The Master of Arts (MA) in International Studies is an academically rigorous, broadly interdisciplinary, two-year program focused on social analysis, research, and the skills necessary for contemporary challenges. The world is confronted by a complex climate crisis, growing authoritarianism, the failure of neoliberal globalization, recurrent economic crises, and unregulated technology. The most vulnerable among us suffer stigma, violence, and systematic discrimination. Mainstream economics and IR theory has failed to offer insightful analyses or solutions these problems. At INT DePaul, we offer tools for students to analyze this increasingly complex world, challenge conventional wisdom, and to find creative solutions.
The MA curriculum allows the flexibility of integrating multiple disciplines along with the training in critical theory and a program that offers the choice of a scholarly thesis or an internship report or a creative project on a subject that is chosen by you. Students can investigate the underlying assumptions and histories of complicated issues, constructing their analysis from critical social and cultural theories, and international political economy, and internship work.
Program Features
Interdisciplinary Curriculum
Our curriculum includes content across disciplines, from economics, political science, world history, cultural analysis, geography, area studies, sociology and anthropology. Our courses explore topics like mining. climate change, gender, colonialism, race, racism and law. While our program has full-time faculty dedicated to international studies, we also draw on faculty members from other departments to provide students with a rich, varied, and robust curriculum.
Project Driven
Our program has been carefully structured to provide our students with the best possible preparation for in-depth project development or thesis research during their second year of study, a rare opportunity in masters programs. We mentor our graduate students so. that they work closely with 1-3 faculty members and develop a tutorial relationship with their faculty advisor. This program is ideal for self-motivated students who are driven by interest in a topic, an area or methodology. The final project, which can be podcast, or an internship report, or a thesis, is the culmination of individual research work, supervised by your committee.
Analysis, Writing and Social Justice
Our coursework challenges students to analyze the multiple ways in which inequality and oppression operate and to strategize for social change, bridging academic theory and practice. As the program progresses, students are expected to develop socially responsible ethical frameworks that are informed by history, analytical skills, and experiential learning in transnational contexts; these, in turn, inform their research.
Post-Graduate Opportunities
The program's broad range of disciplines, boost our student's skills in research, teamwork, analysis, writing, and in finding creative solutions. This increases employment opportunities available to our graduates in diverse fields. Students who want to work in research and policy work go on to PhDs work, well-prepared for research and writing at the doctoral level. Other graduates find jobs with start-ups, with nonprofits, international non-governmental organizations, and a range of international diplomatic entities. Still others enter government service with the Foreign Services or other government agencies.
As a student in International Studies, our students can augment their degree by selecting graduate certificate programs covering other areas of interest. A combined MA/certificate program is easy to complete as some coursework can count towards both the degree and the certificate. Certificates usually consist of 4-6 courses and a separate application. Students who are interested in any of the following combination programs should contact the Graduate Student Services Office for additional information.
- International Studies + Global Health Certificate
- International Studies + Metropolitan Planning and Development
- International Studies + Community Development
- International Studies + Social Research Certificate
- International Studies + Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Certificate
- International Studies + Women’s and Gender Studies Certificate
- International Studies + Social and Cultural Foundations in Education Certificate
| Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|
| Degree Requirements | 48 |
| Total hours required | 48 |
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Analyze the multiple ways in which inequality and oppression work and strategize for social change.
- Work with different partners in order to produce collaborative intellectual work.
- Develop socially responsible ethical frameworks that are informed by historical consciousness of transnational contexts.
- Examine the linkages between theory and practice, scholarship and activism, research and public policy in the field of International Studies.
- Carefully read texts, research independently, and write clearly.
Degree Requirements
Course Requirements
Foundation Courses
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| INT 401 | CRITICAL SOCIAL THEORY | 4 |
| INT 402 | INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY | 4 |
Students with no previous coursework in International Political Economy enroll in INT 402. Students who enter the program with some background in International Political Economy take a placement exam which will either place them in or out of INT 402 .
Core Courses (16 hours)
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Choose four from the following: | 16 | |
| MIGRATION AND FORCED MIGRATION | ||
| CULTURE AND INEQUALITY | ||
| GLOBAL EMPIRES | ||
| RACE, SEX, DIFFERENCE | ||
| NATURE, SOCIETY, AND POWER | ||
| CRITICAL DEVELOPMENT THEORY | ||
| INTERNATIONAL LAW | ||
Thesis Colloquia (12 hours)
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| INT 590 | DIRECTED RESEARCH SEMINAR | 4 |
| INT 591 | MASTERS RESEARCH I | 4 |
| INT 592 | MASTERS RESEARCH II | 4 |
Elective Courses (12 credit hours)
Students are free to select three elective courses in support of their thesis. The electives should be selected in consultation with the thesis advisor. Permission of the advisor must be obtained before taking courses outside of the International Studies Department.
Graduate Certificate Options
The MA in International Studies may also be expanded to include one of the following graduate certificate programs. The combined MA/certificate program requires careful selection of elective courses to fulfill all requirements. A separate application process is required. Students who are interested in the combined MA/certificate program should contact the program office for additional information.
- Certificate in Women and Gender Studies
- Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
- Certificate in Global Health
- Certificate in Social Research
- Certificate in Social and Cultural Foundations in Education
- Certificate in Community Development
- Certificate in Metropolitan Planning and Development