MIS Program Overview

The Master of International Service (MIS) program is unique in the flexibility it affords professionals with at least seven years of professional experience to earn an executive-focused graduate degree from one of the top 10 international affairs schools in the world whether they take advantage of our on-campus program in Washington, DC, or complete the degree online.

MIS-EXCLUSIVES
Unlike traditional Master’s programs which may require 39-42 credits, the MIS degree only requires 30 credits to complete the degree. Furthermore, based on students’ internationally gained professional experience, they may be eligible to apply for advanced standing of up to two courses, reducing the total credits required from 30 to 27 or 24. These waived credits are put towards the concentration. Additionally, four of the courses for the degree were designed with the MIS student in mind and are exclusive to students in the executive program. See more details in our Curriculum Overview. 

FLEXIBLE PROCESS
The majority of on-campus graduate classes at the School of International Service are scheduled later in the day, usually meeting once a week for 2.25 hours after 5:30 p.m., to make it possible for students to combine academic studies with full-time employment in the nation’s capital. Those in the online track benefit from a combination of live, interactive virtual classes on nights and weekends and self-paced, multimedia coursework that was designed by SIS faculty and is available 24/7. 
FLEXIBLE CONCENTRATION
Those on-campus have a broader range of possible concentrations due to their ability to select from the wealth of courses offered at the School of International Service in fields such as:

  • Foreign and Security Policy
  • Regional Studies
  • Peace and Conflict Resolution
  • International Negotiation
  • Communication
  • International Development

The online program offers possible concentrations in:

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
The MIS Executive Track provides practical opportunities for students to apply their knowledge themselves: The School of International Service is happy to facilitate internship opportunities, offers the popular practicum series that conveys real world experience in project management and consulting, provides professional development workshops in skills institutes, and entertains a number of summer abroad programs.

Learn more about the MIS Curriculum.