Missouri State University
Master of International Affairs and Administration Program

The Master of International Affairs and Administration (MIAA) degree is designed to meet the growing societal and occupational needs in a highly competitive and yet increasingly interdependent world for students trained in international affairs and administration. The main mission of the MIAA program is to produce well rounded and educated persons who understand and appreciate the diversity and complexity of international affairs, who understand the role of global citizenship, and who can bring imaginative and creative problem-solving skills to problems faced by the global community.

The MIAA is designed to equip students with analytical skills in areas such as, policy analysis, administration/management, foreign languages, communication, quantitative analysis, and problem-solving that allow them to pursue careers in both public and private sector institutions in an international environment. The MIAA also prepares students to continue their education at the doctoral level in international relations, political science or other related fields.

The MIAA program plays an important role in contributing toward Missouri State University's statewide mission in public affairs.

IMPORTANT
CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT!

 2008 ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF
THE ASSOCIATION OF CHINESE POLITICAL STUDIES
AT MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY
(please click above for information)

MIAA DEGREE REQUIREMENTS:

I.  Required Core Courses

• PLS 605 Seminar in Comparative Politics
  PLS 613 Seminar in Foreign Policy Decision-Making
  PLS 632 Seminar in International Relations Theory
  PLS 637 Seminar in International Organizations and Administration
  PLS 615 Seminar in Comparative Public Administration
  PLS 621 Seminar in International Political Economy

Total:  18 hours

II.  Cognate Fields

The MIAA candidate, in consultation with the advisor and with approval of the department head, shall choose one of the following five cognate fields. Within each field, a student is required to take courses that are related to each other and reflect the student's strength and interest. Depending on the research option selected, students will take five or six courses in their respective cognate field.

• International Relations and Comparative Political Systems
• Public Administration & Management
• International Economics and Business
• Defense and Strategic Studies

Total: 15-18 hours

III.  Research Options

• Option 1 (Thesis): PLS 699 Thesis (6 hours)

• Option 2 (Non-Thesis): PLS 680 Independent Study in Political Science (3 hours)

Total: 3-6 hours

Thesis option is available to those students whose GPA is 3.75 or above.

IV.  Comprehensive Examination

Upon completion of course work, students with a  GPA of less than 3.75 will be required to pass a written comprehensive examination that covers the core MIAA courses. All students will require to complete an exit interview with the program upon graduation (before or after graduation depending on student preference).

V.  Foreign Language Requirement

Before being allowed to graduate from the MIAA program, students must have completed the equivalent of two years of courses in any modern language offered either at Missouri State or at another institution of higher learning. A student's language proficiency will be determined by both written and oral examinations in his/her chosen foreign language. In some cases, foreign students may substitute their native language, if it is not English, for the language requirement if it is related to their cognate field and/or professional goals.

Students without any training in statistical background will be required to take course work in this area. Proficiency in quantitative methods must be demonstrated either by passing a Diagnostic Test in quantitative methods or by having completed PLS 576 (Quantitative Methods of Political Science and Public Policy) or ECO 508 (Introduction to Econometrics) or an equivalent course approved by the director.

VII. Internships

Students are encouraged to enroll in PLS 681 (an internship). In the past, students have secured positions in internships in locations ranging from the local government in Springfield to Japan.  Students may receive three hours of credit for the internship and it may be counted in the "cognate field" portion of the program requirements.

Most students will want to use the MIAA worksheet when planning a course schedule. Please click on the link below to obtain the worksheet. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Kernen, the program director or Dr. Connor,  the department head.

LINK TO MIAA WORKSHEET
(please click above)

Entrance Requirements:

All students applying for admission to the MIAA program must submit recent Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. Precise application instructions are provided in the section entitled "Applying to the MIAA program" below. Please follow those instructions or it may take additional time to process your application.

