Mid-Career Programs - The Fletcher School at Tufts University

Shape your global impact – on your terms.

For experienced professionals who’ve already built meaningful careers and seek to deepen influence, Fletcher’s advanced global affairs and business degrees are designed to combine rigor, flexibility, and real-world relevance.

Join the next generation of changemakers to find solutions for the most complex challenges in global affairs, business, and law, on your schedule.

Take the next step.

Learn more about programs and what your future holds at Fletcher.

Choose Your Executive or Mid-Career Degree

Mid-Career Master of Arts in International Affairs

A one-year program for mid-career professionals—often on sabbatical or leave of absence from government ministries, international organizations, and other institutions—this highly flexible degree is tailored your functional, academic, and professional goals. You can further customize your education by cross-registering for courses at Tufts or Harvard University.

Duration: 1 academic year (9 months)

Location: In Person (Boston, Massachusetts)

Experience: 6 years of professional experience

Executive Master of Arts in International Affairs Online

Designed for working professionals, the Executive Master of Arts in International Affairs is a one-year online program that prepares you to lead in global affairs across sectors. It also has two in-person immersions—one in Boston and the other in an international city.

Duration: 1 year (12 months)

Location: Online/Hybrid
Experience: 8 years of professional experience required

Executive Master of International Business Online

Similar to a global MBA, the Executive Master of International Business Online 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 degree 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 8 years

Master of Laws in International Law

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

Study while you work.

These programs are engineered for mid-career professionals who wish to remain in the workforce while earning an elite global affairs degree in just 1-2 years.

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 with a choice of multiple international affairs degrees and areas of specialization.

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 5 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.

Flexible. Immersive. Interdisciplinary.

Flexible, hybrid format: Online coursework pairs with in-person immersion experiences — often held internationally — designed for professionals who want to experience global affairs while balancing full-time work and study.

Cohort-based and globally diverse: Join a select group of experienced professionals from around the world, bringing global perspectives in diplomacy, business, policy, and beyond.

Applied, interdisciplinary learning: Study global affairs, leadership, economics, and strategy — culminating in real-world projects or capstones that translate learning into impact.

Program highlights:

Advance Your Career

Build career-advancing skills with the next generation of global leaders.

Hybrid Experience

Combine the best of an online cohort-based study with two in-person residencies on Fletcher’s Boston area campus and at an international location.

Experiential Coursework

Extensive skill-building with hands-on coursework and opportunities to engage with faculty, alumni, thought leaders, politicians, and business leaders.

Global Alumni Network

Fletcher’s alumni network provides unparalleled support and guidance, with over 1,000 GMAP alumni working in leadership roles across the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

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.

97 %

of Fletcher graduates find related roles within 6 months of completing the program.

You'll learn from experts such as:

Diana Chigas

Professor of Practice in International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

Diana Chigas currently co-directs the Corruption, Justice and Legitimacy Project, a research-to-practice initiative that aims to improve the effectiveness of anti-corruption programming in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.
Her current research focuses on social norms and corruption, and the intersection of conflict, peacebuilding and corruption.
Chigas has over 25 years of experience as a facilitator and consultant in negotiation and conflict resolution.

Michael Glennon

Professor of Constitutional and International Law

Before joining academia, Michael Glennon served as Legal Counsel to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
He has held visiting and fellowship appointments at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, The Hague Academy of International Law, and the University of Paris II (Panthéon-Assas).
A member of the American Law Institute and the Council on Foreign Relations, Glennon has advised the U.S. State Department and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Ian Johnstone

Professor of International Law

Ian Johnstone is a Professor of International Law at The Fletcher School where he has served since 2000, including roles as Interim Dean (2018-2019) and Academic Dean (2013-2015).
He has authored several notable books on international law and cybersecurity, and regularly consults for the United Nations, contributing to publications on global governance, legal argumentation, and UN treaties.
Johnstone has taught at NYU, University of Toronto, and Jindal Global University, holds an LL.M from Columbia University, and received the James L. Paddock Teaching Award in 2005.

GMAP program structure:

Two in-person residencies

2 courses per residency
The initial residency is held at The Fletcher School and the mid-year residency is held at an international location.
Each residency is 7-9 days in length and will focus on real-world simulations, community building activities, and team projects.

Nine online modules

2 courses per online module
Complete nine six-week online modules consisting of asynchronous online instruction such as pre-recorded lectures and discussion boards, periodic live Zoom sessions with faculty, and assignments and group projects.