The New School Graduate Program in International Affairs

Our innovative curriculum is the heart of our program. We maintain a critical focus on the processes and practices of international affairs.

 

Curriculum Overview

GPIA offers a 42 credit Master of Arts and a 30 credit Master of Science degree. Candidates for the MS degree must have at least 5 years of relevant experience in the international affairs field as determined by the program, prior to beginning the degree program. The curriculum is organized into core courses, skills courses, concentrations, elective courses, and final projects.  A full time load is ordinarily three courses per semester; part-time is ordinarily two courses.  Full time students can complete the M.A. program in two years. 

 

CORE COURSES

There are two core courses that all students must complete: Global Flows and Comparative Development Experience. Global Flows is a critical introduction to globalization, tracing the emergence of logics of encounter and international interaction from the colonial era through the present. Comparative Development examines the core concepts of development and introduces students to the comparative framework of analysis.

 

SKILLS COURSES

All students are required to complete two skills courses: Research Methods and Economics in International Affairs.

Economics in International Affairs is designed for students who do not enter the program with an economics background. They should register for this course in the first semester. Students who majored in economics or who have taken micro and macro courses may waive the Economics in International Affairs course requirement upon passing a proficiency test, the date and time of which will be announced on the listserve. 

Research Methods: Students in GPIA are expected to be able to formulate clear, answerable research questions and have sufficient familiarity with a range of research designs and data collection and analysis strategies to adequately answer those questions.  All students in GPIA are required to take at least one research methods course.  GPIA currently offers two courses to fulfill this requirement. 

NINT 5000 - Research Methods: This course provides a general introduction to a variety of forms of social scientific inquiry.  The goal is for students to be prepared to identify and design appropriate data collection strategies in a wide variety of field settings.

NINT 5006 - Research Methods - Quantitative: This course is required for students in the Development concentration.  It provides a basic introduction to quantitative data analysis and is particularly appropriate for students interested in working with secondary datasets.

Within the New School there are a variety of other research methods courses offered that may be substituted for the GPIA courses. For a list of research methods courses that have been offered through the New School, click here (note: this is not an exhaustive or necessarily current list).  Additionally, if you have already taken an introductory course elsewhere, you may fulfill the requirement by taking a specialized course to deepen your mastery of research methods within your field of interest.  If you wish to opt for one of these alternative courses you must get approval from your adviser or the chair of your concentration. 

As a general rule, you may not opt out of the research methods requirement.  However, your advisor or concentration chair may allow you to do so if

A. you have had at least 2 semesters of training at another institution within the last 5 years and achieved a grade of at least B+ in each course; or

B. within the last 5 years you have engaged in substantial applied research.

For option A you must provide syllabuses and a transcript of your course grades.  For option B you must provide a description and written sample of your work which demonstrates mastery of research design, data collection and analysis. 

 

 CONCENTRATIONS

The curriculum is further divided into concentrations, the heart of intellectual engagement and innovation within the program. Each concentration consists of a faculty chair, other faculty members, and students. The concentrations sponsor guest lectures, organize workshops and events, create working groups and serve as the key locus for curricular planning at the concentration level.

All students choose a concentration in one of five approved areas: Development, Governance and Rights, Conflict and Security, Cities and Urbanization, and Media and Culture. Students usually declare a concentration at the end of their second semester. To complete a concentration students must take the respective "foundation course" followed by three additional electives within the concentration.  Concentrations are offered in:

Cities and Urbanization focuses on the respatialization of economy and community, cities as incubators for new forms of social life, and urbanization as the context of new challenges for environmental and economic management and poverty reduction.  

Conflict and Security is designed for students who wish to develop a professional or academic interest in the areas of conflict, conflict prevention, and security. The course offerings, the selection of speakers, the research of associated faculty, and the practical work by students conducted in the concentration reflect a number of core beliefs. We share a sense that the fields of conflict and security are changing quickly; that it is crucial to explore the relationship of conflict and security to other areas such as socioeconomic development, social welfare, and humanitarianism; and that emerging professionals in this area must combine both conceptual understanding and practical tools.

Development is designed for students who wish to develop a professional or academic interest in the global challenges of development, inequality and poverty. The concentration focuses on concepts, measurement tools, and policies alternatives. The course offerings, the research of associated faculty, and the work of students reflect a number of core motivations. We share a commitment to development as a process that is fundamentally about improving human well being, and securing greater social justice. We believe that the challenges of economic growth, social development, political freedoms, cultural diversity and security are inter-related and that the analysis of development requires an inter-disciplinary approach. Courses offered address issues such as economic globalization, human rights and development ethics, gender, sustainability, human security, and social policy. 

Governance and Rights focuses on the relation between order, freedom, and responsibility in the global political and legal context. Governance is the ensemble of practices and institutions concerned with the formal ordering of society. This includes local and national government, international organizations, and civil society. Rights are claims by individuals and groups for specific entitlements that invoke obligations. The concentration explores how governance structures secure, maintain, or constrain rights, and how rights claims serve to construct, create, and challenge practices of government. Within the concentration there is currently a special emphasis on human rights, international law and refugee issues, and migration.

Media and Culture examines the complex relationship between media and democracy around the world.  It explores theory and practice in the intersection of politics, economics, media and entertainment, public and state policy, and international and domestic cultural conditions.  Courses are offered on documentary filmmaking, political discourse, propaganda, and the global reach and impacts of U.S. media.

ELECTIVE COURSES

Elective courses offered by the GPIA or other New School graduate programs focus on specific areas of academic and professional interest. They may be taken to fulfill a concentration requirement, a specific skill need, or simply for intellectual curiosity. The exact number of electives a student takes depends on the particular program of study. We offer a range of courses from surveys to advanced research seminars.

In addition to classroom-based instruction, there are two other types of elective courses: internships and independent studies. Internships are local or, in the case of the Summer Field Program, international. These summer programs provide hands-on field placements in local organizations, coordinated by an in country faculty advisor. The International Field Program is one of the most unique aspects of our program. To date we have sent students to India, Kunming, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Argentina, Hong Kong, Colombia, Senegal, Brazil, Nepal, Kosovo, and many other locations.

FINAL PROJECT

In addition to the coursework outlined above, Master of Arts students must also complete a final project consisting either of an independent research project (Thesis Option) or a team-based project (Practicum Option).

Thesis Option

The thesis is an independent project based on field work, institutional research, and/or theoretical research involving primary and secondary sources. Media-based theses are possible, as are custom-designed projects that meet Program approval. Theses must conform to academic standards. In the semester before writing the thesis a student registers for Thesis Workshop, which focuses on designing the research project and writing a proposal.

Practicum Option

The Practicum in International Affairs is a semester-long project assigned by a client from the not-for-profit, public and private sectors, and multilateral agencies such as the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and the International Rescue Committee. In consultation with the client, students clarify project Terms of Reference, design an approach to the project, conduct data collection and analysis, write an analytical report, or produce some other product (e.g. brochure, manual, film). Finally, the team makes a formal presentation to the client and The New School community.

As the Practicum is the equivalent of a Master's thesis, the project itself is substantial and significant. The course is treated as a "consultancy" rather than an internship in that we ask organizations for a specific project with an end deliverable. The projects are rigorous, challenging and difficult. To the extent possible, the course simulates a professional experience, including an emphasis on deadlines and professional standards. Projects are done by teams of four to six students, depending on the project and client. The course Program Development and Project Management is a prerequisite for the Practicum.