Secure the world's future.
Work toward global peace and justice with a master’s degree in global affairs, specializing in International Security Studies.
Whether it’s war, intelligence, non-violent resistance, cybersecurity, or military reform, the study of national and international security requires a comprehensive approach.
Take the next step.
Find what program is right for you, and learn more about what your future holds at Fletcher.
Why Choose Fletcher?
The Fletcher School at Tufts University is one of America’s oldest and most reputable graduate schools for international affairs.
Education for Your Life
Tailor your experience to your personal goals – choose among multiple global affairs degrees, each with unique concentrations.
Vast Alumni Connections
Solve the world’s greatest challenges together with other pioneers. Your support will extend far beyond the Fletcher walls through the support of a global network of alumni.
Global Faculty Experts
Learn from respected scholars and professors of practice with direct experience as influential policymakers and presidential advisors.
A History of Excellence
For 90 years, Fletcher has led the study and practice of international affairs at the intersection of the most complex challenges, in a world that’s ever-evolving.
Ranked Among the Best
Fletcher is proudly among the top 10 international relations schools in the world, according to Foreign Policy Magazine’s best master’s programs 2024 edition.
Experiential Learning
Conduct research, start entrepreneurial ventures, and gain internship and global experience, while consulting on critical issues with other future business leaders, diplomats, climate specialists, security professionals, and human rights lawyers.
Discover Boston
Study in Boston, a vibrant, innovative city and home to world-class universities, international organizations, and cutting-edge industries for unmatched pathways of professional growth.
Sample courses:
- Nuclear Weapons and Great Powers Competition
- Civil Resistance
- International Cyber Conflict
- Power in World Politics
- Peace Operations
Program Offerings
Fletcher offers a flexible, interdisciplinary approach to international affairs with in-person, online, and hybrid programs for various career stages. Explore our degree options and contact us to find the right fit for you.
Gain a foundation in law and diplomacy, as well as economics, business, politics, and history. Fletcher’s MALD degree is highly flexible and can be customized to meet your specific academic, personal, and professional goals. Graduates serve in public, private, and nonprofit leadership positions throughout the world.
- Duration: 2 academic years (19 months), part-time option
- Location: In Person (Boston, Massachusetts)
- Professional experience: None required, 2-4 years recommended
International and Development Economics Track: This STEM-designated track equips students with advanced quantitative skills in economics and econometrics, empowering them to address global economic challenges through specialized coursework.
The MGA is an accelerated 16-month residential program offers early and mid-career professionals a highly approach to career advancement. Focused on a single field of study, MGA students tackle real-world issues through coursework, internships, and a comprehensive practicum taught by Fletcher’s renowned faculty.
- Duration: 16 months full time (part time option available)
- Location: In Person (Boston, Massachusetts)
- Experience: 2 years of professional experience required
Fletcher’s Master of International Business (MIB) combines rigorous MBA training with a focus on sustainability and global affairs, preparing leaders to address global challenges with innovative, long-term solutions.
- Duration: 2 academic years (19 months), part-time option
- Location: In Person (Boston, Massachusetts)
- Experience: None required; 2 years recommended
Quantitative Methods Track (QM): This STEM-designated track enhances the MIB curriculum with advanced quantitative skills. International students may also be eligible for an additional two years of Optional Practical Training (OPT).
Similar to a global MBA, the GBA combines in-depth, graduate-level study in both business and international affairs, delivered through recorded and live online sessions in addition to two in-person immersion experiences. The GBA gives experienced professionals the flexibility to earn a degree in international business at their own pace and from anywhere in the world.
- Duration: 1.5 academic years (full time) to 24 months (part time)
- Location: Online/Hybrid
- Experience: At least 6 years of professional experience preferred
Fletcher’s Executive Master of Leadership in Global Affairs is engineered for mid-career professionals who wish to remain in the workforce while earning an elite global affairs degree.
- Duration: 1 year (12 months)
- Location: Online/Hybrid
- Experience: 8 years of professional experience required
A one-year program for mid-career professionals—often on sabbatical or leave of absence from government ministries, international organizations, and other institutions—Fletcher’s MA is tailored to each student’s functional, academic, and professional goals. Students can further customize their education by cross-registering for courses at Tufts or Harvard University.
