Global Programs – Integrating Professional Development into the MA IR

Isaac Olson 

Explore Your New Home in the MAIR Program at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School

(Written by Isaac Olson, Maxwell’s PAIA Global Programs Coordinator. Isaac advises our MA IR students on how best to integrate the varied professional development experiences available into your academic program – creating the best of both worlds!) 

At Maxwell, our MAIR program gives you the best of both worlds—an on‑campus experience involving a tight knit community of faculty and students focused on developing skills and in‑depth knowledge through a balanced curriculum—AND the ability to put your knowledge into practice through global programs focusing on practical experience through international internships, global studies or partnerships with universities abroad.

After spending two semesters on SU’s main campus, most MA IR students spend their Summer and Fall Semesters taking advantage of international opportunities abroad or within the United States.

Upcoming Global Programs Webinars, with Isaac Olson

May 5 Global Programs webinar
Use this URL to participate: https://webconference.syr.edu/r3nibbccuen/
Time: 3:00 p.m. EST/GMT -4 hours

Global Opportunities Available

From the moment you begin your MAIR degree, you will be able to take advantage of courses focused on the international system with faculty such as Renée de Nevers, John McPeak, Sabina Schnell, Rebecca Warne Peters, Tosca Bruno-Van Vijfeijken, Stuart Brown, and Robert B. Murrett.

The Summer Semester sees MA IR students in a number of locations around the world either taking advantage of an existing global program or engaging in independent pursuits. For the Summer of 2017, we already have students going to Ghana, Singapore, Switzerland, France, India, and other destinations. To hear directly from students about their experiences visit the Global PAIA blog.

By the time you reach your second Fall Semester, you will likely already have put your knowledge into practice in an internship. To keep you on a trajectory to a professional career, we encourage students to intern during their Fall Semester. You can take advantage of one of SU’s centers abroad or one of our global university partnerships. Our students find themselves in Beijing, Santiago, Paris, and Berlin to name a few common locations.

If you are interested in the international sector in Washington, DC, MA IR students also take part in the Maxwell‑in‑Washington program in their Summer or Fall Semesters. Public Diplomacy students even spend their final Spring Semester in Washington, DC. Students intern at organizations such as the U.S. Department of State, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Institute for International Finance, National Endowment for Democracy, Chemonics, and many other government, non‑profit, and international organizations.

The possibilities are truly endless. And, the best part is that our students get this breadth of international exposure without sacrificing the benefits of a strong, tightly knit community of fellow students that can only be fully realized in a full time residential program, where faculty, staff, and students are all fully engaged.

We hope that you will come the Maxwell School’s MA IR program, allowing you to go out and further explore your world.