Curriculum | MIPP
The Master of International Public Policy degree consists of eight non-language courses completed over two semesters. Students work with an academic advisor to design a program of study that is academically rigorous and professionally relevant.
Through a highly customized curriculum, students tailor their coursework to focus on subject matter of greatest importance to their careers. The school’s interdisciplinary approach to the study of international economics, international relations, and domestic and foreign policy, combined with a faculty respected globally for their policy expertise and commitment to teaching, delivers a comprehensive learning experience that develops innovative and strategic leaders.
Areas of Expertise
Development, Climate, and Sustainability
Focus on issues of development, poverty reduction, energy, environment, and climate change.
International Economics and Finance
Understand the principles and analytical tools of economics that are essential to understanding international relations and solving complex global issues.
Security, Strategy, and Statecraft
Explore traditional, emerging, and non-traditional threats, as well as diplomacy, foreign policy, and applied history.
States, Markets, and Institutions
Study issues of governance, including US and non-US institutions, as well as comparative studies and international political economy.
Technology and Culture
Explore issue of technology—including media—and the interplay politics related to culture and identity, including gender, ethnicity, nationalism, and religion.
Africa
Understand the challenges of democratization and governance, urban growth, civic activism, economic change, political affairs, and conflict within and between African countries.
The Americas
Understand the factors driving policymaking across the Western Hemisphere—Latin American, Caribbean and North America.
Asia
Explore the trends shaping Asia in the 21st century including development, strategy, and conflict resolution to real circumstances across Japan, Korea, South Asia and Southeast Asia.
China
Explore China's political and economic system in contemporary and historical context including leadership, economic and political reform, foreign policy, US-China relations, and environmental challenges.
Europe and Eurasia
Learn about issues shaping the region's future, including economic governance, integration and disintegration, migration, and questions of nationalism, and populism.
The Middle East
Gain an in-depth understanding of the historical background of the Middle East including states and regimes, Islamic history, and how it has shaped the region.
United States
Examine the role of the US in the changing world order, possible responses to present and future geopolitical and geoeconomic threats, and the usefulness of existing and possible future alliances, as well as other international institutional arrangements.
- Development Microeconomics
- Economic Policy
- Infrastructure Finance and Policy
- International Finance
- Quantitative Methods
Non-native Language Proficiency
Full-time MIPP students may elect to take a non-credit language course each semester in one of the languages offered. Language courses do not count towards the eight course degree requirement.
- Arabic
- Chinese
- French
- German*
- Indonesian
- Italian*
- Japanese
- Korean
- Persian (Farsi)
- Portuguese*
- Russian
- Spanish
*Taught at SAIS Europe only. May be available through virtual instruction for students in Washington DC.