- Duration: 1 academic year (9 months)
- Location: In Person (Boston, Massachusetts)
- Experience: 8 years of professional experience
Designed for legal professionals, the LLM deepens your expertise in international law, preparing you for impactful careers in global law firms, government, and international organizations.
- Duration: One academic year
- Location: In-person, Boston, Massachusetts
- Qualifications:
- Hold a JD degree from an A.B.A. approved law school in the United States
- Completed in another country the university-based legal education required to take the bar examination in that country
- Admitted to the bar and qualified to practice in another country
In partnership with the College of Europe, the MATA program offers a dual perspective on Europe-North America relations, preparing graduates for careers in diplomacy, international organizations, and business. Required internship.
- Duration: Two academic years
- Location: Study on both sides of the Atlantic at Fletcher in Boston and at College of Europe
- Professional Experience: Two years preferred
of Fletcher graduates find related roles within 6 months of graduating.
Public sector career paths include:
- Office of the Director of National Intelligence
- United States Agency for International Development
- US Armed Forces
- US Department of Defense
- US Department of Homeland Security
What our students say:
Jennifer Anderson
“As a prior military intelligence officer, I wanted to pursue a graduate program that would equip me with the skills necessary to be successful as a civilian in international security and foreign relations. The breadth and depth of the MALD courses offered are unmatched and provide you the flexibility to tailor your course load to meet your specific goals and interests.”
Sebastián Uribe Correa
“Defense and security issues are extremely important, and any serious diplomat or politician should have advanced understanding of these issues. The flexibility of the curriculum at Fletcher allows me to pursue both fields of study and strengthen my theoretical knowledge, while also improving soft skills such as public speaking.”
Learn from experts such as:
Richard Shultz
Field Advisor, PhD
- Research/areas of interest: U.S. national security policy, regional conflict and state disintegration, ethnic and religious violence, extremism and political violence, internal conflicts and wars, contemporary military strategy, 21st century intelligence policy, and more.
- For the last ten years Professor Shultz has served as a Senior Fellow to the U.S. Special Operations Command’s Joint Special Operations University. He deploys abroad as a member of SOCOM/JSOU military education teams to teach terrorism/counter-terrorism and special operations integration courses to foreign military officers.
- In the last few years his courses have included programs in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Tunisia, Morocco, Uzbekistan. Romania, Poland, Cameroon, and Mali. In doing so, he is able to gain first hand knowledge about the irregular warfare environment around which his research interests are centered.
Abigail Linnington
Professor of Practice of International Security
- Research/areas of interest: U.S. national security policy, regional conflict and state disintegration, ethnic and religious violence, extremism and political violence, internal conflicts and wars, contemporary military strategy, 21st century intelligence policy, special operations forces and covert paramilitary operations, artificial intelligence and war fighting media-military relations, changing roles and missions of the U.S. armed forces
- Retiring at the rank of Colonel, Linnington served for 25 years in the U.S. Army as a military strategist and aviator.
- From 2016 to 2018, she was a special assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and director of the Chairman’s Action Group. In that position, she supported the chairman in his role as senior military advisor to the president, secretary of defense, the National Security Council, and Congress.
- She worked in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy for two years as an advisor on war plans related to European security and U.S. special operations. From 2012 to 2014, she led the analysis and speechwriting team for the U.S. Army Chief of Staff.
Monica Toft
Professor of International Politics
Director, Center for Strategic Studies
Academic Dean
- Research/areas of interest: US foreign and national security policy, interstate and civil wars, territory and nationalism, demography religion in global politics
- Monica is also a research associate of the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford and at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
- She is a supernumerary fellow at Brasenose College, University of Oxford, a Global Scholar of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Political Instability Task Force.
- In 2008 the Carnegie Foundation of New York named her a Carnegie Scholar for her research on religion and violence, in 2012 she was named a Fulbright scholar, and most recently served as the World Politics Fellow at Princeton University.
Transform your dedication to fostering a better world into a fulfilling global career.
