Master of Arts in Global and International Studies

The M.A. in Global and International Studies (GIST) provides an analytically sophisticated understanding of the contemporary global arena and cultivates the skills and knowledge to operate in a world where traditional boundaries are disappearing. Through the 30-credit hour program, students develop a specialization in a world region and can pursue interests in global politics, society, and culture across a broad range of courses in the humanities and social sciences.

Students in Global and International Studies have access to courses by top-notch research faculty across a wide variety of relevant disciplines at KU’s main campus in Lawrence. Besides access to quality instruction and content, our students have access to the amazing international resources that put KU on the top shelf for international education —a nationally-ranked Study Abroad Program, instruction in 40 foreign languages, and local, national, and international internship opportunities.

"Traditional" Master's Track

The self-tailoring and interdisciplinary field of Global and International Studies prepares graduate students with marketable skills (such as professional certification opportunities and research and writing skills) and the knowledge to deal with contemporary global issues. This is critical in our contemporary world in which both problems and opportunities increasingly transcend national boundaries.

KU's Master of Arts in Global and International Studies is designed for those who seek a better understanding of international issues that shape public policy and the global economy and who want to have an impact in these areas.

There are three options for area studies concentrations in the "Traditional" Master's Degree: Global & International Studies, Latin American & Caribbean Studies, or Contemporary East Asian Studies. 

Interagency Studies Concentration

The Interagency concentration of the Master’s degree program in Global and International Studies is a one-year program designed exclusively for military personnel pursuing their Intermediate Level Education (ILE) program at the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) at Ft. Leavenworth.

The objective of the Interagency Studies Program (ISP), is to prepare military officers for working in interagency environments by expanding their abilities to conceptualize and address issues beyond their military training. The program offers coursework from multiple disciplines with an array of theoretical frameworks. 

KU courses are held primarily at the KU Ft. Leavenworth campus, along with courses at the Command General Staff College and at the KU Lawrence campus. Classes are primarily offered in the evening and run the length of the academic year - three courses August-December, three courses January-April, and two courses May-June. 

Admission to Graduate Studies

An applicant seeking to pursue graduate study in the College may be admitted as either a degree-seeking or non-degree seeking student. Policies and procedures of Graduate Studies govern the process of Graduate admission. These may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.

Please consult the Departments & Programs section of the online catalog for information regarding program-specific admissions criteria and requirements. Special admissions requirements pertain to Interdisciplinary Studies degrees, which may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.

Graduate Admission

Eligibility criteria for admission to the M.A. program follow Graduate Studies' admission policy. Non-native speakers of English must meet English proficiency requirements.

Applications for the traditional M.A. program are accepted for each term. Please see the traditional MA and ISP admission pages for more information about the admission requirements, deadlines, and processes, as well as for contact information for the admissions program coordinator.

Final Examination

The program culminates with a final paper demonstrating the application of program knowledge to a military (preferably interagency) issue, which can be submitted to relevant journal outlets in military studies. 

Latin American & Caribbean Studies Concentration

All students complete 9 hours of core courses at the 700 level:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
GIST 701	Approaches to International Studies	3
LAA 701	Interdisciplinary Seminar in Latin American Culture and Problems	3
LAA 710	Research Design for International Area Studies	3
or GIST 710	Research Design for International Area Studies
Elective Courses		15-18
4 courses (12 hours) of the electives must be at the 700-level or above. GIST 702 is strongly recommended.
3 courses (9 hours) must be LAC or crosslisted courses.
9 hours (3 courses) must constitute a “Topic Specialization” designed to prepare the student for the thesis / comparative research paper. The specialization cluster may be in a topic / issue, in a geographical area, in a particular discipline, etc., and is designed in consultation with the student’s advisor and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.
Elective hours can include 2 semester of a 3rd language that is a less commonly taught language in LAC. These courses must be 500 level or above to count toward the 30 hours of required graduate courses.
Thesis/Research Hours		3-6
Thesis (6 hours) or Comparative Research Paper (3 hours). GIST 898 is strongly recommended for students opting to complete a thesis and counts toward the thesis hour requirement.
At least 50% Latin American/Caribbean content.

Language Proficiency

M.A. candidates must demonstrate comprehensive proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese. This includes aural, speaking, reading, and writing ability. Completion of SPAN 424 and SPAN 428 or a higher-level course constitutes comprehensive proficiency in Spanish. Comprehensive proficiency in Portuguese requires completion of a 500-level or higher literature course.

The language requirements should be satisfied as early as possible. Students also must complete two semesters in a second language (SPAN 104 and SPAN 108; PORT 104 and PORT 108), or the equivalent (e.g. PORT 611). Quichua, Kaqchikel Maya, or Haitian Creole may be substituted as the language of reading proficiency with approval of the director.

Contemporary East Asia Concentration

All students complete 12 hours of core courses at the 700 level or above:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
GIST 701	Approaches to International Studies	3
CEAS 701	Professionalization Seminar in East Asian Studies	3
CEAS 710	Research Design for International Area Studies	3
CEAS 898	Thesis and Research Project Writing	3

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Electives
World Region: 3 courses with contemporary East Asian Content		9
Topic Specialization: 3 courses must cluster in topic/issue		9
Electives must conform to the following specifications and should be selected in consultation with an advisor:
At least four courses must contain CEAS approved East Asian content courses
No more than three elective courses can be in a single discipline
Two advanced East Asian language courses can be included (500 or higher).

Language Requirement 

Proficiency in an East Asian language is not required for admission to this program, but proficiency at the second level (intermediate) is required for the degree. Credit earned in introductory and intermediate language courses will not count toward the 30 hours required. If such courses are taken after admission, they will add substantial time to the program. Students who plan to continue to move on to a Ph.D. program are strongly encouraged to pursue language at the third level.

Additional Curriculum Requirements 

Along with completing required coursework and meeting the language requirement, students must fulfill the following requirements:

1. Prepare a publishable research paper (25-30 pages)
2. Successfully pass an oral defense of that paper to the satisfaction of an M.A. examination committee
3. Submit your paper to an academic journal(s) to be considered for publication

The purpose of the M.A. research paper requirement is to train students in writing, conceptualization, research, and presentation of the subjects in their area of specialization in social science.