Master of International Affairs (MIA)

The Master of International Affairs (MIA) is a two-year, full-time degree program, focusing on the Americas and Asia.

GPS students develop invaluable global perspectives through engaging with a diverse range of people and ideologies, sculpting skills and sensibilities that will shape future political and economic policies and strategies.

Our faculty consists of leaders in public policy, global politics, international security, business and economics and environmental sustainability.

Our high-performing students—attracted to the School from around the globe—explore a variety of career paths at GPS through dynamic case studies assigned by industry-leading scholars, quantitative analyses of real-world challenges and professional internships.

Master of International Affairs graduates pursue careers in global business, diplomacy, non-profits, regional development and more. Our alumni network spans more than 80 countries, maintaining GPS connections all over the world.

From the classroom to internships to the workplace and beyond, we understand your goals in international policy and practice. Let GPS be the catalyst that takes you there.

Program Overview

In addition to core classes, Master of International Affairs students in the program select one career track and one country/regional specialization: China, Korea, Japan, Latin America or Southeast Asia. Language acquisition is a key element of the curriculum.

GPS At A Glance from GPS Communications on Vimeo.

Core Curriculum

The core curriculum is designed to integrate the diverse subject areas of international business, politics, economics, and development.

Core Courses

All Master of International Affairs candidates must complete the following courses with a C- or better. The courses listed below are completed in the first year of study.

Policy Making Processes: This course is designed to teach students how to “read” a country’s political and economic system. The course will examine how the evolution of different institutional frameworks in the countries of the Pacific region influences the way in which political choices are made.

Managerial Economics: Survey of basic tools of economics. Included will be such topics as real trade theory, international movements of capital, the effects of trade and capital flows on domestic economies, and policies toward trade and foreign investment.

International Economics: The theory and mechanics of international economics. Included will be such topics as real trade theory, international movements of capital, the effects of trade and capital flows on domestic economies, and policies toward trade and foreign investment.

International Politics and Security: Development of analytic tools for understanding international relations with applications to contemporary problems such as the environment, nuclear proliferation, human rights, humanitarian interventions and the roots of conflict and cooperation among countries.

Globalization, the World System, and the Pacific: This course examines globalization and other economic and political factors that shape the international relations of the Pacific Rim. Specific topics include financial market integration, state cooperation and intervention, and case studies of individual countries.

Finance and Accounting for Policy Makers: This course covers concepts and applications of accounting and finance necessary for policymakers in for-profit, nonprofit, and public sectors. The course content consists of three parts:

1. basic financial accounting and financial analysis,
2. the effect of time value of money on investment decisions and
3. the effects of risk on financial decisions.

No credit will be allowed for IRCO 415 if a student has taken IRCO 420 and IRCO 421.

Quantitative Methods I: This course is designed to provide proficiency in quantitative methods that are used for optimization and decision-making. The use of spreadsheets is applied to data analysis and problem-solving. Statistical theory and regression analysis are introduced.

Quantitative Methods II: This course covers elements from statistics that are central to business decision-making under uncertainty. In particular, regression analysis and estimation will be applied to problems of forecasting and optimization.

Capstone Courses

At least one of the following courses must be taken after satisfactory completion of all first-year core courses.

Strategy and Negotiations: This class introduces the fundamentals of corporate strategy, based on case studies requiring corporate analysis; and the principles of negotiation, based on exercises and class learning. Both sections of this class are highly applied and require intensive out-of-class preparation and teamwork that help students acquire skills in analytical thinking, strategic action planning, and hands-on negotiations. Prerequisites: IRCO 400, 401, 403, 410, 412, 420, 421, 453 and 454.

Policy Responses to Global Problems: This capstone is designed to test the analytic skills acquired in the GPS program, using them to explain complex real-world problems: security, persistent recurring conflict, persistent inequality and intergenerational debt, women’s rights, environmental change, energy/resource systems, and financial contagion. Emphasis will be placed on determining the nature and dimension of the problem, exploring a range of solutions and assessing the capacity of public institutions. Non-GPS students may enroll with consent of instructor. Students may not receive credit for both IRCO 467 and IRGN 490 Special Topics course with same course title.

Evaluating Technological Problems: This capstone is intended as a culminating intellectual experience for students, particularly those in economics-oriented tracks. Students will learn to analyze “what works,” integrating a technical understanding of innovation with rigorous statistical analysis. The first half of the course focuses on building a set of science/engineering tools, and the second half focuses on building statistical tools of analysis. Letter grades only. Prerequisites: IRGN 446 or consent of instructors.

