical Analysis for Effective Decision Making (SPEA-V 506)
  • Practicum in International Policy Analysis (INTL-I 500)
  • Elective courses organized by concentration

Fall

  • International Economic Strategies and Trade Policy (SPEA-D 577)
  • Global Governance and International Organizations (INTL-I 521)
  • Statistical Analysis for Effective Decision Making (SPEA-V 506)
  • International Security Regimes(INTL-I 523)
  • 1 Elective in Concentration

Spring

  • Practicum in International Policy Analysis (INTL-I 500)
  • History of the International System (INTL-I 520)
  • 2 Electives in Concentration
  • 1 Elective outside Concentration

Summer

  • International Internship for 3 credits
  • 1 Elective course online

Note: Choices are more limited in the summer

Fall

  • International Economic Strategies and Trade Policy (SPEA-D 577)
  • Global Governance and International Organizations (INTL-I 521)
  • Statistical Analysis for Effective Decision Making (SPEA-V 506)
  • Development Economics (SPEA-D 573)
  • 1 Elective in Concentration

Spring

  • Practicum in International Policy Analysis (INTL-I 500)
  • History of the International System (INTL-I 520)
  • 2 Electives in Concentration
  • 1 Elective outside Concentration

Summer

  • 2 Elective courses outside Concentration

Note: Choices are more limited in the summer

Fall

  • International Economic Strategies and Trade Policy (SPEA-D 577)
  • Global Governance and International Organizations (INTL-I 521)
  • Statistical Analysis for Effective Decision Making (SPEA-V 506)
  • 2 Elective in Concentration

Spring

  • Practicum in International Policy Analysis (INTL-I 500)
  • History of the International System (INTL-I 520)
  • Seminar in Global Development (INTL-I 503)
  • 1 Elective in Concentration
  • 1 Elective outside Concentration

Summer

  • Internationally-oriented internship in Bloomington for 3 credits
  • 1 Elective course outside concentration

Note: Choices are more limited in the summer

You may design your own concentration with permission of the MIA program director. This option is intended to be exercised in very limited circumstances.*

A tradition of global engagement

In today’s deeply connected and complex world, we need leaders with a globally focused mindset and practical skillset to navigate the intersections of security, politics, ethics, and finance. Our faculty are here to help.

The Hamilton Lugar School and the O'Neill School are led by world-class scholars and practitioners who will help shape your understanding of how the world works beyond our borders. You will benefit not only from the diversity of their expertise but also the enduring legacies of our schools' namesakes: Hon. Lee Hamilton and the late Sen. Richard Lugar, and former US Secretary of the Treasury Paul H. O’Neill—three of America's finest public servants. 

Frequently Asked Questions

You can complete the degree part-time over a period that extends beyond one year. Admitted students who wish to explore this possibility should discuss it with the MIA co-directors. Currently, the program does not offer a fully online version, so it must be completed in person.

There are no prerequisite courses. However, you must have completed an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution prior to matriculation if you are applying as a college senior. We base admission decisions on the overall quality of the application.

The MIA degree follows the procedures set by Indiana University which can be found on covid.iu.edu

As of December 2020, tuition will be $515.83 per credit hour for in-state residents and $1,268.75 for non-residents.

Learn more about estimated living expenses in Bloomington

What internships do you anticipate being available, and who are the Hamilton Lugar School’s contacts who would support paid/unpaid internships? Are there particular nonprofits, private companies, or government agencies with which you anticipate a strong relationship that would increase the likelihood of placements?

We anticipate students will pursue a broad range of internship opportunities across sectors. You will have access to career services support from both HLS and O’Neill as well as the possibility of ad hoc assistance by faculty members and alumni in your internship search.

It’s possible to have more than one concentration! Work with your academic advisor or faculty director to map out the courses from the outset if you wish to pursue multiple concentrations within the 36 credit hours.

Admissions will be accepted on a rolling basis until April 1. Please note the final, hard deadlines for international and domestic applications:

  • International students: April 1, 2021
  • Domestic students: June 1, 2021

No. The GRE is optional.

Want to learn more?

Contact the grad office

Need funding?

Explore FLAS fellowships

Are you ready?

Apply now