The growing interconnectedness of the world’s almost 200 countries, termed globalization, and the rising impact of foreign affairs on our daily lives increasingly require individuals with advanced knowledge of International Affairs. The Master of Arts in International Affairs allows students to explore global problems and interactions from an interdisciplinary perspective that makes use of eight Arts and Sciences academic departments and four additional colleges. Students will have the flexibility to tailor their program to fit their individual interests. Students can fulfill a capstone experience by participating in an internship, taking a study abroad class, writing a paper for publication, or writing a master’s thesis.

Curriculum

The Master of Arts in International Affairs requires 30 credits hours. Four required core classes, including a capstone experience, and an additional six elective classes, with no more than three offered by a single department in Arts & Sciences or another school at Loyola.

Required Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Core Courses		9
Core International Affairs Courses
INTA 420 / PLSC 420	Comparative Political Systems
INTA 430 / PLSC 430	Theories of International Politics
INTA 475	Political Analysis I
Elective Courses (max three classes per department or another School)		18
Criminal Justice and Criminology Department
CJC 403	Program Evaluation and Research
CJC 404	Applied Data Analysis and Interpretation
CJC 416	International Criminal Justice
History Department
HIST 441	Women's & Gender History: Europe
HIST 459	Environmental History
HIST 464	Transnational Urban History
HIST 483	Oral History: Method and Practice
Modern Languages and Literatures Department 1
SPAN 405	Critical Methods (pan-Hispanic world)
SPAN 490	Hispanic Culture & Civilization (Latin American film, with a focus on human rights)
Philosophy Department
PHIL 400	Philosophy Research Tools
PHIL 459	Philosophy of Law
PHIL 463	Virtue Ethics (includes non-Western philosophy)
PHIL 480	Social & Political Philosophy (focuses on global development on a regular basis)
PHIL 490	Current Philosophical Issues (Critical Race Theory)
Political Science Department
PLSC 401	Intro to Research Design & Method
PLSC 421	Democratic Political Systems
PLSC 422	Authoritarian Political Systems
PLSC 431	Formulation US Foreign Policy
PLSC 432	Comparative Foreign Policy Analysis
PLSC 433	International Organization
PLSC 435	International Political Economics
PLSC 436	International Conflict
PLSC 476	Political Analysis II
Psychology Department
PSYC 460	Social Psychological Theory (Psychology Department)
PSYC 461	Attitude and Attitude Change
PSYC 474	Research in Group Dynamics
PSYC 484	Prejudice and Intergroup Relations
PSYC 486	Methods of Program Evaluation
Sociology Department
SOCL 410	Logic of Sociological Inquiry
SOCL 412	Qualitative Methods in Social Research
SOCL 414	Statistical Methods Analysis I
SOCL 415	Statistical Methods of Analysis II
SOCL 418	Demography
SOCL 423	Social Movements
SOCL 426	Sociology of Gender
SOCL 441	Sociology of Religion
SOCL 447	Sociology of Culture
SOCL 461	Race & Ethnicity
Theology Department
THEO 459	Contemporary Theology
THEO 460	Seminar in History of Theology
THEO 464	Religion & Politics in Christian History
THEO 470	Foundations Crititical Issues Theological Ethics
THEO 480	Seminar in Christian Ethics
School of Education (International Education)
ELPS 405	Introduction to Educational Policy Analysis
ELPS 448	International Higher Education
ELPS 455	Comparative Education
ELPS 540	Seminar in the History of Education
ELPS 550	Seminar on Globalization and Education
ELPS 555	Seminar Comparative Education
School of Communication
COMM 401	Foundations of Global Strategic Communication
COMM 402	Organizational Leadership and Change Management
COMM 422	Global and Multicultural Audiences and Stakeholders
School of Social Work
SOWK 502	Power, Oppression, Privilege, and Social Justice
SOWK 654	Global Social Work: Reflective Practice for Justice and Peace
SOWK 730	Immigration Dynamics and U.S. Social Policy
SOWK 731	Social Work Practice with Refugees and Immigrants
SOWK 732	Migration, Social Justice, and Human Rights
SOWK 733	North American Migration Dynamics, Challenges & Opportunity
School of Law 2
LAW 118	International Art Law
LAW 137	International Arbitration: Public and Private
LAW 176	International Trade Law
LAW 195	International and Comparative Antitrust
LAW 197	Advanced Business Organizations including a Comparative Perspective
LAW 274	International Arbitration
LAW 305	Global Law Seminar and Field Study
LAW 338	U.S. Foreign Trade and Customs Law
LAW 371	International Business Trans
LAW 372	International Law and Practice
LAW 381	International Arbitration Workshop
LAW 388	Global Access to Medicine: A Patent Perspective
LAW 459	Intro to English Legal Profession
LAW 465	Strategic Counseling for International Corporate Clients
LAW 527	International Arbitration Oral Advocacy
LAW 537	Human Rights in the Global Economy
LAW 568	European Union Law
School of Law at John Felice Rome Center
PLAW 101	Comparative and Ethical Lawyering for the Rule of Law
PLAW 102	History, Theory and Practice of Rule of Law for Development
PLAW 103	Theory and Practice of Assessments in Rule of Law Advising
PLAW 104	International Development Architecture
PLAW 105	Sustainable Development Through International Commerce and Investment
PLAW 106	Design of Rule of Law Programs and Proposal Preparation
PLAW 107	Rule of Law in Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding
PLAW 108	Legal Systems and Methods
PLAW 250	Research and Writing on the Rule of Law
PLAW 907	Rule of Law Project Management, Monitoring & Evaluation
Parkinson School of Public Health
MPBH 400	Determinants of Population Health
MPBH 414	Introduction to Global Health
MPBH 417	Global Maternal & Child Health
MPBH 422	Population Health Planning & Management
MPBH 424	Health Economics and Healthcare Financing
MPBH 432	Health Impact Assessment
Quinlan School of Business
ECON 424	International Business Economics
FINC 455	International Financial Management
HRER 422	Global HR Management
HRER 502	Global Employment Relations
MARK 465	International Marketing
MARK 561	Comparative Consumer Behavior
MGMT 446	International Business Ethics
SCMG 486	Global Logistics
Capstone		3
Select one of the following:
INTA 470	Fieldwork in PLSC-Internship
PLSC 499	Directed Readings
PLSC 605	Master's Study
Total Hours		30

