Degrees and Certificates
Graduate
MA in Global Affairs
The MA in global affairs is a multidisciplinary program offering students the opportunity to engage in advanced study of a broad range of global issues. Students are prepared for careers in a variety of international contexts including governmental and non-governmental agencies, corporations with a global presence, development agencies and international organizations.
MA in Middle East and Islamic Studies
The interdisciplinary MA in Middle East and Islamic Studies offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences introduces students to the major issues and debates in the study of the Middle East, Islam and Muslim societies. Students study historical and contemporary topics--as well as theory and methodology--from both regional and global perspectives.
The express goal of this program is to situate the study of the Middle East and Islam within a globalized world. Accordingly, the curriculum covers topics of recent scholarly significance including the Arab Uprisings and transitions in the Middle East, new media, political Islam, the political economy of the Middle East, the relationship between “resource wars” and the “war on terrorism,” new diasporas and transnational Muslim communities in the ‘West,’ and the changed geopolitical environments of Muslim and Middle Eastern countries.
This interdisciplinary graduate degree prepares students for a variety of post-graduate opportunities in academia, government, and an expanding job market for people with this expertise.
Accelerated MA in Global Affairs
The Global Affairs Program welcomes applications to the Accelerated MA from highly qualified undergraduate students in any major at Mason. Upon acceptance to the program, students may earn an undergraduate degree in their chosen major and a graduate degree in Global Affairs, sometimes within five years.
Interested students are encouraged to contact their undergraduate advisor and the Global Affairs graduate coordinator (globalma@gmu.edu) to determine eligibility.
Graduate Certificate in Middle East and Islamic Studies
Undergraduate
BA in Global Affairs (On-Campus option, Online option)
Global affairs is an interdisciplinary major that introduces students to the global processes affecting all societies. Drawing on the broad international expertise of George Mason faculty, the bachelor's degree leads students to examine transnational and international processes in a wide range of areas including politics, economics, culture, peace and conflict, and the environment. Students choose a concentration that provides a focus on a region or a specific global theme.
BA in Russian and Eurasian Studies
Russian and Eurasian studies is an interdisciplinary degree program designed for students interested in Russia and Eurasia, an area of the world that is of strategic importance to the United States.
Minor in Asia-Pacific Studies
Minor in Global Affairs
The minor in global affairs provides students from many different majors the opportunity to expand their knowledge of globalization, global culture, and more.
Minor in Islamic Studies
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences offers a minor in Islamic Studies designed for students interested in the societies, cultures, history, and politics of the Islamic world. It offers students the opportunity to study the many societies that have significant Muslim populations. These societies are not just in the Middle East. They stretch from North Africa to Southeast Asia and beyond. They include Europe as well as North America.
Students in Islamic studies are strongly encouraged to study abroad in one of the many programs offered by George Mason's Center for Global Education. The exposure and interactions of such experiences greatly enhance the learning in the classroom. Study abroad courses are as short as a week or as long as a semester. Mason offers programs in several Muslim-majority countries, including Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey.
Minor in Latin American Studies
Minor in Middle East Studies
The interdisciplinary Middle East Studies Program at George Mason provides students with a firm grounding in the history, politics, and culture of this important region. At George Mason University's Middle East Studies Program, students develop an understanding of the diverse dynamics and complex forces that shape modern Middle East realities. Going beyond security concerns, the program emphasizes the need for an understanding of the region’s history as a foundation for further in-depth inquiry.
Students have the opportunity to examine new Middle East diasporas and transnational communities in the West. They learn about the role of the Middle East in a changing geopolitical environment marked by the rise of China, India, and the re-emergence of Russia.