What makes the Global Governance, Politics, and Security degree stand out is its deliberate focus on professional readiness. Students graduate with in-demand skills—policy analysis, risk assessment, data analysis, research skills, and effective communication—alongside the substantive expertise needed to situate complex global challenges in their political, economic, and societal contexts.

At the heart of the program is a commitment to evidence-based analysis and action. Graduates are trained to be strategic and systematic in tackling real-world problems so they not only to understand global affairs but shape them through practical, actionable solutions.

The School of International Service (SIS) offers a dual master's degree program with Kogod School of Business, giving students the opportunity to acquire expertise in both regional studies and business. This combination of skills is particularly valuable to international organizations trying to increase productivity through better business practices and to businesses adjusting to the global market. Graduates will receive an MA through SIS and an MBA through Kogod.

Generally, dual degree students will spend their first year taking core curriculum courses at Kogod, then spend their second and third years taking courses at both SIS and Kogod. Students must complete 31 credit hours at Kogod and 39-42 credit hours at SIS, with the option to count up to 9 credit hours from Kogod degree requirements towards SIS degree requirements.

Prospective MA/MBA students must separately apply to and be accepted by each school. The admissions committees from each school do not collaborate on the decision-making process.

View Kogod School of Business dual degree admissions requirements and MBA coursework.

Our signature Graduate Practicum Program is designed to give second-year students real-world experience in project management and consulting. Students who choose this one-semester, pre-professional option collaborate in teams to support the work of actual clients such as U.S. and international government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and businesses conducting policy and program analysis. Students, working under a site supervisor and a faculty advisor, draw on their substantial research, as well as qualitative and quantitative skills, to prepare final oral and written analysis and recommendations. 

The Master's Thesis is an original research project appropriate for students looking to complete a longer and more academically rigorous research paper. It is an independent research project intended to integrate and apply knowledge from the field to a final scholarly project and is particularly useful for students who plan to go on to a PhD program.

The Substantial Research Paper (SRP) is an independent research project that is intended to integrate and apply knowledge from the field to a final scholarly project. By completing the SRP, students not only develop their expertise in an issue of primary concern to the field of global governance and global security, but also demonstrate their ability to conduct informed, analytical research or policy analysis.