Career Track Requirement

Career tracks are designed for Master of International Affairs students to acquire expertise in a functional area of their choice and consist of five courses from a prescribed list: two required and three electives. Students will choose one of the following career tracks:

International Development and Nonprofit Management

• Supplies students with a solid foundation for careers with nongovernmental organizations in international development through the dual focus on development and nonprofit management.
• Provides theoretical and quantitative tools to understand and evaluate policy in development contexts, as nonprofit organizations play a major role in the development arena.

Sample Classes

• Economic Development
• Program Design and Evaluation
• Quantitative Methods III
• Sustainable Development
• GIS and Spatial Analysis
• Food Security
• Topics in China’s Development
• Human Rights, Public Policy, and International Politics
• Corporate Social Responsibility

International Economics

• Provides preparation for careers in economic policy, research, international trade, and business.
• Courses in international economics, politics and political economy supply analytical tools for solving international policy and economic challenges.

Sample Classes

• Fiscal and Monetary Policy
• Topics in International Trade
• Economic Policy in Latin America
• Economics of Trade Policy
• Cost-Benefit Analysis
• East Asian Economics
• Quantitative Methods III
• Corruption
• International Political Economy

International Management

• Provides preparation for careers in international business.
• Courses in international economics, politics and political economy supply analytical tools for solving the distinctive problems of international business.
• A combination of focused management training and broad exposure to global business and economics produces a unique international business education.

Sample Courses:

• International Business
• Technology and Operations Management
• Organizations
• Applied Financial Accounting
• Corporate Finance
• Comparative Market Institutions
• Government and Regulation
• Multi-National Corporations
• Game Theory and Strategy
• Product Development

International Politics

• Prepares students for employment in a wide range of professional positions: government, international organizations such as the United Nations, consulting firms, public interest organizations and nonprofit research institutes.
• Provides a conceptual foundation for analyzing and understanding the political, economic and military components of international policymaking, as well as expertise on specific economic and security issues.

Sample Classes:

• International Law and Regulation
• Cyber Security
• Making U.S. Foreign Policy
• Post-War Politics in Japan
• Democratization in Latin America
• Korean Security
• Cuba: Revolution and Reform
• Political Economy of Authoritarian Regimes
• Debating U.S. Security Policy
• Financing the Chinese Miracle

International Environmental Policy

• Provides preparation for careers with a wide range of environmental organizations: government agencies, international organizations, nonprofits, consulting firms, and corporations.
• Provides knowledge of environmental policy while developing expertise in a disciplinary field: environmental economics, politics and the environment, business and the environment or environmental negotiations.

Sample Classes:

• International Environmental Policy and Politics
• Environmental and Regulatory Economics
• Political Economy of Energy in Asia
• Non-Market Valuation
• International Politics of Energy Policy
• Economics of Energy Policy
• Advanced Energy Systems and Policy
• Sustainable Development
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Cost-Benefit Analysis

Country/Regional Specialization Requirement

The country/regional specializations were established in recognition of the growing importance of the Pacific region to the U.S. and the world, and have two components:

• Two designated courses: one on the economy and a second on the political system of the region.
• A language requirement.

Dual specialization requires the student to complete the coursework and language requirement for both regions.

Courses taken for a country/regional specialization may not be double counted.

Students will choose one of the following country/regional specializations:

• China
• Japan
• Korea
• Latin America
• Southeast Asia

Language Requirement

The language must match the student’s country/regional specialization.

Country/Regional Specialization

• China = Chinese (Mandarin)
• Japan = Japanese
• Korea = Korean
• Latin America = Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese
• Southeast Asia = Bahasa Indonesia, Chinese (Mandarin), Thai, Tagalog, Vietnamese

The foreign language requirement may be satisfied in one of four ways:

• Proof of having attended either high school or university in the regional language.
• Native proficiency.
• Completing six quarters (four semesters) of college-level language instruction from an institution comparable to UC San Diego with a grade of "B" or better in the final course.
• Passing a special GPS-administered language exam, which is the equivalent of the final exam administered in the sixth-quarter course in the selected language.

Cost & Fees

*Health insurance is required as a condition of enrollment. Students are automatically enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) however, students already covered by an insurance plan may qualify for a health fee waiver. Please see the Student Health Insurance Plan page for more information, including waiver criteria, submission process, and deadline.