Specialization

As part of the Global Affairs MA program, students choose to specialize in one of eight fields by completing 12 credits in that given field.

The most recent specialization lists for the upcoming semesters can be found below. 

Summer 2025 Specialization Course List*
Fall 2025 Specialization Course List*

*See the Academic Calendar for important deadlines (last day to add a course/last day to drop a course). 

All students must declare a specialization before enrolling in a specialization course by submitting the Global Affairs MA Program Declaration form to globalma@gmu.edu. The specialization options are as follows: 

Global Conflict and Security 

  • Explores topics in diplomacy, ethics, international security, conflict resolution, and terrorism.

Global Culture and Society

  • Examines global problems through anthropological and sociological perspectives.

Global Economics and Development

  • Explores topics in international commerce, economic and human development, political economy, and risk analysis. Students who plan to take the economics (ECON) courses within this specialization should have a strong academic background or have completed microeconomics, macroeconomics, and calculus with a minimum grade of 3.00 in all three.

Global Education

  • Surveys culture and intelligence, classroom management, and examines international schools in an increasingly global community.

Global Governance and Public Management

  • Explores how national governments, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations work together to identify, understand, and address global issues.

Global Health

  • Helps to explain growing health trends through coursework in environmental health, HIV/AIDs, international organizations, infectious diseases, and public policy.

Global Media and Technology

  • Examines the technological advances that connect people and provide information for economic, political, and social purposes.

Global Population and Geography

  • Explores migration patterns and transportation development and allows students to take geography courses on a specific world region.