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.

Lawrence Master's Degree

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 two options for area studies concentrations in the Lawrence Master's Degree: Latin American & Caribbean Studies or Contemporary East Asian Studies. 

Interagency Studies Concentration

The Interagency Studies 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

Admission Requirements

• All applicants must meet the requirements outlined in the Admission to Graduate Study policy. 

• Bachelor’s degree: A copy of official transcripts showing proof of a bachelor's degree (and any post-bachelor’s coursework or degrees) from a regionally accredited institution, or a foreign university with equivalent bachelor's degree requirements is required.  

• English proficiency: Proof of English proficiency for non-native or non-native-like English speakers is required. There are two bands of English proficiency, including Admission and Full proficiency. For applicants to online programs, Full proficiency is required. 

Graduate Admission

Potential students must submit a complete online graduate application. In addition to admission requirements listed above, applicants are required to provide three letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, current resume or curriculum vita, and a writing sample. 

Applications for the Lawrence M.A. program are accepted for each term. Please see the Lawrence M.A. 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. An oral exam over the content of the final paper is administered and evaluated by the student's committee. 

Latin American & Caribbean Studies Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
GIST 701	Approaches to International Studies	3
LAC 701	Interdisciplinary Seminar in Latin American Culture and Problems	3
LAC 710	Research Design for International Area Studies	3
or GIST 710	Research Design for International Area Studies
Specialization Clusters		18
3 courses (9 hours) make up a regional specialization cluster. Each course must be at least 50% LAC content. Courses can include 2 semesters 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.
3 courses (9 hours) 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, particular discipline, etc., and is designed in consultation with the student’s advisor and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.
GIST 898	Thesis and Research Project Writing	3
or LAC 899	Thesis/Non-Thesis
Total Hours		30

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.

Final Assessment 

Students can select to complete a thesis or a comparative research paper. Both options require completing a written work with the support of an advisor and two additional faculty members. Students completing a research project produce a written work of a more limited scope and scale than those completing a thesis. After the written work is approved, an oral defense of the paper to the satisfaction of the committee is required. 

Contemporary East Asia Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
GIST 701	Approaches to International Studies	3
CEAS 710	Research Design for International Area Studies	3
CEAS 802	Research Seminar	3
Regional Specialization Cluster. 3 courses with contemporary East Asian Content focused on student's chosen geographical area.		9
Topic Specialization Cluster. 3 courses on a topic/issue approved by student's advisor.		9
CEAS 898	Thesis and Research Project Writing	3
Total Hours		30

Regional and Topic Specialization coursework must be selected in consultation with and approved by an advisor or the Director of Graduate Studies to create a course of study based on the student's individual research interests. At least four courses must be East Asian content courses. No more than three elective courses can be in a single discipline. Two advanced East Asian language courses 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.

At the completion of this program, students will be able to: 

• effectively articulate global and international themes through writing, speech and presentation to a broad audience.
• evaluate the impact of international events and domestic developments at the regional, national and local level for one major region of the world.
• design and conduct independent research in international area studies and demonstrate key research skills, including: developing a research design, generating and testing hypotheses, using primary and secondary sources, and applying quantitative or qualitative methodologies.