¹

Students interested in honing their foreign language skills will have the option of taking a 300 or 400-level language course (i.e., a course beyond 101, 102, 103, and 104), and having that course count as one of the six elective courses. Current language possibilities offered at Loyola at the 300 level include Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Modern Languages and Literatures offers graduate-level courses in Spanish. The courses that follow are open only to interested students with advanced writing, speaking, and reading skills in Spanish.

²

MA in International Affairs students must take variable credit Law courses for 3 credit hours. The course cannot be taken for less than 3 credit hours.

NOTE ON ELECTIVE COURSES:

Students will take six elective courses, with no more than three offered by a single department in the College of Arts and Sciences or another School at Loyola. The core International Affairs courses in Political Science do not count toward this three-course total, and thus a student may take three Political Science courses in addition to the three core (required) courses. The participating programs that will contribute classes include eight departments in Arts & Sciences (History Department, Philosophy Department, Political Science Department, Psychology Department, Sociology Department, Theology Department, Criminal Justice & Criminology Department, and Modern Languages and Literatures Department) and four additional Schools (School of Communication, School of Education [International Education], School of Social Work, and School of Law). Please note that the courses listed might not be offered every year and new courses may be added to this list. Students should talk with the Graduate Program Director if they want to take a course that is not on the list of elective courses below for approval. 

Suggested Sequence of Courses

In order to provide optimal flexibility in the Master's program, there is no required course sequence.  However, it is suggested that students first take the required courses (PLSC 420, PLSC 430, and PLSC 475) as soon as they are offered before taking elective courses.

Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations

Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supercede school policies.

Learning Outcomes

Students will graduate from our program having achieved:

• A foundation for understanding and critiquing research related to International Affairs, including methods training that leverages both qualitative and quantitative data
• Knowledge of the principal theories of comparative politics and international relations, as well as the key areas of research in these two subfields
• An interdisciplinary understanding and appreciation of International Affairs through coursework available within eight different departments in the College of Arts and Sciences and four additional Schools at Loyola
• Enhanced writing and critical thinking skills and dispositions through class-based projects and a capstone experience
• Strengthened methods, research, or writing skills tailored to students interests with advanced methods courses, language training, or the writing of a master’s thesis