Curriculum | Dual Degree and Exchange Programs

To enhance their graduate education and professional opportunities, students in the Master of Arts in International Relations (MAIR) program may pursue a dual-degree in business, law, public administration, public health, public policy, or international diplomacy.

Dual-degree students receive 16 credits of Advanced Standing. This reduces the credits needed for the MAIR from 64 to 48. However, Advanced Standing credits may only be used as electives and dual-degree students must still fulfill all degree and concentration requirements within their 48 required credits.

Dual-degree students must complete at least three semesters of full-time fall/spring residency at Johns Hopkins SAIS.

MAIR/ML: The Johns Hopkins SAIS-Tsinghua Dual-Degree Program

Tsinghua University

The school has a unique dual-degree partnership with Tsinghua University in Beijing that, unlike other dual-degree programs, generally requires admission to both institutions during the same admissions cycle. It is a cohort-based program, in which most students begin with two semesters at Tsinghua and then complete three semesters at Johns Hopkins SAIS in Washington DC (no SAIS Europe option). Students can also choose to do an optional sixth semester at either institution. 

MAIR/JD Options

Stanford University Law School
University of Virginia School of Law

During your first, second, or third year of study, you will spend one full year at Johns Hopkins SAIS and two full years at your law school, although you can start at either institution. You will also spend one additional semester at Johns Hopkins SAIS during your third or fourth year in the program, for a total of three full semesters at the school. For the purposes of bar eligibility, it is often best to finish at the law program.

MAIR/MBA Options

The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania

For Wharton, if you are admitted to both Wharton and Johns Hopkins SAIS at the same time, you must do your first year at Wharton, then your second year at our institution. You may divide your third year between the two programs as you choose.

Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College 

For Tuck, you will spend one full year at Johns Hopkins SAIS and one full year at your MBA program, although you can start at either institution. During the third year, students must spend the fall at Tuck and the spring at Johns Hopkins SAIS. 

INSEAD

For INSEAD, you may also begin at either institution, but you will complete all requirements in five semesters instead of six, because INSEAD is a year-long program.

University of Virginia Darden

The dual-degree program offers a flexible sequence in which students can complete their first year at Darden or Johns Hopkins SAIS, their second year at the other school, and in their third year spend a semester at each. Alternatively, students can choose to spend three consecutive semesters at Darden followed by three semesters at Johns Hopkins SAIS’s campus in Washington DC or a combination of its DC and SAIS Europe campus in Bologna, Italy.

MAIR/MSPH

The dual-degree program with the Bloomberg School of Public Health, a division of Johns Hopkins University, prepares students for careers that require a high level of healthcare expertise and a sophisticated understanding of international, political, socioeconomic, and cultural issues.

You will spend the first year of study at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, followed by a practicum outside of the school for four to six months. You will then start the MAIR degree in January of your second year of study.

MAIR/MPA

The dual-degree program with the Maxwell School of Syracuse University provides students with advanced skills in public administration management, economic and financial analysis, and international public policy.

During your first and second year of study, you will spend one full year at Johns Hopkins SAIS and one full year at your MPA program, although you can start at either institution. Your full year at Maxwell will also include summer coursework, and you will need to spend one additional semester (likely a fall semester) at Johns Hopkins SAIS.