Specialized Master of Arts in International Affairs
An intensive, skills-focused program designed to fast-track your international affairs career by allowing you to specialize in one area of interest completing the program in as little as 16 months.
With a combination of an interdisciplinary curriculum and hands-on learning, you will gain the knowledge, skills, and experience to tackle today’s global challenges and pursue your ideal career.
Now enrolling for May 2026! Apply today.
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Learn more about the Global Master of Arts Program and what your future holds at Fletcher.
Program highlights:
Real-World Experience
Work closely with a faculty advisor and external clients such as NATO, the U.N., or the U.S. Department of Energy on a culminating real-world project.
Global Faculty Experts
A faculty of globally sought-after experts and practitioners who are committed to student success.
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.
Vast Alumni Network
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.
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.
Interdisciplinary Courses
Interdisciplinary coursework to prepare you to address complex global challenges.
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.
Fields of Study
Personalize your degree with a field of study. Develop skills in a specific topic or region that map to your career interests.
The Global Politics field includes courses on broad themes through a comparative lens or in-depth studies of specific countries or regions. It is multidisciplinary, emphasizing history and politics, and focuses on the internal dynamics of states within regional and global contexts.
Sample courses include:
- Global Decolonization
- Religion and Politics
- The Globalization of Central Eurasia: Energy, Politics, and Culture
- Identity Politics of East Asia
- Migration and Transnationalism in Latin America
Global governance involves the collective management of international affairs by governments, NGOs, and corporations, focusing on norms, policies, and practices in areas like conflict management, human rights, and trade, preparing students for careers in various sectors.
Sample courses include:
- Processes of International Negotiations
- Leadership and Global Institutions: The UN and Beyond
- Analytic Frameworks for International Public Policy Decisions
- Managing NGOs and Social Enterprises
- Current Issues in Global Immigration Policy
The Human Security field focuses on protecting and promoting civilian well-being by addressing human rights, conflict resolution, development, and humanitarian issues, mitigating risks through empowerment and responsible governance, and complementing traditional security studies with a multidisciplinary approach.
Students can specialize in:
- Gender and International Affairs
- Humanitarian Assistance
- Migration
Sample courses include:
- Gender, Culture, and Conflict in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies
- Humanitarian Leadership: The Political and Policy Challenges of Being in Charge
- Children, Violence, Protection and Resilience
- Climate and Migration
- Famine, Livelihoods, and Resilience: Food Security Analysis and Response in Crisis
In the borderless world of modern business, master the practical skills critical to building and leading enterprises that can serve the bottom line and the bottom of the pyramid. Further specialize in this field by choosing either the International Finance & Banking for a Sustainable World or Strategic Management & Consulting for Global Impact track. Prepare for a career in the private or public sector, and apply business principles to high-level decision making, resource allocation and broad impact.
Sample courses:
- International Financial Management
- Corporate Social Responsibility in the Age of Globalization
- Sustainable Business Systems
- Field Studies in Global Consulting
- Leadership: Building Teams, Organizations and Shaping Your Path
Students may also choose the Master of International Business: Quantitative Methods (QM) for those interested in data analytics, finance, economics, or consulting. International students may qualify for a 2-year extension for their post-completion Optional Practice Training (OPT) work permit as part of this program.
The Environmental Sustainability field examines the interconnected challenges of global poverty and environmental degradation, emphasizing the need for policies that address both economic development and environmental protection, using an interdisciplinary approach to understand their conflicts and synergies.
Sample courses include:
- Environmental Problem Solving
- Development Economics
- Environmental Humanities and Global Health
- Innovation for Sustainable Prosperity
- Water Policy and Governance
The International Economic field examines the economic interactions among countries, the policies affecting these interactions, and their broader economic consequences, preparing students through coursework in economic and political theory, statistics, and empirical analysis.
Sample courses include:
- Politics of the Global Economy
- Econometrics
- International Trade and Investment
- International Finance
- Mergers and Acquisitions: An International Perspective
The International Law field prepares students for leadership in global affairs with a multidisciplinary approach to studying international law, offering in-depth knowledge and skills for careers in global organizations, government, NGOs, and private sector firms.
Sample courses include:
- Migration and Human Rights
- Current Issues in Global Immigration Policy
- Cyber Risk Management
- Corporate Governance in International Business and Finance
- Corporate Social Responsibility in the Age of Globalization
The Conflict Resolution field explores the causes of violent conflict, intergroup and ethnonational conflicts, and the international aspects of intrastate conflicts, focusing on theories and practices of negotiation, mediation, and other conflict resolution approaches, while also considering gender, culture, development, and religion.
Sample courses include:
- Religion and Conflict in International Relations
- International Mediation
- Negotiation and Mediation in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Past Lessons and Future Opportunities
- Transitional Justice
The International Security field covers political conflict, violence, war, civil-military relations, crisis management, cybersecurity, and climate change, offering theoretical and practical courses on power, legitimacy, and sovereignty, preparing students for careers in government, NGOs, policy institutes, consulting, media, and academia.
Sample courses include:
- Nuclear Weapons and Great Powers Competition
- Civil Resistance
- International Cyber Conflict
- Power in World Politics
- Peace Operations
The Technology Policy field explores the intersection of emerging technologies and global affairs, focusing on areas like Internet and energy policy, preparing students to understand the technical details and policy implications of issues such as cybersecurity and nuclear proliferation, thereby equipping them to address critical international debates and diplomatic challenges.
Sample courses include:
- Cyberlaw and Cyberpolicy
- Computer Science for Future Policymakers
- Artificial Intelligence: Algorithms, Ethics and Policy
- Foreign Relations and National Security Law
- Modern Terrorism and Counterterrorism
Immersive Global Education
Through hands-on experiences, leadership opportunities, and applied research, you’ll develop the skills and networks needed for an international career.
- U.S. and global internships
- International treks
- Simulations
- Capstone project
- Research opportunities
- Conferences
of Fletcher graduates find related roles within 6 months of graduating.
Alumni Spotlight
Neeraja Kulkarni
“I have never been as intellectually stimulated as I have been at Fletcher… As the former president of Tunisia told us in his visit, ‘It is very idealistic to change the world, but it is criminal not to try.”
You'll learn from experts such as:
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.
Transform your dedication to fostering a better world into a fulfilling global career.