Whether you’re a future diplomat, business executive, NGO leader or more, our Master of International Affairs (MIA) program will prepare you for a wide array of career opportunities in the global marketplace.
This program, a joint effort between the world-renowned O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, the national leader in language and area studies, gives students the practical skills and in-depth knowledge to succeed in internationally oriented careers.
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.
Be prepared to take on many important career roles in global affairs
Potential career tracks with an MIA degree include:
Governments at the national level within development agencies, ministries of foreign affairs, ministries of defense, intelligence agencies, environmental agencies, and international trade offices as well as globally oriented departments at the state and local levels.
Multilateral organizations with global mandates as well as regionally focused institutions.
Nongovernmental organizations and domestic nonprofits involved in advocacy, research, education, social enterprise, impact investing, grant-making, and field work.
Private sector organizations in consulting, energy, environment, technology, media, financial services, healthcare, and many more.
The MIA degree will prepare you to make a lasting impact on international affairs and contribute to the greater good for our planet. Our curriculum blends the best of advanced quantitative analysis and qualitative learning by offering students pathways through three multidisciplinary concentrations*:
Security, Diplomacy, and Governance
Finance and Trade
Global Development, Environment, and Sustainability
You’ll take 36-hours split over the fall, spring, and summer semesters, with five required core courses to acquire essential competence in international and global governance, history, statistics, economics, and policy analysis. You’ll take an additional required core concentration course related to your major concentrations, three additional concentration courses, and three electives. The combination of a rigorous core, concentration diversity, and flexibility to tailor your elective courses from a broad set of courses at the O’Neill School, Hamilton Lugar School, and within the College of Arts and Sciences, makes the program an attractive option for anyone considering a career in international affairs.
The following is a general guide. You will work with your advisor and refer to the bulletin for your schedule.
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
Students 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
SPEA-D 577 International Economic Strategies and Trade Policy
INTL-I 521 Global Governance and International Organizations
SPEA-V 506 Statistical Analysis for Effective Decision Making
INTL-I 523 International Security Regimes
1 Elective in Concentration
Spring
INTL-I 500 Practicum in International Policy Analysis
INTL-I 520 History of the International System
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
SPEA-D 577 International Economic Strategies and Trade Policy
INTL-I 521 Global Governance and International Organizations
SPEA-V 506 Statistical Analysis for Effective Decision Making
SPEA-D 573 Development Economics
1 Elective in Concentration
Spring
INTL-I 500 Practicum in International Policy Analysis
INTL-I 520 History of the International System
2 Electives in Concentration
1 Elective outside Concentration
Summer
2 Elective courses outside Concentration
Note: Choices are more limited in the summer
Fall
SPEA-D 577 International Economic Strategies and Trade Policy
INTL-I 521 Global Governance and International Organizations
SPEA-V 506 Statistical Analysis for Effective Decision Making
2 Electives in Concentration
Spring
INTL-I 500 Practicum in International Policy Analysis
INTL-I 520 History of the International System
INTL-I 503 Seminar in Global Development
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
* With the permission of the MIA program director you may design your own concentration. This option is intended to be exercised in very limited circumstances.
Global Leadership Program
Get a jumpstart on your international career while completing your coursework. Explore the Global Leadership Program to find leadership and work experiences available abroad.
A history of world-class expertise
MIA faculty members are world-class scholars and practitioners, experts on issues related to global governance, security, development, and the environment. Faculty from the Hamilton Lugar School and the nation’s top-ranked O’Neill School will play a major role in shaping your vision and understanding of how the world works beyond our borders. In fact, the two schools bear the names of three of America’s finest public servants—the Hon. Lee Hamilton and the late Sen. Richard Lugar, and former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Paul H. O’Neill.
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.
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.
The initial deadline for applications is January 15. After that, admissions will be accepted on a rolling basis until April 1. The final, hard deadline for any applications to be considered for admission for the fall semester is June 1. If you are seeking financial support, you are encouraged strongly to submit your application by the January 15 deadline.
