Program: Global Affairs, MA - George Mason University

Application Requirements

Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in the Admissions section of this catalog. For information specific to the MA in global affairs, see Application Requirements and Deadlines on the departmental web site.

Degree Requirements

Students who wish to pursue study abroad in addition to the required core course GLOA 710 must receive prior approval and may not use more than 3 credits earned while abroad towards their specialization. Students must maintain a 3.00 cumulative grade point average with no more than two grades below B. Students pursuing this degree must complete 30 credits distributed as follows:

Five core courses (15 credits)

GLOA 600 - Global Competencies Credits: 3
GLOA 605 - Interdisciplinary Research Methods Credits: 3
GLOA 610 - Economic Globalization and Development Credits: 3
GLOA 620 - Human Systems Credits: 3
GLOA 710 - Seminar Abroad Credits: 3

Specialization (12 credits)

Students choose to specialize in one of eight fields by completing 12 credits in that field selected from the courses listed. The specialization is developed in consultation with an advisor. Students who wish to design their own specialization must submit a one-page proposal and receive written approval from the director. Specialization courses must come from at least two academic disciplines.

Global Conflict and Security

Choose 12 credits from:

BIOD 610 - Advanced Topics in Global Health Security Credits: 1-4 (minimum of 3 credits)
BIOD 621 - Ethics and International Security Credits: 3
BIOD 705 - Intelligence: Theory and Practice Credits: 3
BIOD 706 - Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Weapons Policy and Security Credits: 3
BIOD 709 - Nonproliferation and Arms Control Credits: 3
BIOD 722 - Examining Terrorist Groups Credits: 3
BIOD 725 - Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction Credits: 3
CONF 501 - Introduction to Conflict Analysis and Resolution Credits: 3
CONF 652 - Conflict Analysis and Resolution for Prevention, Reconstruction, and Stabilization Contexts Credits: 3
CONF 653 - World Religions, Diplomacy, and Conflict Resolution Credits: 3
CONF 658 - Diversity and Difference in Conflict Analysis and Resolution Credits: 3
CONF 659 - Leadership in Conflict Analysis and Resolution Credits: 3
CONF 720 - Ethnic and Cultural Factors in Conflict Resolution Credits: 1-3
CONF 736 - Globalization and International Conflict Credits: 3
CONF 746 - Peace Building Credits: 3
GOVT 541 - Introduction to Critical Analysis and Strategic Response to Terrorism Credits: 3
GOVT 640 - Strategic Responses to Terrorism: Coordinated Decision Making Credits: 3
GOVT 742 - International Negotiation Credits: 3
GOVT 745 - International Security Credits: 3
PUAD 634 - Management of International Security Credits: 3
PUBP 650 - International Conflict and Crisis Response Credits: 3
PUBP 651 - Peace and Stabilization Operations Credits: 3
or other course approved by the program director

Global Culture and Society

Choose 12 credits from:

ANTH 580 - Environmental Anthropology Credits: 3
ANTH 635 - Regional Ethnography Credits: 3
ANTH 655 - Nationalism, Transnationalism, and States: Local and Global Perspectives Credits: 3
ANTH 721 - Culture, Power, and Conflict Credits: 3
CONF 707 - Gender and Violence Credits: 3
CONF 720 - Ethnic and Cultural Factors in Conflict Resolution Credits: 1-3
CONF 753 - Post-Conflict Contexts: Between Global and Local Credits: 3
ENGH 665 - Seminar in Global Culture Credits: 3
GOVT 530 - Comparative Politics Credits: 3
GOVT 641 - Global Governance Credits: 3
GOVT 725 - Democratic Theory Credits: 3
GOVT 739 - Issues in Comparative and International Politics Credits: 3
HIST 510 - Approaches to Modern World History Credits: 3
HIST 535 - Problems in Comparative World History Credits: 3
HIST 615 - Problems in American History Credits: 1-6
MUSI 640 - Topics in World Musics Credits: 3
RELI 632 - World Religions in Conflict and Dialogue Credits: 3
RELI 633 - Ethical Perspectives of World Religions Credits: 3
RELI 642 - Sacred Language, Scripture, and Culture Credits: 3
SOAN 510 - Culture and Globalization Credits: 3
SOCI 623 - Racial and Ethnic Relations: American and Selected Global Perspectives Credits: 3
SPMT 551 - Sport in the Global Marketplace Credits: 3
WMST 640 - Women and Global Issues Credits: 3
or other course approved by the program director

Global Economics and Development

This specialization is best suited for students with an academic background in economics or for students who have taken microeconomics, macroeconomics, and calculus with a minimum grade of 3.00 in all three.

Choose 12 credits from: