Field I | Field II | Field III | Field IV

The chief emphasis in Field I is on the nature of the international system and on the ways in which state and nonstate actors conduct their foreign policies. Students focusing on this field are concerned with the interdependent economic and political relationships among the industrialized nations, as well as with the relations between those societies and developing countries. An understanding of how political, economic, security, cultural, and ethical factors interact in shaping international relations is essential to Field I. Increasingly, students in Field I have recognized the importance of mastering a foreign language to be effective in future careers. In response to this, the School now provides a subsidy to those students who choose to undertake foreign language study concurrent with the required full-time summer internship.

Students entering the master's programs with a focus in international relations tend to have had previous professional experience in the field. The types of jobs incoming students have held include assignments with foreign and domestic governments, media organizations, international and domestic nonprofits, political organizations, policy research think tanks, the U.S. armed services, the Peace Corps, the U.N., and the World Bank.

Once at the School, M.P.A. students in this field are expected to take WWS 541 International Politics, and either WWS 542 International Economics or WWS 543 International Trade Policy as introductory gateway courses in political and economic analysis. Material from these courses figures prominently in the second-year qualifying exam (QE2). In addition, there are many relevant elective courses focusing on arms control, diplomacy, human rights, international institutions, international justice, negotiation, security issues, and regionally focused courses on Africa, China, Central Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. WWS has instituted a "Diplomat-in-Residence" program, which ensures that students can interact with distinguished, recently retired members of the U.S. Foreign Service, including recent ambassadors to Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Israel, and Yemen. In addition, every year there are a number of currently serving U.S. Foreign Service officers who participate in the one-year M.P.P. program.

In conjunction with the Bobst Center for Peace and Justice, a few policy workshops each year are focused on topics related to post-conflict reconstruction. Recent relevant policy workshop topics for Field I students have included:

• Building Councils and Legislatures in Fragile States
• Managing Elections in Fragile States
• Policing Reform
• Strengthening National Capacities for Fighting Nuclear Proliferation
• U.S.-China Relations

The M.P.A. program requires students to complete a summer internship between their first and second years. The internship portion of the curriculum is managed by the School's Office of Graduate Career Services; please visit the Career Services web site for a list of internships taken by Field I students, as well as a list of careers that Field I graduates have pursued.

Cara Abercrombie
MPA '03
Country Director for India, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security
Affairs, Washington, D.C.

Cara Abercrombie was looking to transition from her work in the nonprofit sector to work in the federal government, and specifically wanted to pursue a public policy degree. She first learned of the M.P.A. program as an under-graduate, and was attracted to the School's commitment to public service, as well as the careers the School's graduates pursued.

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