Applicants with a 3.00 Grade Point Average (GPA) or above in their undergraduate degree from an accredited institution and strong letters of recommendation from three undergraduate professors or persons well acquainted with the applicant's education and abilities will be admitted to the MIAA program in good standing. In some instances, such students may complete the GRE in their first semester of the MIAA program--but they will need to complete the GRE exam. We are sorry, but GMAT, LSAT, MCAP and other exams cannot substitute for the GRE.

Applicants with an undergraduate GPA between 3.00 and 2.75 must achieve a minimum score of 900 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE, with a minimum score of 475 on either the verbal or quantitative section and a score of not less than 425 on the other prior to admission to the program. We are sorry, but GMAT, LSAT, MCAP and other exams cannot substitute for the GRE.

Foreign students applying for admission to the MIAA program must have an undergraduate degree from an American university or have completed the equivalent of an undergraduate degree at an accredited university in another country. They must also demonstrate graduate-level proficiency in English.

For more information, please see "Applying to the MIAA program" below.

Prerequisite Courses:

The MIAA program does not require any specific prerequisite courses. However, an applicant may be advised or required to take undergraduate prerequisite courses in areas pertinent to the MIAA Program.  For example, an applicant with little or no statistical training will be required to take an undergraduate course in statistics, or a student who has little knowledge of global affairs may be advised to take an undergraduate course in international and/or comparative politics before enrolling in the respective graduate seminars in these two fields.

International Exchange Program Opportunities:

The MIAA program has established an exchange program with the Graduate Institute of Political Science at National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.  NSYSU has been named by the Ministry of Education as one of Taiwan's seven major research-intensive universities. With a population of over two million, Kaohsiung is the second largest city in Taiwan.  NSYSU's Political Science Program only has exchange programs with a small number of other universities--including the two best universities in China (Peking University and Fudan University).  MIAA students may spend a semester studying international relations and/or Chinese at NSYSU (all graduate classes are taught in English) and receive credit for those classes.  In addition to the exchange program with NSYSU, there are other exchange program opportunities. For more information, contact the program director, Dr. Kernen

Study Abroad Opportunities:

The MIAA program encourages students to participate in study abroad trips. Past study tours have included China and various European countries (including Russia). For more information, contact the program director. 

Asia Travel Scholarships:

 Student research grants (up to US $2,000) are available to students who wish to conduct research in East Asia.  To learn more about the program, please see the following link:

To learn more about Missouri State University's numerous China programs, please click here.

Student Academic-Related Activities:

Graduate students enrolled in the MIAA program have participated in numerous international conferences, study-abroad tours, exchange programs overseas, internships and a wide variety of other academic-related events.  Such activities play a critical role in helping students learn about the global community (and help make them more competitive job candidates after graduation). To view some images of students engaged in various academic-related activities, please click here.

Graduate Assistantships:

The Department typically awards up to ten graduate assistantships per year to students in the MIAA program and the MPA program. All students applying for a graduate assistantship must have their GRE scores (verbal and quantitative) on file at the time of application.  Each award is granted for an academic year. A stipend of $6,150 per academic year and a waiver of tuition accompany the assistantship. 

Applying to the MIAA Program

Individuals interested in applying to the MIAA program may obtain an application from the Graduate College, Missouri State University, 901 S. National, Springfield, MO  65897 (417-836-5335), Carrington Hall, Room 306.  Downloadable forms and an on-line application form are provided at the Graduate College website at: http://graduate.missouristate.edu/admissions.htm  Please note that international students must also follow all directions as outlined on the Graduate College website at http://graduate.missouristate.edu/international.htm

In addition to completing the relevant forms and submitting documents to the Graduate College, please send letters of recommendation and applications for a graduate assistantships directly to the MIAA program director.  These forms are available below in downloadable versions.

We welcome applications for admission to the program.  However, please note that if an applicant does not follow the instructions, an application might be delayed. So, please carefully follow all instructions.

Application for Graduate Assistantship
Recommendation Letter Form
 

You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print the Graduate Student Handbook. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader.

International Affairs Career Resources and Internship Information
 

For additional information, please contact the program director, Dr. Kernen, at (417) 836-6957, or via email at beatkernen@missouristate.edu

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