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.

The International Affairs (MA) also offers an Accelerated Master's Pathway for Undergraduate students to complete their Graduate studies in a fifth year.  Further details of the AMP, including the suggested sequence of courses, can be found under the Curriculum tab.

Related Programs

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.

Besides the traditional Master's program, the International Affairs (MA) is also offered as an Accelerated Master's Pathway where exceptional students can complete the program in a fifth year.  A suggested sequence for the AMP can be found below.

Required Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Foundational Courses		9
Foundational 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	Research Methods and Program Evaluation
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
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 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
SOWK 754	Global Social Work: Reflective Practice for Justice and Peace
School of Law 2
LAW 176	International Trade Law
LAW 371	International Business Trans
LAW 372	International Law and Practice
LAW 388	Global Access to Medicine: A Patent Perspective
LAW 459	Intro to English Legal Profession
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 and 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
ETHC 446	International Business Ethics
FINC 455	International Financial Management
HRER 422	Global HR Management
HRER 502	Global Employment Relations
MARK 465	International Marketing
MARK 561	Comparative Consumer Behavior
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

Traditional Master's Program

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.

Accelerated Master's Pathway

Students can take up to 12 credit hours in the senior year with admission to the AMP.  These credits are shared between the Bachelor's and Master's programs.

Plan of Study Grid

Senior
Fall		Hours
INTA 430	Theories of International Politics	3
INTA 475	Political Analysis I	3
	Hours	6
Spring
INTA 420	Comparative Political Systems	3
400-Level Elective Course		3
	Hours	6
Master's
Additional 400-Level elective courses chosen in conjunction with the Graudate Program Director.		15
Capstone Course		3
	Hours	18
	Total Hours	30

Guidelines for Accelerated Master's Pathways

In Accelerated Master’s Pathways, students share limited, authorized credits between their Undergraduate and Graduate degrees to facilitate completion of both degrees in a shorter amount of time. Shared credits are Graduate level credit hours (400-level or higher) taken during the Undergraduate career and then applied both to the Undergraduate degree and towards Graduate program requirements.

Admission and Matriculation

Accelerated Master's Pathways are designed to enhance opportunities for advanced training for Loyola’s Undergraduates. Admission to these programs is competitive and will depend upon a positive review of credentials by the Graduate program. Accordingly, the admission requirements for these programs may be higher than those required if the Master’s degree were pursued entirely after the receipt of a Bachelor’s degree.

Students enrolled in an Accelerated Master's Pathway who choose not to continue to the Master’s degree program upon completion of the Bachelor’s degree will face no consequences.

Ideally, a student will apply for admission to an AMP program as they approach 90 credit hours in their Undergraduate career.

Students will not officially matriculate into the Master’s degree program and be labeled as a Graduate student by the university, with accompanying changes to tuition and Financial Aid (see below), until the Undergraduate degree has been awarded. Once admitted to the Graduate program, students must meet the academic standing requirements of their Graduate program as they complete the program curriculum.

Advising and Registration

Students in their final Undergraduate year will work with Advising in the home School of their Bachelor's program(s), as well as the Graduate Program Director of the Master’s program. Any 400-level or higher courses that the student plans to enroll in should be reviewed by both advisors to ensure that these courses will complete requirements for both degrees.

Registration in Graduate level courses during the Undergraduate year may require assistance from the Graduate Program Director and/or the student’s current academic advisor to enroll.

Shared Credits

Only courses taken at the 400-level or higher will count toward the Graduate program. At the Undergraduate level, students are restricted to enrolling in and sharing up to the number of Graduate level credits explicitly indicated in the catalog for their selected AMP program.

In general, Graduate level coursework should not be taken prior to admission into the Accelerated Master's Pathway. Exceptions may be granted for professional programs where curriculum for the Accelerated Master's Pathway is designed to begin earlier. On the recommendation of the program’s Graduate Program Director, students may take one of their Graduate level courses before they are admitted to the Accelerated Master’s Pathway if they have advanced abilities in their discipline and course offerings warrant such an exception.

Degree Requirements and Conferral

Undergraduate degree requirements are in no way impacted by admission to an Accelerated Master’s Pathway. Students should not, for example, attempt to negotiate themselves out of a writing intensive requirement on the basis of admission to a Graduate program.

The program’s Graduate Program Director will designate credit hours to be shared through the advising form and Master’s degree conferral review process. Graduate credit hours taken during the Undergraduate career will not be included in the Graduate GPA calculation.

If students wish to transfer credits from another university to Loyola University Chicago, the program’s Graduate Program Director will review the relevant syllabus or syllabi to determine whether it meets the criteria for a 400-level course or higher.

Programs with specialized accreditation requirements that allow programs to offer Graduate curriculum to Undergraduate students will conform to those specialized accreditation requirements.

Degrees are awarded sequentially. All details of Undergraduate commencement are handled in the ordinary way as for all students in the School/College/Institute. Once matriculated in the Graduate program, students abide by the graduation deadlines set forth by the Graduate program. Students in these programs must be continuously enrolled from Undergraduate to Graduate degree program unless given explicit permission by their program for a gap year or approved leave of absence. In offering the option of an Accelerated Master’s Pathway, the university is making possible the acceleration of a student’s Graduate degree completion. It should be understood that students may not request deferral of their matriculation into the Master’s degree program. If students would like to delay their Graduate studies after earning the Undergraduate degree, they may apply for admission to the traditional Master’s degree program. Any application of Graduate credit earned while in the Undergraduate program is subject to the policies of the Graduate degree granting school.

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 supersede school policies.

Learning Outcomes

Students will graduate from MA International Affairs program having achieved the following learning outcomes:

• Critically analyze qualitative or quantitative research methods used in International Affairs research.
• Apply theories and concepts of comparative politics and international relations when interpreting past and present global issues.
• Demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, about complex global issues.
• Develop research skills to collect, synthesize, and evaluate evidence from interdisciplinary sources to assess competing theories and explain global phenomena.