Prepare for a career in international, regional, and global affairs or diplomacy to address some of the most critical issues facing the planet.
For programs beginning in 2023
34
Full-Time
priority deadline January 31, followed by rolling admissions until June 1
January 31, no rolling admission
1 Year
South Africa, Switzerland, United States
Geopolitics & Power
Offering SIT’s unique brand of immersive, place-based learning from the world’s top locations in diplomacy and international relations, this one-year master’s degree provides you with key points of comparison among U.S., European, and African perspectives as you gain a mastery of the global political system and how to maneuver within it.
In your first semester, travel to Washington, DC, to participate in a two-week traveling seminar, interacting with policymakers in the field. You will also live in Geneva, Switzerland, to study multilateral diplomacy, leadership, and strategic decision-making. From there, embark on a three-day traveling seminar to Brussels, Belgium, the seat of European Parliament, to examine the European Union, European integration, supranational governance, and how power transcends national boundaries.
During your spring semester, you will spend 12 weeks in South Africa, investigating non-western perspectives on international relations, south-south diplomacy, and the politics of the African Union. From your base in Cape Town, explore the history of South Africa and the legacy of South Africa’s apartheid and colonial past. At the close of the semester, you will visit the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In your final semester, undertake a professional practicum in a location and position of your choosing, working in close consultation with your faculty advisor to ensure alignment with your career goals. At the end of the summer semester, you will choose to present your capstone paper either on SIT’s campus in Vermont or online.
Whether you are seeking a position at the U.S. State Department, the United Nations, an international nongovernmental organization, or other prestigious institution, SIT will prepare you for a career in international, regional, and global affairs or diplomacy to address some of the most critical issues facing the planet.
Students who have graduated with this degree have worked in careers such as:
Foreign Service officer
International relations specialist
Foreign affairs analyst
Senior policy specialist
Researcher at NGO or think tank
Program coordinator or manager
International relations officer
Consular officer
Research and policy manager
Visit the SIT blog to read more about SIT Graduate Institute alumni careers.
Explore today’s highly complex system of global governance—the role of NGOs, government agencies, and heavyweight international players—from the U.S. capital. Interact with professionals and policymakers, build your network, and visit agencies and organizations such as the U.S. State Department; the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); the United Nations Foundation; the United States Institute of Peace; and the World Resources Institute.
Click here for a description of the SIT center in Washington, DC.
The nexus of multilateral diplomacy and global affairs, Geneva is a center for international organizations, The city offers unparalleled opportunities to meet with top academics, researchers, and a wide range of U.N. agencies, institutions, and NGOs. While immersed in Geneva’s international diplomacy, you will experience Francophone culture and access to top experts in the field, allowing you to build your global network.
Excursion highlights include:
Brussels, Belgium
Click here for a description of the SIT center in Switzerland.
Live and study in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa and capital of Western Cape province, known for its African, Indian, and colonial influences and stunning natural landscape. Gain a profound understanding of how post-apartheid and post-colonial views affect our world today, and how unequal balances of power can be addressed. Learn from government leaders, social activists, and academics while you study, exploring issues of south-south diplomacy, energy politics, and African solidarity.
Click here for a description of the SIT center in South Africa.
Please note that in order to take advantage of dynamic learning opportunities, program excursions may occasionally vary.
Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:
This program requires completion of the Language and Culture Proficiency Requirement for graduation. Details can be found in the Catalog.
A cornerstone of the SIT Global Master’s in Diplomacy and International Relations is the practicum. This will allow you to apply learning from the classroom directly to real-world settings while getting hands-on, professional experience you can put to immediate use after you graduate.
For your final semester, SIT and your advisor will support you in finding an approved practicum with an international agency, think tank, NGO, government agency, or other organization involved in diplomatic relations and international relations in a location of your choice. This practicum experience will give you the opportunity to work in the field of international affairs, as well as expand your professional network.
During the practicum phase, you will remain engaged with faculty and other students and receive course credit for documenting the integration of your knowledge and skills while working in a professional context.
You will be supported by SIT staff on location in arranging housing during your time abroad and traveling to Washington, DC. Stay in small hotels (shared or private); guesthouses (these are simple, inexpensive and clean, and may include food); or ask to be placed with a homestay family, where you will be immersed in the local culture and customs. Please note that homestays are less expensive but also less independent.
SIT’s Student Financial Services Office provides guidance on all aspects of funding your degree throughout the application process and during your degree program. Tuition costs vary by program and scholarships are available.
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